![]() Even in hand launch gliders, I am sure I could get my glider higher than the best major league pitcher, if his glider was a flexible, high drag and light plane. Yes, it is easy to put more rubber on your launcher and pull back harder, and the glider might go up a little higher, but you will be surprised how much more force it takes to get just a little higher. First, how strong you are really doesn't give you a great big advantage, especially in catapult gliders. There are a few things that are important to note. The designer has typically arrived at a design by building it, flying it and then building another glider with some small improvements. A good design has usually worked out all of these issues. Topics like dihedral in the wing, nose and tail lengths or moments, rudder and elevator sizes and positions is what I am referring to when I discuss aerodynamics in this article. ![]() ![]() In this article, aerodynamics doesn't mean airfoils. Transition is influenced mainly by aerodynamics. That is what makes gliders so challenging. One can easily see that the factors which influence one important requirement will also influence one of the other important requirements in the opposite direction. Also, don't forget weight is very bad for sink rate. However, the weight of the glider does not strongly influence the height. It also turns out that the heavier the glider is, the higher it will go. One needs a low drag airfoil because drag is the second most important factor in obtaining good height. Glider height is also influenced by aerodynamics and weight. Also, if one makes the wing thicker, strength is gained. The higher density balsa woods typically are stiffer and stronger. The easiest way to get strength is to build the glider heavier. At most contests, the person who gets the highest typically gets the best times, so one must build the glider strong enough to get to the top of the building. One must never forget that the easiest way to turn good times is to get higher. However, strength is the most important factor for getting the glider high. One must remember this and build the glider as light as possible. Weight is the most important of these two factors. Also, an airfoil with a larger lift coefficient translates into a better sink rate. The lighter the glider is, the better the sink rate. ![]() Weight and aerodynamics (airfoil) are the two important factors in determining the sink rate. Now, to excel at these requirements three major issues become important. These are:ġ) To get the glider as high as you can or to the very top of the ceilingĢ) To get the glider to transition from the high speed launch to nominal When one thinks about the events, it quickly boils down to three requirements. The indoor glider events are simple yet hard to master. Originally by Kurt Krempetz for AMA Glider ![]()
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