Gliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust. It is employed by gliding animals and by aircraft such as gliders. The most common human application of gliding flight is in sport and recreation using aircraft designed for this purpose. However almost all powered aircraft are capable of gliding without engine power. As with sustained flight, gliding generally requires the application of an airfoil, such as the wings on aircraft or birds, or the gliding membrane on gliding possum. However, gliding can be achieved with a flat (uncambered) wing as with a simple paper plane, or even with card-throwing. The term volplaning has been used for this mode of flight.
Read more about Gliding Flight: Forces, Lift To Drag Ratio, Drag, Glide Ratio, Examples, Importance of The Glide Ratio in Gliding Flight, Soaring
Famous quotes containing the words gliding and/or flight:
“I stand on a bridge of one span
and see this calm act, this gathering up
of life, of spring water
and the Muse gliding ...”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“it pleaseth me when I see through the meadows
The tents and pavilions set up, and great joy have I
When I see o’er the campana knights armed and horses arrayed.
And it pleaseth me when the scouts set in flight the folk with
their goods;
And it pleaseth me when I see coming together after them an host of
armed men.”
—Bertrans De Born (fl. 12th century)