# If a glider had human pedal powered propellers how much extra distance could you go? [duplicate]

Imagine an amateur cyclist could generate 100 watts of power (professional ones can do 200-300), would it be possible to put that to use in a glider to fly further?

For example you pedal for 15 minutes and it is stored in a battery, and then it is used for 2 minutes of propeller power.

I guess one concern is that the addition of [pedals, battery, motor] would outweigh any potential energy gains.

• The possible duplicate I linked to is about a different kind of craft, but the answer's solution and reference to the MIT Daedalus project is valid here as well. – AEhere supports Monica Oct 18 '19 at 10:03
• Hmm i guess i need to look at the power output of a electric glider and compare to say 100 watts to figure out how much percent it is for gliders. – user1138184 Oct 18 '19 at 10:19
• Looking at ls8-e it seems like the motor is 22kw, so about 0.5% of the power, I guess it's just as impossible. – user1138184 Oct 18 '19 at 10:22
• Looking at wikipedia it confirms "Sustainer engines are typically two-stroke two-cylinder air-cooled engines in the range of 18–30 hp (14–22 kW)" – user1138184 Oct 18 '19 at 10:24
• From this post, it appears like: 5 lb thrust = 1 horsepower – user1138184 Oct 18 '19 at 10:30