Table of Contents vii Preface....................................................................iii Acknowledgments..................................................v Table of Contents .................................................vii Gliders and Sailplanes ........................................1-1 Introduction  ....................................................................1-1 Gliders—The Early Years..............................................1-2 Glider or Sailplane? .......................................................1-3 Glider Pilot Schools ......................................................1-4 14 CFR Part 141 Pilot Schools...................................1-5 14 CFR Part 61 Instruction ........................................1-5 Glider Certificate Eligibility Requirements ...................1-5 Common Glider Concepts..............................................1-6 Terminology  ...............................................................1-6 Converting Metric Distance to Feet ...........................1-6 Components and Systems .................................2-1 Introduction  ....................................................................2-1 Glider Design .................................................................2-2 The Fuselage  ..................................................................2-4 Wings and Components .............................................2-4 Lift/Drag Devices...........................................................2-5 Empennage.....................................................................2-6 Towhook Devices.......................................................2-7 Powerplant .....................................................................2-7 Self-Launching Gliders .............................................2-7 Sustainer Engines .......................................................2-8 Landing Gear .................................................................2-8 Wheel Brakes .............................................................2-8 Aerodynamics of Flight.......................................3-1 Introduction  ....................................................................3-1 Forces of Flight  ..............................................................3-2 Newton’s Third Law of Motion .................................3-2 Lift ..............................................................................3-2 The Effects of Drag on a Glider.....................................3-3 Parasite Drag ..............................................................3-3 Form Drag...............................................................3-3 Skin Friction Drag ..................................................3-3 Interference Drag ....................................................3-5 Total Drag...................................................................3-6 Wing Planform ...........................................................3-6 Elliptical Wing........................................................3-6 Rectangular Wing ...................................................3-7 Tapered Wing .........................................................3-7 Swept-Forward Wing..............................................3-7 Washout ..................................................................3-7 Glide Ratio .................................................................3-8 Aspect Ratio............................................................3-9 Weight ........................................................................3-9 Thrust  .........................................................................3-9 Three Axes of Rotation..................................................3-9 Stability ........................................................................3-10 Flutter  .......................................................................3-11 Lateral Stability ........................................................3-12 Turning Flight  ..............................................................3-13 Load Factors.................................................................3-13 Radius of Turn..........................................................3-14 Turn Coordination ....................................................3-15 Slips ..........................................................................3-15 Forward Slip .........................................................3-16 Sideslip .................................................................3-17 Spins .........................................................................3-17 Ground Effect...............................................................3-19 Flight Instruments ...............................................4-1 Introduction  ....................................................................4-1 Pitot-Static Instruments..................................................4-2 Impact and Static Pressure Lines................................4-2 Airspeed Indicator ......................................................4-2 The Effects of Altitude on the Airspeed  Indicator  ..................................................................4-3 Types of Airspeed...................................................4-3 Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 1