Controllable slope soaring
Main article: Walkalong glider
Person flying a Walkalong glider by controllable-slope soaring.
Controllable-slope soaring (also known as Walkalong gliding) is a type of slope soaring where a slope is made to follow a walkalong glider (a lightweight toy aircraft), both sustaining and controlling the glider's trajectory by modifying the wind in the vicinity of the airplane.
A controllable slope is any object which can be used to affect the air under the airplane: a piece of cardboard, the pilot's hands or even head. The controllable slope is usually manipulated by a person following the glider in flight (please see photo at right).
Controllable-slope soaring allows a glider to achieve sustained flight without the need for an onboard aircraft engine or onboard flight control system.
See also
External links
- Method of Flying Toy Airplane and Means Therefor - a patent from the 1950s for a walkalong glider using controllable slope soaring.
- PBS Scientific American Frontiers Free Flight episode with Walkalong Glider
- Principles of flying walkalong gliders using controllable slope soaring (Jersey Shores Middle School students)
- Controllable slope soaring: suitable aircraft and videos (Google sites)
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