Sailplane for Mars exploration

Discussions related to sail plane models.
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rhyneheimer
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Sailplane for Mars exploration

Unread post by rhyneheimer » Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:38 pm

The possibility of deploying sailplanes aka gliders on Mars, which would use atmospheric dynamics to keep the unpowered aircraft aloft.
"...will use several different flight methods, including simple static soaring when sufficient vertical winds are present. But they can also use a technique called dynamic soaring, which, like an albatross on a long journey, takes advantage of how horizontal wind speed often increases with altitude – a phenomenon particularly common on Mars."
https://news.arizona.edu/story/engineer ... xploration
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Steve Ryan -
HEFA/MAAC pilot, slope soaring fanatic, electric enthusiast -
I am not a drone

Lexflyer2022
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Re: Sailplane for Mars exploration

Unread post by Lexflyer2022 » Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:43 pm

That's very interesting for sure. Probably all of our rc glider pilot family members already knew this! :D

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rhyneheimer
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Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:22 pm
Location: Halifax, NS
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Re: Sailplane for Mars exploration

Unread post by rhyneheimer » Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:17 pm

Well, it's news to me, and I follow such things on and off this Earth. The solar powered helicopter, Ingenuity, has performed fantastically on Mars, but an indefinite unpowered glider flight on Mars seems quite ambitious! Looking fwd to the high altitude Earth testing.
Steve Ryan -
HEFA/MAAC pilot, slope soaring fanatic, electric enthusiast -
I am not a drone

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