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The Art of Soaring is the science of using energy from air currents to lift and sustain the sailplane aloft. Today's sailplane is the result of constant research and studiessince the beginning of manned flight (first airplanes were gliders).Pilot skill and sailplane shape combined extract the energy neededfrom the surrounding environment (air) for sustained flight and for propulsion.
The sailplane is quite possibly the most aero-dynamic machine ever built.
Parts of a Sailplane:
A sailplane, or glider as they are also known as, is an engine-less aircraft. A sailplane has all the same control surfaces (ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps, spoilers/airbrakes), and similar instruments to those of a conventional powered aircraft, but uses gravity as its source of power.
Forces on a Sailplane in a Normal Glide
A powered aircraft uses an engine for forward movement and to get air flowing over its wings to generate lift and sustain flight.
A sailplane trades height (potential energy) for forward motion (kinetic energy) to get airflow over its wings.
At altitude, the weight of the sailplane is being pulled towards the earth by gravity. Without wings the sailplane would simply fall to the ground. But, because of the wings and the way the sailplane is designed, it turns the pulling force of gravity into forward motion. This forward motion forces airflow over the wings to generate lift. Therefore, the sailplane must always descend at a minimum rate.
The weight may be considered as a force opposite of the Lift,L, called WL
plus a force opposite to the Drag,D, called WT which may be combined to give the Resultant Force=Weight=Mg
The force propelling the glider forward is the force WT
Hence the Equivalent
Thrust=WT+Mg.sinø
Glide ratio
The most modern Sailplanes can reach glide ratios of 60 to 1 in still air:
if a sailplane is 1000m above ground it can glide...60Km before it will touch the ground!
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