motorgliders as towplanes

Bob Cook wrote:
Doug,

I was about to give you a "gold star" but then found some more
misconceptions.

There is gravity in outer space. Anywhere there is matter, with mass,
there is Gravity. The moon is held in orbit by the earth's gravity.
Earth in solar orbit, etc.

You are picking knits and missing the overall points. Clearly I meant
place it in space where gravity is negligible.


Lift would be possible without gravity, (if it was possible to have no
gravity.) If you placed an airplane in air, but no gravity, and provided
a propelling force (engine), the wing could certainly produce lift without
gravity . Without gravity, lift would be unbalanced, resulting in your
aircraft doing successive loops!

Another knit. This discussion is about *gliding*.


Air (or other "fluid" if we are taking this into outer space), is needed
to provide lift. But the forces involved in gliding flight are still
three.....lift, drag, and gravity.

Although thought provoking exerceses, better to say "what is" than
"what if.".....

OK Bob. You want to see things just one way and apparently nothing else
anyone says is going to sway you. No problem here. Have fun. I think
I am done with this.

Regards,

-Doug