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#11
March 17th 09, 06:33 PM
posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Aerodynamics of Towing
All of the energy to maintain a glider in steady flight through still
air is derived from gravity - there is no other source of energy. Potential energy of the glider is converted to kinetic energy in the form of forward motion in order to overcome drag. In a 1000 lb sailplane with a 40:1 glide, the wings will develop about 25 lbs of forward thrust to overcome drag and about 1,000.3 lbs of total lift. The glide angle is about 1.5 degrees. I don't understand why people have a problem understanding this - it's a very similar problem to a ball rolling down an inclined plane. Just basic physics! Mike 
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