Questions tagged [glider]
Use for gliders; combine with specific tags, e.g. [sailplane], if required.
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Design Airbrakes Area (or choose) for Sailplane
I'm trying evaluate what airbrakes shape (area) need a sailplane to flight into thermal in minimun sink or approach.
The main idea was to iterate adding drag with different flat plates (or more ...
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Minimum Sink Rate in Sailplane
How do gliders ascend (either with an engine or thermal) at best rate of climb if it is very close to stall? Or they move up by sacrificing that best Rate of Climb. In image the best CL^3/CD is ...
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How long can a foreign registry glider stay in the US before having to change the register to N or having to leave the country?
This is a qualification on a previous question, specifically for gliders.
Here is the link to the answer to the more generic question. Juan Jimenez thanks for the answer there.
As other sources ...
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Program to make glider polars
I was using flow5 to make some speed polars for a glider with real dimensions, however I read about PGEN (polar generation software) that could simulate the thermal effect, but apparently it is an ...
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Incidence angle in Sailplane
I am determining the shape of the fuselage of a sailplane and I found something that gives me a little conflict, and that is that in most sailplanes it has an inclined tip, I read that this helps ...
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Can new thermals be generated above a cloud layer?
Thermals rise from the ground due to uneven heating from the sun, then stop rising once they start condensing into clouds. My question is can new thermals be formed at the top of this cloud layer? I ...
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Design glider without aileron
What difficulties would it take to build a glider without ailerons? I read that "if you can control the turns with the rudder maybe you don't need ailerons." Well, apart from the fact that ...
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Use twist to improve stall characteristics in ideal distribution of lift coefficient
Is practical use twist (geometric or multiple airfoils to improve stall characteristics) when it has lift coefficient distribution ideal or near due to wing plataform?
I am analyzing a "Schuemann&...
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Cruise-climb in glider with electric motor?
I have been looking for the definition of cruise-climb for gliders that use an electric motor, but so far I have only been able to find a definition based on liquid fuel. I'm asking because that ...
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Trailing edge tapered and leading edge straight
It is true that a wing with a straight leading edge and a tapered trailing edge has good stall characteristics?. That is, we can assure that when it enters stall, it will first be at the root and then ...
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Effect of wing flexible in stall
How true is it that the deflection (due to large aspect ratio, flexible wing ) of a wing has a certain effect on the stall characteristics? I read about this in the case of large wingspan gliders. ...
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With existing tech and knowledge of meteorology, can aircraft be designed to reliably improve their range or loiter using updrafts to gain altitude?
Just what the question says. I want to know if aircrafts' range, loiter time, or other measures of merit can be dramatically and reliably increased using our current understanding of meteorology and ...
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Why don’t gliders use swallow tails?
I’ve always wondered this. Why do gliders use a T-style tail, as opposed to a V-tail ie a swallow tail design? I think it would represent a significant reduction in weight over a conventional ...
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Maximise Range Vs Pitching Down while flying a Glider in a Downward Air Mass
While flying a glider, if I encounter a downward moving air mass (i.e. sink) while on final, should I fly to maximise range (best lift to drag ratio) or should I pitch downward in order to exit the ...
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SPL to PPL(A) conversion
I'm currently flying with gliders as a hobby whilst getting my SPL for it. (Belgium - EASA) I know there is SPL TMG and PPL(A) TMG. (don't know the difference) Once I get to PPL(A) TMG, I want to get ...
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What FAA legal interpretation clarifies that glider sight-seeing operations do not need a drug testing program?
I came across this once, and despite searching with Bing and Google cannot find it again. As memory serves, the FAA counsel wrote a letter finding that glider sight-seeing operations do not need ...
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Irrational acrophobia-like anxiety caused by wave soaring
This will probably sound utterly bonkers to many and I feel very awkward coming out with this publicly - I'm a gliding instructor with 650 hours flying experience, and I'm scared of heights.
It's ...
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Why the heavier the aircraft is, the higher the airspeed must be to obtain the same glide ratio?
I know weight does not affect glide ratio. But why does higher weight need higher gliding speed?
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How does elevator control effectiveness change with altitude/ air density?
Suppose an unpowered, rigid, mechanical, lightweight aircraft (e.g. sport glider) is descending at a steady glide in a constant trim (hands off) configuration in a standard atmosphere. The pilot ...
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Does glide ratio improve with increase in scale?
Will the same glider have higher glide ratio if its bigger in proportion or smaller in proportion?
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How does this total energy compensation pitot tube work?
This is a pitot tube I saw on a glider:
The far right end plugs into a receiver. The far left end has the RAM port at the tip, the static ports just behind it, drilled in laterally, and a venturi ...
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What is the FAA definition of a "flight"?
For the purposes of aeronautical experience for glider ratings, the FAA requires a certain number of "flights". However, I cannot find a definition of "flight" in the federal ...
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Size of speed brakes for glider
I have a concept glider and I am trying to calculate the required speed brake area. The clean glide ratio is currently 30, and with speedbrakes, I am aiming at reducing it to something around 7.
I ...
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Airplane speed retention question? [closed]
Imagine the scenario when a plane is flying, then it turns off its engine and nose dives. After gaining a lot of speed, if the pilot pulls the stick back and the plane now points upwards again, will ...
user68613
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What is a tailwheel aircraft?
I just had a lesson in a SGS 2-33A and my CFI logged it as tailwheel time "because it has a tailwheel". I laughed and said I'm not sure that's how it works.
The center of gravity is in ...
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How would IAS change with altitude for an unpowered parafoil?
Suppose an unpowered parafoil (e.g. a ram air parachute or paraglider) is descending (gliding) in a standard atmosphere. Suppose a pitot tube is positioned to always point into the relative wind (e.g. ...
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Currency requirement for a Private Pilot adding a glider rating?
I have a Private Pilot certificate {ASEL, instrument) that I got years ago, and I haven't flown airplanes in over ten years. I'm trying to get back into flying now, but not in airplanes; I want to get ...
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landing glider with chronic right drift or float
I just completed 30 glider flights with my instructor. Over the 2 weeks of training everything improved except for this tendency for the glider to move, drift or float to the right and always ...
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How were military gliders positioned to their departure point?
Modern sailplanes are usually positioned to their departure field using a trailer. How did military gliders get to their departure field?
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Is it normal to fly or glide only one mile per hour above stall speed?
At one point, Through Gates of Splendor describes Nate Saint gliding in his Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser at 45 mph; the plane's stall speed is 44 mph. Earlier in the book, he flew at 45 mph. Is it ...
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Are there any recreational gliders with a yoke?
All gliders / sailplanes seem to use a single central stick to manipulate the primary control surfaces. In other airplane types, we also find yokes and sidesticks. Are there any glider designs, ...
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To what extent is it viable to launch manned gliders vertically using unmanned drones rather than tow planes?
An electric, vertical takeoff drone lifts a manned glider 5 km in the air. The glider is then released from the drone, and glides 50 km to carry its passengers across a lake. The drone meanwhile ...
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Can weight reduce a plane's glide ratio?
The FAA says glide ratio doesn't change, regardless of weight, here on page 5-7.
Glide ratio is not affected by weight because,
while a heavier glider sinks faster, it does so at a greater
airspeed. ...
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How to determine the size and placement distance of vertical and horizontal stabilisers given the size of my wing? (it's a foamular250 glider)
If the wing has a Chord of 150 mm and a span of 800 mm, what about the distance to the tail? anf the size of horizontal and vertical stabilizer?
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Calculating best glide speed
I recently started flying a SGS 2-33 glider. The POH lists the stall speed as 31 mph for solo flight. Min sink speed is 38 mph and optimal glide speed is 45 mph.
Being an old glider with imperfections,...
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What is the lift to drag ratio of a human being?
If a person falls at terminal velocity, and tries to steer himself with his limbs, what is the maximum lift to drag ratio he can achieve, and what position would that be in?
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Is it possible to have a foot powered hang-glider?
My goal is to build a pedal-powered hang-glider capable of traveling at least 80 kilometers per hour. Is such a unit possible in principle, or do we need orders of magnitude more power?
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How is a "turning polar" constructed?
To start with something familiar: here's a flight polar. As we learned, the best glide speed is found by starting at the 0,0 point, and drawing a line tangent to the sink rate line. The intersection ...
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What is the nature of the glider's vario lag?
I learned that glider's vario reading lags behind the vertical speed of the airmass. For example, when flying a steady circle and having a thermal not quite centered yet, the vario is reading a ...
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F1A COMPETITION GLIDER
I am working on a school project. I have looked up the airfoil database. There is a wide range of airfoils I have tried to optimize for my glider to no avail. How do i choose the best airfoil for a ...
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Is a glider on a winch directionally stable?
Let's say I were to fly a glider with the stick and rudder exactly centered laterally, while making the appropriate pitch inputs, during a winch launch.
Would the glider remain wings level throughout ...
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Is Styrofoam or Balsawood better for gliders? [closed]
I have a project that requires me to use either one of the materials. Which one of the materials is better to use?
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How deep do lift pins go inside the wing in gliders?
In the photograph below, how are the lift pins structurally attached to the ribs and how far does its support structure run inside?
Does the discontinuity in the torsional flow in the wing skins pose ...
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If i have equal lift and drag, do they cancel each other out?
I am working on a throw glider and was wondering, How much lift would be too much lift, as in it causes the glider to stall (maybe thrust that causes this, but still). also, if I create a body that ...
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What is a good airfoil for a throw glider
I am trying to design a free flight glider (I don't know what I'm doing, however, I'm interested in aerospace engineering and am trying to learn) And I was wondering, what would a good airfoil be? I ...
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Are the aerodynamic benefits of winglets similar for both powered airplanes and gliders?
Are the aerodynamic benefits of winglets similar for both powered airplanes and (unpowered) gliders? (without considering fuel consumption of course)
user22445
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Where is it defined (in UK law ideally) when a glider is in flight during what period, start and stop?
This seems to be a standard question but at least two of us should know, cannot find a definitive source, CAP393 seems not to have any text that refers. Any help gratefully received.
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Would building a large asphalt square or painted dark black area create a "thermal generator" for glider use?
Imagine if you build a "parking lot" square of asphalt and paint it the deepest black possible to absorb maximum heat...would that spot essentially be a thermal generator that you could fly ...
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Why don't competition gliders use riblet skin surface to reduce drag?
Price is not a problem in competition gliders, also no problem with in maintenance surfaces like at airliners.
It is very easy to wash glider before every race.
A riblet surface is proven (PDF) to ...
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For maximum glide range, should I minimize glide angle or AoA?
I'm currently taking an aeronautical engineering course in school. For an upcoming project, we're going to build balsa toss gliders and we have to design our own wings. The program we're using (Aery32)...
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