Physics of Hang Gliding

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Hang gliders have been around since the the 1800's, though the concepts of flight were not fully understood then, and very few, if any successful flights were made. They began to be practically used around the 1950's as a branch off of American aerospace research. These first designs were known as parawings, and were developed by Francis and Gertrude Rogallo. Early gliders had wooden or bamboo frames and polythene sails, which is primitive when compared to the new materials used in today's gliders, which will be discussed in further detail later. These gliders intrigued people then just as they do today because the concept of free flight is often an exciting idea. Nearly everyone (except those with an intense fear of heights) have dreamed at one time or another of being able to soar above the earth. Hang gliding is about the closest we can come to free flight, no motor or source of thrust involved, only you and the open sky.

To understand how hang gliders work, you have to first understand the forces that act on a glider in flight. There are three of these forces, they are: lift, drag, and gravity. In order for the glider to fly, the lift force must overcome the drag and gravity forces. This is explained in further detail in the next pages.

One of the most important concepts to understanding how a hang glider works is to understand the concept of lift force. This lift force is best explained through use of Bernoulli's equation. This equation looks like this: P + 1/2þv2 = constant, where þ is the greek letter rho, meaning the density of the fluid (air in this case), v is the velocity, g is the gravitational force, and P is the air pressure. This equation relates pressure and velocity and in simple terms means ...

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... earlier models. These newer and more rigid frames allow for less support cables and tubes. This, as I mentioned earlier on the drag page, allows for less drag and longer flights.

Another new and effective technology is wing design. New and better wings are being developed that have incredible gliding ratios. This ratio is expressed as the length you travel horizontally to the length you fall vertically. Early gliders were not very efficient and some only had ratios of about 1:1, meaning they fell one foot for every foot travelled forward. In today's hang gliders, ratios of 10:1 or better are not uncommon. These new designs are allowing for longer flights. Now flights of 200 to 300 miles are more and more common, taking up to 7 hours sometimes. The world record was set in July, 2001 by Manfred Ruhmer, who flew his hang glider 432 miles in 10.5 hours.

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