Mitch Mignano Bio : Unpowered aircraft

Main article: Unpowered aircraft

Aircraft that primarily intended for unpowered flight include gliders (sometimes called
sailplanes), hang gliders and paragliders. These are mainly used for recreation. After
launch, further energy is obtained through the skillful exploitation of rising air in the
atmosphere. Gliders that are used for the sport of gliding have high aerodynamic
efficiency. The highest lift-to-drag ratio is 70:1, though 50:1 is more common. Glider
flights of thousands of kilometers at average speeds over 200 km/h have been achieved.
The glider is most commonly launched by a tow-plane or by a winch. Some gliders,
called motor gliders, are equipped with engines (often retractable) and some are capable
of self-launching. The most numerous unpowered aircraft are hang gliders and
paragliders. These are foot-launched and are generally slower, less massive, and less
expensive than sailplanes. Hang gliders most often have flexible wings which are given
shape by a frame, though some have rigid wings. This is in contrast to paragliders which
have no frames in their wings. Military gliders have been used in war to deliver assault
troops, and specialized gliders have been used in atmospheric and aerodynamic research.
Experimental aircraft and winged spacecraft have also made unpowered landings.

Mitch Mignano
Aircraft that require more than one pilot usually have controls intended to suit each pilot
position, but still with sufficient duplication so that all pilots can fly the aircraft alone in
an emergency. For example, in jet airliners, the controls on the left (captain's) side
include both the basic controls and those normally manipulated by the pilot in command,
such as the tiller, whereas those of the right (first officer's) side include the basic controls
again and those normally manipulated by the copilot, such as flap levers. The
unduplicated controls that are required for flight are positioned so that they can be
reached by either pilot, but they are often designed to be more convenient to the pilot
who manipulates them under normal condition.

Mitch Mignano Info The most important recent developments for small aircraft (which
form the bulk of the GA fleet) have been the introduction of advanced avionics (including
GPS) that were formerly found only in large airliners, and the introduction of composite
materials to make small aircraft lighter and faster. Ultralight and homebuilt aircraft have
also become increasingly popular for recreational use, since in most countries that allow
private aviation, they are much less expensive and less heavily regulated than certified
aircraft.

Mitch Mignano Info A ramjet is a form of jet engine that contains no major moving
parts and can be particularly useful in applications requiring a small and simple engine
for high speed use, such as missiles. The D-21 Tagboard was an unmanned Mach 3+
reconnaissance drone that was put into production in 1969 for spying, but due to the
development of better spy satellites, it was cancelled in 1971. The SR-71's Pratt &
Whitney J58 engines ran 80% as ramjets at high speeds (Mach 3.2). The SR-71 was
dropped at the end of the Cold War, then brought back during the 1990s. They were used
also in the Gulf War. The last SR-71 flight was in October 2001.

Mignano Mitch Aircraft began to transport people and cargo as designs grew larger and
more reliable. In contrast to small non-rigid blimps, giant rigid airships became the first
aircraft to transport passengers and cargo over great distances. The best known aircraft of
this type were manufactured by the German Zeppelin company.

About Mitch Mignano Great progress was made in the field of aviation during the 1920s
and 1930s, such as Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in 1927, and Charles
Kingsford Smith's transpacific flight the following year. One of the most successful
designs of this period was the Douglas DC-3 which became the first airliner that was
profitable carrying passengers exclusively, starting the modern era of passenger airline
service. By the beginning of World War II, many towns and cities had built airports, and
there were numerous qualified pilots available. The war brought many innovations to
aviation, including the first jet aircraft and the first liquid-fueled rockets.