초록 ▼

A glider comprising a pair of wings having overlapped forward, inner root portions that are freely pivotally connected and tailfins on rearward, outer portions of the wings. The tailfins are angularly offset from the general longitudinal axes of the wings so as to have an airfoil liftout angle of at

A glider comprising a pair of wings having overlapped forward, inner root portions that are freely pivotally connected and tailfins on rearward, outer portions of the wings. The tailfins are angularly offset from the general longitudinal axes of the wings so as to have an airfoil liftout angle of attack to the relative wind during flight which causes the wings to swing out to an extended configuration.

대표청구항 ▼

A glider which comprises: a pair of elongated, generally flat wings having forward, inner root portions that are freely pivotally interconnected, each of said wings extending rearwardly and outwardly from its said root portion to an outer tip portion, and tailfin means on each of said wings rearward

A glider which comprises: a pair of elongated, generally flat wings having forward, inner root portions that are freely pivotally interconnected, each of said wings extending rearwardly and outwardly from its said root portion to an outer tip portion, and tailfin means on each of said wings rearwardly and outwardly spaced from overlapped portions, each of said tailfin means having a component that is vertical to the general horizontal plane of its respective wing and is angularly offset from a trailing edge to a leading edge forwardly and outwardly from the general longitudinal axis of its respective wing, said angular offset causing said vertical components to each have an airfoil liftout angle of attack to the relative wind during flight which causes said wings to swing out to an extended best glide configuration, said wings being freely automatically pivotally adjustable during flight in a range of movement between said extended best glide configuration and a substantially more retracted configuration under the opposing influences of aerodynamic liftout forces on said tailfin means urging said wings toward a more extended configuration and drag forces on said wings and tailfin means urging said wings toward a more retracted configuration, the ratio of said liftout forces to said drag forces being greatest and said wings being automatically extended to said best glide configuration at substantially the best glide speed of said glider, and said ratio being reduced and said wings being automatically retracted from said best glide configuration at speeds both higher and lower than said best glide speed, said wing retraction at said higher speeds providing reduced lift and corresponding greater flight efficiency for such higher speeds, and said wing retraction at said lower speeds providing reduced lift causing said forward wing portions to drop and the speed of said glider to increase toward its said best glide speed.