Miserlou, MLS-12D,
Reading this post thread, I've begun to wonder how it is that gliders actually fly. Seems impossible, them having no power and all
Well gliders can't "fly" they can only glide. A glider flying at a constant airspeed can not maintain level flight and it can not climb...........all it can do is glide - descend - convert potential energy.
Perhaps I should repeat a statement I made earlier - If one makes a glide approach at say 70Kt and next time one wants to make a more shallow approach but also at 70Kt - one will have to use power to maintain the airspeed at 70Kt..........similarly if one is descending with power at 70Kt and one wants to make the approach angle more shallow for whatever reason - one will have to increase power to maintain 70Kt on this more shallow approach...........if one wants to make a steeper approach at 70Kt, one will have to reduce the power to avoid having a higher speed.
Now tell me that the reason why we are maintaining 70Kt is because I am moving the stick?
Regards,
DFC