Whigham GW-2
The Whigham GW-2 is an American high-wing, single-seat, V-tailed, FAI Open Class glider that was designed and constructed by Gene Whigham, a retired flight test engineer for Convair.Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 67, Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920 Design and development The GW-2 was intended as a model that improved upon the performance of the GW-1. To that end it uses a span wing with a much higher aspect ratio of 26:1 and a Wortmann FX 61-184 airfoil. The GW-2 also uses a V-tail. The GW-2 is an all-metal design, with doped aircraft fabric covering on the aft part of the wing, behind the spar. The wing mounts spoilers for glide-path control. The landing gear is a fixed monowheel, with a secondary skid. The prototype GW-2 was registered as N94291 and first flown in 1964. A second GW-2 was also completed. Operational history The prototype GW-1 was flown in three US National competitions. In July 2011 one GW-2 re ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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WikiProject Aircraft
A WikiProject, or Wikiproject, is an affinity group for contributors with shared goals within the Wikimedia movement. WikiProjects are prevalent within the largest wiki, Wikipedia, and exist to varying degrees within Wikimedia project, sibling projects such as Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikidata, and Wikisource. They also exist in different languages, and translation of articles is a form of their collaboration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS News noted the role of Wikipedia's WikiProject Medicine in maintaining the accuracy of articles related to the disease. Another WikiProject that has drawn attention is WikiProject Women Scientists, which was profiled by ''Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian'' for its efforts to improve coverage of women scientists which the profile noted had "helped increase the number of female scientists on Wikipedia from around 1,600 to over 5,000". On Wikipedia Some Wikipedia WikiProjects are substantial enough to engage in cooperative activities with outsi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aspect Ratio (wing)
In aeronautics, the aspect ratio of a wing is the ratio of its Wingspan, span to its mean chord (aircraft), chord. It is equal to the square of the wingspan divided by the wing area. Thus, a long, narrow wing has a high aspect ratio, whereas a short, wide wing has a low aspect ratio.Kermode, A.C. (1972), ''Mechanics of Flight'', Chapter 3, (p.103, eighth edition), Pitman Publishing Limited, London Aspect ratio and other features of the Planform (aeronautics), planform are often used to predict the aerodynamic efficiency of a wing because the lift-to-drag ratio increases with aspect ratio, improving the fuel economy in aircraft, fuel economy in powered airplanes and the gliding angle of sailplanes. Definition The aspect ratio \text is the ratio of the square of the wingspan b to the projected wing area S, which is equal to the ratio of the wingspan b to the standard mean chord \text: \text \equiv \frac = \frac Mechanism As a useful simplification, an airplane in flight can ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aircraft First Flown In 1964
An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its engines. Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, rotorcraft (including helicopters), airships (including blimps), gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons. Part 1 (Definitions and Abbreviations) of Subchapter A of Chapter I of Title 14 of the U. S. Code of Federal Regulations states that aircraft "means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air." The human activity that surrounds aircraft is called ''aviation''. The science of aviation, including designing and building aircraft, is called ''aeronautics.'' Crewed aircraft are flown by an onboard pilot, whereas unmanned aerial vehicles may be remotely controlled or self-controlled by onboard computers. Aircraft may be classified by different criteria, such as ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Homebuilt Aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenneth: ''Choosing Your Homebuilt - the one you will finish and fly! Second Edition'', pp. 39–52. Butterfield Press, 1993. Peter M Bowers: ''Guide to Homebuilts - Ninth Edition''. TAB Books, Blue Ridge Summit PA, 1984. Overview In the United States, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, homebuilt aircraft may be licensed Experimental aircraft, Experimental under Federal Aviation Administration, FAA or similar local regulations. With some limitations, the builder(s) of the aircraft must have done it for their own education and recreation rather than for profit. In the U.S., the primary builder can also apply for a repairman's certificate for that airframe. The repairman's certificate allows the holder to perform and sign off on m ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1960s United States Sailplanes
Year 196 ( CXCVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Dexter and Messalla (or, less frequently, year 949 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 196 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Emperor Septimius Severus attempts to assassinate Clodius Albinus but fails, causing Albinus to retaliate militarily. * Emperor Septimius Severus captures and sacks Byzantium; the city is rebuilt and regains its previous prosperity. * In order to assure the support of the Roman legion in Germany on his march to Rome, Clodius Albinus is declared Augustus by his army while crossing Gaul. * Hadrian's wall in Britain is partially destroyed. China * First year of the Jian'an Era, during the reign of the Xian Emperor of the Han. * The Xian Emperor returns to war-r ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Gliders
This is a list of gliders/sailplanes of the world, (this reference lists all gliders with references, where available) Note: Any aircraft can glide for a short time, but gliders are designed to glide for longer. By nationality * List of American gliders * List of Argentine gliders * List of Australian gliders * List of Austrian gliders * List of Belgian gliders * List of Brazilian gliders * List of British gliders * List of Bulgarian gliders * List of Canadian gliders * List of Chinese gliders * List of Czechoslovak gliders * List of Danish gliders * List of Dutch gliders * List of Finnish gliders * List of French gliders * List of German gliders * List of Greek gliders * List of Hungarian gliders *List of Indian gliders A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, bu ... * List ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in the United States and surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic control, certification of personnel and aircraft, setting standards for airports, and protection of U.S. assets during the launch or re-entry of commercial space vehicles. Powers over neighboring international waters were delegated to the FAA by authority of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The FAA was created in as the Federal Aviation Agency, replacing the Civil Aeronautics Administration (United States), Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). In 1967, the FAA became part of the newly formed U.S. Department of Transportation and was renamed the Federal Aviation Administration. Major functions The FAA's roles include: *Regulating U.S. co ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spoiler (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, a spoiler (sometimes called a lift spoiler or lift dumper) is a device which increases the Drag (physics), drag and decreases the lift (force), lift of an airfoil in a controlled way. Most often, spoilers are hinged plates on the top surface of a wing that can be extended upward into the airflow to ''spoil'' the streamline flow. By so doing, the spoiler creates a controlled Stall (flight), stall over the portion of the wing behind it, greatly reducing the lift of that wing section. Spoilers differ from air brake (aeronautics), airbrakes in that airbrakes are designed to increase drag without disrupting the lift distribution across the wing span, while spoilers disrupt the lift distribution as well as increasing drag. However, flight spoilers are routinely referred to as "speed brakes" on transport aircraft by pilots and manufacturers, despite significantly reducing lift. Spoilers fall into two categories: those that are deployed at controlled angles during flig ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spar (aviation)
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running wingspan, spanwise at right angles (or thereabouts depending on Swept wing, wing sweep) to the fuselage. The spar carries flight Structural load, loads and the weight of the wings while on the ground. Other structural and forming members such as Rib (aircraft), ribs may be attached to the spar or spars, with stressed skin construction also sharing the loads where it is used. There may be more than one spar in a wing or none at all. Where a single spar carries most of the force, it is known as the main spar. Spars are also used in other aircraft airfoil, aerofoil surfaces such as the tailplane and Vertical stabilizer, fin and serve a similar function, although the loads transmitted may be different from those of a wing spar. Spar loads The wing spar provides the majority of the weight support and dynamic load integrity of cantilever monoplanes, often coupled with the strength of the wing D- ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aircraft Fabric Covering
Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are the pioneering all-wood monocoque fuselages of certain World War I German aircraft like the LFG Roland C.II in its wrapped ''Wickelrumpf'' plywood strip and fabric covering. Early aircraft used organic materials such as cotton and cellulose nitrate Aircraft dope, dope; modern fabric-covered designs usually use Synthetic fibers, synthetic materials such as Dacron and butyrate dope for adhesive. Modern methods are often used in the restoration of older types that were originally covered using traditional methods. Purpose/requirements The purposes of the fabric covering of an aircraft are: * To provide a light airproof skin for lifting and control surfaces. * To provide structural strength to otherwise weak structures. * To cover other ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is a streamlined body that is capable of generating significantly more Lift (force), lift than Drag (physics), drag. Wings, sails and propeller blades are examples of airfoils. Foil (fluid mechanics), Foils of similar function designed with water as the working fluid are called hydrofoils. When oriented at a suitable angle, a solid body moving through a fluid deflects the oncoming fluid (for fixed-wing aircraft, a downward force), resulting in a force on the airfoil in the direction opposite to the deflection. This force is known as aerodynamic force and can be resolved into two components: lift (perpendicular to the remote freestream velocity) and drag (Parallel (geometry), parallel to the freestream velocity). The lift on an airfoil is primarily the result of its angle of attack. Most foil shapes require a positive angle of attack to generate lift, but Camber (aerodynamics), cambered airfoils can generate lift at zero ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Soaring Society Of America
The Soaring Society of America (SSA) was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw–Hill Building on February 20, 1932. Its first objective was to hold a national soaring competition every year, but other roles were quickly adopted. In 1954, the Society created the Soaring Hall of Fame. Today the SSA, with a nationwide membership of over 10,000, is headquartered in Hobbs, New Mexico. It is a 501(c)(3) charity organization. The SSA is led by the 17 members on its board of directors and its executive committee, ten of whom are regionally elected by the general membership and serve for three years. The other seven at-large directors are elected annually by the other directors. In addition to the executive meetings of the board, full SSA Board meetings are held twice a year and are open to the general membership. A support staff administers the daily b ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |