Re: Lindy Line
Subject: Re: Lindy Line
From: Brian Whatcott (betwys@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sat Dec 07 2002 - 07:42:15 EST
At 03:53 PM 12/6/02, George Huxtable, you wrote:
>...a solution to the shortest-path
>problem. It can never involve a sudden turn through an angle on to a new
>course, because if one's path involves such a change of course, one can
>always shorten it a bit further by cutting across, or smoothly rounding,
>the angle. So it's intuitively obvious that the shortest ship's-path must
>be a smooth curve with no corners, a condition that's met by choosing an
>initial great circle (and a final one) that merges smoothly at a tangent
>into the constant-latitude leg of the course. Just as Walter (and Bill
>Noyce too) have suggested.
...
>George Huxtable.
Divagating briefly, I note that a flight management system fitted to
some aircraft (Rockwell-Collins FMS800) allows one to select
a prospective change of heading in a smooth turn onto a new
course when approaching a waypoint,
or a change only at the waypoint (or no change at all....)
Brian Whatcott
Altus OK Eureka!
