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Ala delta justo después del lanzamiento desde Salève , Francia
Insignia de parapente y ala delta del ejército de Irán

El ala delta es un deporte aéreo o una actividad recreativa en la que un piloto vuela un avión ligero, no motorizado, lanzado con el pie, más pesado que el aire , llamado ala delta . La mayoría de los parapentes modernos están hechos de una aleación de aluminio o un marco compuesto cubierto con tela sintética para velas [1] para formar un ala . Por lo general, el piloto está en un arnés suspendido de la estructura del avión y controla la aeronave cambiando el peso corporal en oposición a un marco de control.

Los primeros ala delta tenían una relación de sustentación / arrastre baja , por lo que los pilotos estaban restringidos a deslizarse por colinas pequeñas. En la década de 1980, esta proporción mejoró significativamente y, desde entonces, los pilotos pueden volar durante horas, ganar miles de pies de altitud en corrientes ascendentes térmicas , realizar acrobacias aéreas y deslizarse a campo traviesa durante cientos de kilómetros. La Federación Aeronáutica Internacional y las organizaciones que rigen el espacio aéreo nacional controlan algunos aspectos reglamentarios del ala delta. Es muy recomendable obtener los beneficios de seguridad de recibir instrucciones y, de hecho, es un requisito obligatorio en muchos países. [2] [3]

Historia [ editar ]

Artículo principal: Historia del ala delta
Otto Lilienthal en vuelo

A fines del siglo VI d.C., los chinos habían logrado construir cometas lo suficientemente grandes y aerodinámicas como para sostener el peso de una persona de tamaño medio. Era solo cuestión de tiempo antes de que alguien decidiera simplemente quitar las cuerdas de la cometa y ver qué sucedía. [4] En 1853, George Cayley inventó un planeador pilotado y lanzado en pendiente. La mayoría de los primeros diseños de planeadores no garantizaban un vuelo seguro; el problema era que los primeros pioneros del vuelo no entendían suficientemente los principios subyacentes que hacían funcionar el ala de un pájaro. A partir de la década de 1880 se realizaron avances técnicos y científicos que llevaron a los primeros planeadores verdaderamente prácticos , como los desarrollados en los Estados Unidos por John Joseph Montgomery . Otto Lilienthalconstruyó planeadores controlables en la década de 1890, con los que podía elevarse . Su trabajo rigurosamente documentado influyó en los diseñadores posteriores, lo que convirtió a Lilienthal en uno de los pioneros de la aviación más influyentes . Su avión fue controlado por cambio de peso y es similar a un ala delta moderno.

Jan Lavezzari con un planeador de doble vela

El ala delta vio un ala delta rígida y flexible en 1904, cuando Jan Lavezzari voló un ala delta de doble vela latina en Berck Beach , Francia . En 1910 en Breslau , el marco de control triangular con piloto de ala delta colgado detrás del triángulo en un ala delta, era evidente en la actividad de un club de ala delta. [5] El planeador biplano fue muy publicitado en revistas públicas con planes de construcción; [6] Estos planeadores biplanos se construyeron y volaron en varias naciones desde Octave Chanute.y se demostraron sus planeadores biplanos de cola. En abril de 1909, un artículo práctico de Carl S. Bates resultó ser un artículo fundamental sobre ala delta que aparentemente afectó a los constructores incluso de la época contemporánea, ya que varios constructores harían su primer ala delta siguiendo el plan de su artículo. [7] Volmer Jensen con un ala delta biplano en 1940 llamado VJ-11 permitió un control seguro en tres ejes de un ala delta lanzado con el pie. [8]

Planeador Paresev de la NASA en vuelo con cable de remolque [1] .

El 23 de noviembre de 1948, Francis Rogallo y Gertrude Rogallo solicitaron una patente de cometa [9] para un ala de cometa totalmente flexible con reclamos aprobados por sus usos de rigidez y deslizamiento; el ala flexible o ala Rogallo , que en 1957 la agencia espacial estadounidense NASA comenzó a probar en varias configuraciones flexibles y semirrígidas para utilizarla como sistema de recuperación de las cápsulas espaciales Gemini . Los diversos formatos de rigidez y la simplicidad del diseño y la facilidad de construcción del ala, junto con su capacidad de vuelo lento y sus características de aterrizaje suave, no pasaron desapercibidos para los entusiastas del ala delta. En 1960-1962Barry Hill Palmer adaptó el concepto de ala flexible para fabricar alas delta lanzadas con el pie con cuatro disposiciones de control diferentes. [10] En 1963 Mike Burns adaptó el ala flexible para construir un ala delta cometa remolcable que llamó Skiplane . En 1963, John W. Dickenson adaptó el concepto de perfil aerodinámico de ala flexible para hacer otro planeador de cometa de esquí acuático; para ello, la Fédération Aéronautique Internationale otorgó a Dickenson el Diploma de ala delta (2006) por la invención del ala delta "moderno". [11] Desde entonces, el ala Rogallo ha sido el perfil aerodinámico más utilizado de los parapentes.

Componentes [ editar ]

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Ala delta

Tela para velas de ala delta [ editar ]

La tela para velas tejida de poliéster es un tejido muy apretado de fibras de poliéster de pequeño diámetro que se ha estabilizado mediante la impregnación en caliente de una resina de poliéster. La impregnación de resina es necesaria para proporcionar resistencia a la distorsión y el estiramiento. Esta resistencia es importante para mantener la forma aerodinámica de la vela. El poliéster tejido proporciona la mejor combinación de peso ligero y durabilidad en una vela con las mejores cualidades generales de manejo.

Los materiales laminados para velas que usan película de poliéster logran un rendimiento superior al usar un material de menor elasticidad que es mejor para mantener la forma de la vela pero que aún es relativamente liviano. Las desventajas de las telas de película de poliéster es que la elasticidad reducida bajo carga generalmente da como resultado una manipulación más rígida y menos sensible, y las telas laminadas de poliéster generalmente no son tan duraderas o duraderas como las telas tejidas.

Cuadro de control de triángulo [ editar ]

En la mayoría de los ala delta, el piloto está instalado en un arnés suspendido del fuselaje y ejerce el control cambiando el peso corporal en oposición a un marco de control estacionario, también conocido como marco de control triangular, barra de control o barra base. Esta barra generalmente se tira para permitir una mayor velocidad. Cualquiera de los extremos de la barra de control está conectado a un tubo vertical, donde ambos se extienden y están conectados al cuerpo principal del planeador. Esto crea la forma de un triángulo o 'marco en A'. En muchas de estas configuraciones, se pueden suspender ruedas u otros equipos adicionales de la barra inferior o de los extremos de las varillas.

Las imágenes que muestran un marco de control triangular en el ala delta de Otto Lilienthal de 1892 muestran que la tecnología de tales marcos ha existido desde el diseño inicial de los planeadores, pero no lo mencionó en sus patentes. También se mostró un marco de control para el cambio de peso corporal en los diseños de Octave Chanute . Fue una parte importante del diseño ahora común de ala delta de George A. Spratt de 1929. [12] El armazón en A más simple que está atirantado se demostró en una reunión de ala delta de un club de ala delta de Breslau en un pie de ala con listones - ala delta lanzable en el año 1908 por W. Simon; el historiador del ala delta Stephan Nitsch también ha recopilado ejemplos del marco de control en U utilizado en la primera década del siglo XX; la U es una variante del marco A.

Formación y seguridad [ editar ]

Aprendiendo a volar en ala delta

Debido al pobre historial de seguridad de los primeros pioneros del ala delta, este deporte tradicionalmente se ha considerado inseguro. Los avances en la formación de pilotos y la construcción de planeadores han llevado a un historial de seguridad mucho mejor. Los ala delta modernos son muy resistentes cuando se construyen según la Asociación de fabricantes de ala delta, BHPA , Deutscher Hängegleiterverband u otros estándares certificados que utilizan materiales modernos. Aunque son livianos, pueden dañarse fácilmente, ya sea por mal uso o por funcionamiento continuo en condiciones climáticas y de viento inseguras. Todos los parapentes modernos tienen mecanismos de recuperación de inmersión incorporados, como las líneas de grátil en los parapentes con postes centrales, o "sprogs" en los parapentes en topless.

Los pilotos vuelan con arneses que sostienen sus cuerpos. Existen varios tipos diferentes de arneses. Los arneses de la cápsula se colocan como una chaqueta y la parte de la pierna está detrás del piloto durante el lanzamiento. Una vez en el aire, los pies están metidos en la parte inferior del arnés. Se cierran en el aire con una cuerda y se abren antes de aterrizar con una cuerda separada. Un arnés de capullo se desliza sobre la cabeza y se coloca delante de las piernas durante el lanzamiento. Después del despegue, los pies están metidos en él y la parte trasera se deja abierta. Un arnés de suspensión de rodilla también se desliza sobre la cabeza, pero la parte de la rodilla se envuelve alrededor de las rodillas antes del lanzamiento y simplemente levanta la pierna del piloto automáticamente después del lanzamiento. Un arnés supino o suprone es un arnés sentado. Las correas de los hombros se colocan antes del lanzamiento y después del despegue, el piloto se desliza hacia atrás en el asiento y vuela en una posición sentada.

Los pilotos llevan un paracaídas incluido en el arnés. En caso de problemas graves, el paracaídas se despliega manualmente y lleva tanto al piloto como al planeador a la tierra. Los pilotos también usan cascos y generalmente llevan otros artículos de seguridad como cuchillos (para cortar la brida del paracaídas después del impacto o cortar las cuerdas y correas del arnés en caso de un árbol o aterrizaje en el agua), cuerdas ligeras (para bajar de los árboles para cargar herramientas o cuerdas para escalar), radios (para comunicarse con otros pilotos o personal de tierra) y equipo de primeros auxilios.

La tasa de accidentes por volar en ala delta se ha reducido drásticamente gracias a la formación de los pilotos. Los primeros pilotos de ala delta aprendieron su deporte a través de prueba y error y, a veces, los planeadores se construían en casa. Se han desarrollado programas de entrenamiento para los pilotos de hoy con énfasis en el vuelo dentro de límites seguros, así como la disciplina para dejar de volar cuando las condiciones climáticas son desfavorables, por ejemplo: exceso de viento o riesgo de que las nubes aspiren .

En el Reino Unido, un estudio de 2011 informó que hay una muerte por cada 116.000 vuelos, un riesgo comparable a la muerte cardíaca súbita por correr una maratón o jugar al tenis. [13] Una estimación de la tasa de mortalidad mundial es una muerte por cada 1.000 pilotos activos por año. [14] [15]

La mayoría de los pilotos aprenden en cursos reconocidos que conducen a la tarjeta de información de competencia de piloto internacional reconocida internacionalmente emitida por la FAI .

Lanzar [ editar ]

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Video de un despegue desde una colina

Las técnicas de lanzamiento incluyen el lanzamiento desde una colina a pie, el remolque desde un sistema de remolque en tierra, el aerotransporte (detrás de un avión motorizado), los arneses motorizados y el ser remolcado por un bote. Los remolques de cabrestante modernos generalmente utilizan sistemas hidráulicos diseñados para regular la tensión de la línea, esto reduce los escenarios de bloqueo ya que los vientos fuertes dan como resultado una longitud adicional del cable enrollado en lugar de la tensión directa en la línea de remolque. También se han utilizado con éxito otras técnicas de lanzamiento más exóticas, como el globo aerostático.cae desde muy gran altura. Cuando las condiciones climáticas no son adecuadas para sostener un vuelo elevado, esto da como resultado un vuelo de arriba a abajo y se denomina "carrera en trineo". Además de las configuraciones de lanzamiento típicas, un ala delta puede construirse para modos de lanzamiento alternativos distintos al lanzamiento a pie; una vía práctica para esto es para las personas que físicamente no pueden lanzarse con el pie. [dieciséis]

En 1983, Denis Cummings reintrodujo un sistema de remolque seguro que fue diseñado para remolcar a través del centro de masa y tenía un indicador que mostraba la tensión de remolque, también integraba un 'eslabón débil' que se rompía cuando se excedía la tensión de remolque seguro. Después de las pruebas iniciales, en Hunter Valley, Denis Cummings, piloto, John Clark (Redtruck), piloto y Bob Silver, oficial, comenzaron la competencia de ala delta Flatlands en Parkes, NSW. La competencia creció rápidamente, de 16 pilotos el primer año a albergar un Campeonato Mundial con 160 pilotos remolcando desde varios potreros de trigo en el oeste de Nueva Gales del Sur. En 1986, Denis y 'Redtruck' llevaron a un grupo de pilotos internacionales a Alice Springs para aprovechar las enormes térmicas. Con el nuevo sistema se establecieron muchos récords mundiales. Con el uso creciente del sistema, se incorporaron otros métodos de lanzamiento,cabrestante estático y remolque detrás de unultralight trike or an ultralight airplane.

Soaring flight and cross-country flying[edit]

Good gliding weather. Well formed cumulus clouds with darker bases suggest active thermals and light winds.

A glider in flight is continuously descending, so to achieve an extended flight, the pilot must seek air currents rising faster than the sink rate of the glider. Selecting the sources of rising air currents is the skill that has to be mastered if the pilot wants to achieve flying long distances, known as cross-country (XC). Rising air masses derive from the following sources:[17]

Thermals
The most commonly used source of lift is created by the Sun's energy heating the ground which in turn heats the air above it. This warm air rises in columns known as thermals. Soaring pilots quickly become aware of land features which can generate thermals and their trigger points downwind, because thermals have a surface tension with the ground and roll until hitting a trigger point. When the thermal lifts, the first indicator are the swooping birds feeding on the insects being carried aloft, or dust devils or a change in wind direction as the air is pulled in below the thermal. As the thermal climbs, bigger soaring birds indicate the thermal. The thermal rises until it either forms into a cumulus cloud or hits an inversion layer, which is where the surrounding air is becoming warmer with height, and stops the thermal developing into a cloud. Also, nearly every glider contains an instrument known as a variometer (a very sensitive vertical speed indicator) which shows visually (and often audibly) the presence of lift and sink. Having located a thermal, a glider pilot will circle within the area of rising air to gain height. In the case of a cloud street, thermals can line up with the wind, creating rows of thermals and sinking air. A pilot can use a cloud street to fly long straight-line distances by remaining in the row of rising air.
Ridge lift
Ridge lift occurs when the wind encounters a mountain, cliff or hill. The air is pushed up the windward face of the mountain, creating lift. The area of lift extending from the ridge is called the lift band. Providing the air is rising faster than the gliders sink rate, gliders can soar and climb in the rising air by flying within the lift band and at right angle to the ridge. Ridge soaring is also known as slope soaring.
Mountain waves
The third main type of lift used by glider pilots is the lee waves that occur near mountains. The obstruction to the airflow can generate standing waves with alternating areas of lift and sink. The top of each wave peak is often marked by lenticular cloud formations.
Convergence
Another form of lift results from the convergence of air masses, as with a sea-breeze front. More exotic forms of lift are the polar vortices which the Perlan Project hopes to use to soar to great altitudes.[18] A rare phenomenon known as Morning Glory has also been used by glider pilots in Australia.[19]

Performance[edit]

Hang glider launching from Mount Tamalpais

With each generation of materials and with the improvements in aerodynamics, the performance of hang gliders has increased. One measure of performance is the glide ratio. For example, a ratio of 12:1 means that in smooth air a glider can travel forward 12 metres while only losing 1 metre of altitude.

Some performance figures as of 2006:

  • Topless gliders (no kingpost): glide ratio ~17:1, speed range ~30–145 km/h (19–90 mph), best glide at 45–60 km/h (28–37 mph)
  • Rigid wings: glide ratio ~20:1, speed range ~35–130 km/h (22–81 mph), best glide at ~50–60 km/h (31–37 mph). .
Ballast
The extra weight provided by ballast is advantageous if the lift is likely to be strong. Although heavier gliders have a slight disadvantage when climbing in rising air, they achieve a higher speed at any given glide angle. This is an advantage in strong conditions when the gliders spend only little time climbing in thermals.

Stability and equilibrium[edit]

High performance flexible wing hang glider. 2006

Because hang gliders are most often used for recreational flying, a premium is placed on gentle behaviour especially at the stall and natural pitch stability. The wing loading must be very low in order to allow the pilot to run fast enough to get above stall speed. Unlike a traditional aircraft with an extended fuselage and empennage for maintaining stability, hang gliders rely on the natural stability of their flexible wings to return to equilibrium in yaw and pitch. Roll stability is generally set to be near neutral. In calm air, a properly designed wing will maintain balanced trimmed flight with little pilot input. The flex wing pilot is suspended beneath the wing by a strap attached to his harness. The pilot lies prone (sometimes supine) within a large, triangular, metal control frame. Controlled flight is achieved by the pilot pushing and pulling on this control frame thus shifting his weight fore or aft, and right or left in coordinated maneuvers.

Roll
Most flexible wings are set up with near neutral roll due to sideslip (anhedral effect). In the roll axis, the pilot shifts his body mass using the wing control bar, applying a rolling moment directly to the wing. The flexible wing is built to flex differentially across the span in response to the pilot applied roll moment. For example, if the pilot shifts his weight to the right, the right wing trailing edge flexes up more than the left, allowing the right wing to drop and slow down.
Yaw
The yaw axis is stabilized through the sweep back of the wings. The swept planform, when yawed out of the relative wind, creates more lift on the advancing wing and also more drag, stabilizing the wing in yaw. If one wing advances ahead of the other, it presents more area to the wind and causes more drag on that side. This causes the advancing wing to go slower and to fall back. The wing is at equilibrium when the aircraft is traveling straight and both wings present the same amount of area to the wind.
Pitch
The pitch control response is direct and very efficient. It is partially stabilized by the sweep of the wings. The wing centre of gravity is close to the hang point and, at the trim speed, the wing will fly "hands off" and return to trim after being disturbed. The weight-shift control system only works when the wing is positively loaded (right side up). Positive pitching devices such as reflex lines or washout rods are employed to maintain a minimum safe amount of washout when the wing is unloaded or even negatively loaded (upside down). Flying faster than trim speed is accomplished by moving the pilot's weight forward in the control frame; flying slower by shifting the pilot's weight aft (pushing out).

Furthermore, the fact that the wing is designed to bend and flex, provides favourable dynamics analogous to a spring suspension. This provides a gentler flying experience than a similarly sized rigid-winged hang glider.

Instruments[edit]

To maximize a pilot's understanding of how the hang glider is flying, most pilots carry flight instruments. The most basic being a variometer and altimeter—often combined. Some more advanced pilots also carry airspeed indicators and radios. When flying in competition or cross country, pilots often also carry maps and/or GPS units. Hang gliders do not have instrument panels as such, so all the instruments are mounted to the control frame of the glider or occasionally strapped to the pilot's forearm.

Variometer[edit]

Main article: Variometer
Vario-altimeter (c. 1998)

Gliding pilots are able to sense the acceleration forces when they first hit a thermal, but have difficulty gauging constant motion. Thus it is difficult to detect the difference between constantly rising air and constantly sinking air. A variometer is a very sensitive vertical speed indicator. The variometer indicates climb rate or sink rate with audio signals (beeps) and/or a visual display. These units are generally electronic, vary in sophistication, and often include an altimeter and an airspeed indicator. More advanced units often incorporate a barograph for recording flight data and/or a built-in GPS. The main purpose of a variometer is in helping a pilot find and stay in the 'core' of a thermal to maximize height gain, and conversely indicating when he or she is in sinking air and needs to find rising air. Variometers are sometimes capable of electronic calculations to indicate the optimal speed to fly for given conditions. The MacCready theory answers the question on how fast a pilot should cruise between thermals, given the average lift the pilot expects in the next thermal climb and the amount of lift or sink he encounters in cruise mode.[20] Some electronic variometers make the calculations automatically, allowing for factors such as the glider's theoretical performance (glide ratio), altitude, hook in weight, and wind direction.

Radio[edit]

Aircraft radio

Pilots use 2-way radio for training purposes, for communicating with other pilots in the air, and with their ground crew when traveling on cross-country flights.

One type of radios used are PTT (push-to-talk) handheld transceivers, operating in VHF FM. Usually a microphone is incorporated in the helmet, and the PTT switch is either fixed to the outside of the helmet, or strapped to a finger. Operating a VHF band radio without an appropriate license is illegal in most countries that have regulated airwaves (including United States, Canada, Brazil, etc.), so additional informations must be obtained with the national or local Hang Gliding association.

As aircraft operating in airspace occupied by other aircraft, hang glider pilots also use the appropriate type of radio (i.e. the aircraft transceiver into Aero Mobile Service VHF band). It can, of course, be fitted with a PTT switch to a finger and speakers inside the helmet. The use of aircraft transceivers is subject to regulations specific to the use in the air such as frequencies restrictions, but has several advantages over FM (i.e. frequency modulated) radios used in other services. First is the great range it has (without repeaters) because of its amplitude modulation (i.e. AM). Second is the ability to contact, inform and be informed directly by other aircraft pilots of their intentions thereby improving collision avoidance and increasing safety. Third is to allow greater liberty regarding distance flights in regulated airspaces, in which the aircraft radio is normally a legal requirement. Fourth is the universal emergency frequency monitored by all other users and satellites and used in case of emergency or impending emergency.

GPS[edit]

GPS (global positioning system) can be used to aid in navigation. For competitions, it is used to verify the contestant reached the required check-points.

Records[edit]

Records are sanctioned by the FAI. The world record for straight distance is held by Dustin B. Martin, with a distance of 764 km (475 mi) in 2012, originating from Zapata, Texas.[21]

Judy Leden (GBR) holds the altitude record for a balloon-launched hang glider: 11,800 m (38,800 ft) at Wadi Rum, Jordan on 25 October 1994.[22] Leden also holds the gain of height record: 3,970 m (13,025 ft), set in 1992.[23]

The altitude records for balloon-launched hang gliders:

Altitude (ft)LocationPilotDateReference
38,800Wadi Rum, JordanJudy Leden25 October 1994[24]
33,000Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaJohn Bird29 August 1982[25]
32,720California City, California, USAStephan Dunoyer9 September 1978[26]
31,600Mojave Desert, California, USABob McCaffrey21 November 1976[27]
17,100San Jose, California, USADennis Kulberg25 December 1974[28]

Competition[edit]

Competitions started with "flying as long as possible" and spot landings. With increasing performance, cross-country flying replaced them. Usually two to four waypoints have to be passed with a landing at a goal. In the late 1990s low-power GPS units were introduced and have completely replaced photographs of the goal. Every two years there is a world championship. The Rigid and Women's World Championship in 2006 was hosted by Quest Air in Florida. Big Spring, Texas hosted the 2007 World Championship. Hang gliding is also one of the competition categories in World Air Games organized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation - FAI), which maintains a chronology of the FAI World Hang Gliding Championships.[29]

Classes[edit]

Modern 'flexible wing' hang glider.

For competitive purposes, there are three classes of hang glider:[30]

  • Class 1 The flexible wing hang glider, having flight controlled by virtue of the shifted weight of the pilot. This is not a paraglider. Class 1 hang gliders sold in the United States are usually rated by the Hang Gliders Manufacturers' Association.[31]
  • Class 5 The rigid wing hang glider, having flight controlled by spoilers, typically on top of the wing. In both flexible and rigid wings the pilot hangs below the wing without any additional fairing.
  • Class 2 (designated by the FAI as Sub-Class O-2) where the pilot is integrated into the wing by means of a fairing. These offer the best performance and are the most expensive.

Aerobatics[edit]

There are four basic aerobatic maneuvers in a hang glider:

  • Loop — a maneuver that starts in a wings level dive, climbs, without any rolling, to the apex where the glider is upside down, wings level (heading back where it came from), and then returning to the start altitude and heading, again without rolling, having completed an approximately circular path in the vertical plane.
  • Spin — A spin is scored from the moment one wing stalls and the glider rotates noticeably into the spin. The entry heading is noted at this point. The glider must remain in the spin for at least 1/2 of a revolution to score any versatility spin points.
  • Rollover — a maneuver where the apex heading is less than 90° left or right of the entry heading.
  • Climb over — a maneuver where the apex heading is greater than 90° left or right of the entry heading.

Comparison of gliders, hang gliders and paragliders[edit]

There can be confusion between gliders, hang gliders, and paragliders. Paragliders and hang gliders are both foot-launched glider aircraft and in both cases the pilot is suspended ("hangs") below the lift surface, but "hang glider" is the default term for those where the airframe contains rigid structures. The primary structure of paragliders is supple, consisting mainly of woven material.[citation needed]

ParaglidersHang glidersGliders/Sailplanes
Undercarriagepilot's legs used for take-off and landingpilot's legs used for take-off and landingaircraft takes off and lands using a wheeled undercarriage or skids
Wing structureentirely flexible, with shape maintained purely by the pressure of air flowing into and over the wing in flight and the tension of the linesgenerally flexible but supported on a rigid frame which determines its shape (note that rigid-wing hang gliders also exist)rigid wing surface which totally encases wing structure
Pilot positionsitting in a harnessusually lying prone in a cocoon-like harness suspended from the wing; seated and supine are also possiblesitting in a seat with a harness, surrounded by a crash-resistant structure
Speed range
(stall speed – max speed)		slower – typically 25 to 60km/h for recreational gliders (over 50km/h requires use of speed bar),[32] hence easier to launch and fly in light winds; least wind penetration; pitch variation can be achieved with the controlsfastermaximum speed up to about 280 km/h (170 mph);[33] stall speed typically 65 km/h (40mph);[33] able to fly in windier turbulent conditions and can outrun bad weather; exceptional penetration into the wind
Maximum glide ratioabout 10, relatively poor glide performance makes long distance flights more difficult; current (as of May 2017) world record is 564 kilometres (350 mi)[34]about 17, with up to 20 for rigid wingsopen class sailplanes – typically around 60:1, but in more common 15–18 meter span aircraft, glide ratios are between 38:1 and 52:1;[35] high glide performance enabling long distance flight, with 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) being current (as of November 2010) record[36]
Turn radiustighter turn radius[citation needed]somewhat larger turn radius[citation needed]even greater turn radius but still able to circle tightly in thermals[37]
Landingsmaller space needed to land, offering more landing options from cross-country flights; also easier to carry to the nearest roadlonger approach and landing area required, but can reach more landing areas due to superior glide rangewhen flying cross-country, glide performance can allow glider to reach 'landable' areas, possibly even a landing strip and an aerial retrieve may be possible but if not, specialized trailer needed to retrieve by road. Note some sailplanes have engines that remove the need for an out-landing
Learningsimplest and quickest to learnteaching is done in single and two-seat hang glidersteaching is done in a two-seat glider with dual controls
Conveniencepacks smaller (easier to transport and store)more awkward to transport and store; longer to rig and de-rig; often transported on the roof of a car
Costcost of new is €1500 and up,[38] cheapest but shortest lasting (around 500 hours flying time, depending on treatment), active second-hand market[39]cost of new glider very high (top of the range 18m turbo with instruments and trailer €200,000) but it is long lasting (up to several decades), so active second-hand market; typical cost is from €2,000 to €145,000[40]


See also[edit]

  • Glider (disambiguation)
  • Human-powered aircraft
  • Kite types
  • Microlift glider
  • Nanolight
  • Powered hang glider – Foot-launched powered hang glider
  • Powered paraglider

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

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  4. ^ "Top 10 Ancient Chinese Inventions | HowStuffWorks". science.howstuffworks.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. ^ "1908 hang glider in Breslau territory with pilot hung by his left foot, a device used through 1900s (decade) up to today for natural bodily commute". Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
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  8. ^ "Home Builders of the Future | VJ-11 Information Page. The history of the VJ-11 hang glider". sailplanehomebuilders.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Patent US2546078 - Flexible kite - Google Patents". Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  10. ^ Ralph S. Cooper, D.V.M. "Carl S. Bates". earlyaviators.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
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  13. ^ Risk of dying and sporting activities, archived from the original on September 4, 2012, retrieved May 31, 2011
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  16. ^ "Dan Buchanan". cableairport.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  17. ^ Pagen, Dennis (January 1992). Understanding the Sky - A Sport Pilot's Guide to Flying Conditions. Mingoville, Pennsylvania, USA: Dennis Pagen. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-936310-10-7.
  18. ^ "Home | Perlan Project". perlanproject.com. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Morning Glory Clouds of the Gulf of Carpentaria | A Guide to the Morning Glory". dropbears.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
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  21. ^ "Hang Gliding and Paragliding". fai.org. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  22. ^ Leden, Judy (2003). Flying with Condors. New York: Orion Books. ISBN 0-7528-0874-5.
  23. ^ "Hang Gliding and Paragliding". www.fai.org. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  24. ^ Leden, Judy (2003). Flying with Condors. New York: Orion Books. ISBN 0-7528-0874-5.
  25. ^ Edmonton Journal, 30 August 31, 1982; "Kerry Bissell, an official observer of the Soaring Association of Canada: It's 33,000 feet. If the reading is taken at the top of the trace mark, the record is 11,400 meters"
  26. ^ Hang Gliding magazine, December 1978, p35.
  27. ^ The Guinness Book of Records, 1982.
  28. ^ Sarasota Journal, 27 December 1974 p4D.
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  31. ^ Hang Gliders Manufacturers' Association - Home site.
  32. ^ "Technical data for Advance Omega 8". Advance AG. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  33. ^ a b Flight Manual of Scheicher ASW27b. Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. 2003.
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  37. ^ Stewart, Ken (1994). The Glider Pilot's Manual. Airlife Publishing Ltd. p. 257. ISBN 185310504X.
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Bibliography[edit]

  • "Hang-gliding -- the new sport" (pdf). Flight International. 9 May 1974.
  • Ann Welch (10 December 1977), "Hang-gliding review" (pdf), Flight International
  • Ann Welch (14 June 1973), "LIKE A BIRD ON THE BREEZE" (pdf), Flight International: 921–923
  • Paul Dees (September 2010), Hang Glider Design and Performance (PDF), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics