What attitude will the Apex vehicle be in at the time of aircraft release from the balloon?
The optimum aircraft attitude at release is the one that will allow the wing to start generating lift as soon as possible. Releasing the aircraft pointed straight down (in its lowest drag attitude) will allow it to accelerate to substantial dynamic pressure within 10 or 20 seconds. Given the aircraft’s large static margin, the nose will tend to point into the relative wind (straight down) naturally. If the aircraft is released in any other attitude, the angle of attack would have to be reduced below alpha for Clmax (< 8 degrees) before the wing could begin to generate a significant amount of lift. For these reasons, the aircraft will be released with the nose pointed straight down.
