I used to be a PPL instructor sometime ago, but my theory is a bit rusty these days. Would you be so kind as to run through the different forces at play in the cruise, compared to a vertical descent. I understand that to be in equilibrium, total lift must equal total weight, and total drag = total thrust.
In a steady vertical descent, but how does the high induced drag (rotor drag?), result in the gyro descending ie. why does the gyro descend when its airspeed drops below a given speed? Obviously it's the high rotor drag I guess.
If a certain gyro's weight is constant, in straight and level flight, it's total life will have a certain value. In a steady vertical descent, if it's not accelerating downwards, and the weight is the same, then it's total lift must be the same as when in the cruise. What am I missing here that describes what has changed from being in the cruise to the vertical descent?
Kind regards
Glenn