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81-442: During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mostly stimulated by the hang gliding movement, many people sought affordable powered flight. As a result, many aviation authorities set up definitions of lightweight, slow-flying aeroplanes that could be subject to minimum regulations. The resulting aeroplanes are commonly called "ultralight aircraft" or "microlights", although the weight and speed limits differ from country to country. In Europe,

162-703: A kite patent for a fully flexible kited wing with approved claims for its stiffenings and gliding uses; the flexible wing or Rogallo wing , which in 1957 the American space agency NASA began testing in various flexible and semi-rigid configurations in order to use it as a recovery system for the Gemini space capsules . The various stiffening formats and the wing's simplicity of design and ease of construction, along with its capability of slow flight and its gentle landing characteristics, did not go unnoticed by hang glider enthusiasts. In 1960–1962 Barry Hill Palmer adapted

243-415: A ' brewery horse ' could produce 32,400 foot-pounds [43,929 J] per minute." James Watt and Matthew Boulton standardized that figure at 33,000 foot-pounds (44,742 J) per minute the next year. A common legend states that the unit was created when one of Watt's first customers, a brewer, specifically demanded an engine that would match a horse, and chose the strongest horse he had and driving it to

324-502: A chronology of the FAI World Hang Gliding Championships. Other forms of competition include Aerobatic competitions, and Speedgliding competitions, wherein the goal is to descend from a mountain as fast as possible while passing through various gates in a manner similar to down-hill skiing. For competitive purposes, there are three classes of hang glider: There are four basic aerobatic maneuvers in

405-512: A control frame. Early hang gliders had a low lift-to-drag ratio , so pilots were restricted to gliding down small hills. By the 1980s this ratio significantly improved, and since then pilots have been able to soar for hours, gain thousands of feet of altitude in thermal updrafts, perform aerobatics, and glide cross-country for hundreds of kilometers. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale and national airspace governing organisations control some regulatory aspects of hang gliding. Obtaining

486-473: A flight recharge cost of 60 cents in 2007. A significant obstacle to the adoption of electric propulsion for ultralights in the U.S. is the weight of the battery, which is considered part of the empty weight of the aircraft despite efforts to have it considered as fuel. As the specific energy of batteries improves, lighter batteries can be used. [REDACTED] Media related to Ultralight aircraft at Wikimedia Commons Hang gliding Hang gliding

567-429: A group of engineers modified a dynometer to be able to measure how much horsepower a horse can produce. This horse was measured to 5.7 hp (4.3 kW). When torque T is in pound-foot units, rotational speed N is in rpm , the resulting power in horsepower is The constant 5252 is the rounded value of (33,000 ft⋅lbf/min)/(2π rad/rev). When torque T is in inch-pounds, The constant 63,025

648-439: A hang glider: Paragliders and hang gliders are both foot-launched glider aircraft from which cases the pilot is suspended ("hangs") below the lift surface, but hang gliders include a rigid aluminum frame, while paragliders are entirely flexible and look more similar to a parachute. Gliders and sailplanes are structured from composite materials and may have wheels, propellers, and engines. Horsepower Horsepower ( hp )

729-530: A healthy human can produce about 1.2 hp (0.89 kW) briefly (see orders of magnitude ) and sustain about 0.1 hp (0.075 kW) indefinitely; trained athletes can manage up to about 2.5 hp (1.9 kW) briefly and 0.35 hp (0.26 kW) for a period of several hours. The Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt produced a maximum of 3.5 hp (2.6 kW) 0.89 seconds into his 9.58 second 100-metre (109.4 yd) sprint world record in 2009. In 2023

810-437: A how-to article by Carl S. Bates proved to be a seminal hang glider article that seemingly affected builders even of contemporary times. Many builders would have their first hang glider made by following the plan in his article. Volmer Jensen with a biplane hang glider in 1940 called VJ-11 allowed safe three-axis control of a foot-launched hang glider. On 23 November 1948, Francis Rogallo and Gertrude Rogallo applied for

891-402: A jacket and the leg portion is behind the pilot during launch. Once in the air the feet are tucked into the bottom of the harness. They are zipped up in the air with a rope and unzipped before landing with a separate rope. A cocoon harness is slipped over the head and lies in front of the legs during launch. After takeoff, the feet are tucked into it and the back is left open. A knee hanger harness

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972-625: A landing at a goal. In the late 1990s low-power GPS units were introduced and have completely replaced photographs of the goal. Every two years there is a world championship. The Rigid and Women's World Championship in 2006 was hosted by Quest Air in Florida . Big Spring , Texas hosted the 2007 World Championship. Hang gliding is also one of the competition categories in World Air Games organized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation - FAI), which maintains

1053-544: A licence, provided its weight with a full fuel tank is not more than 75 kg (165 lb), but they must obey the rules of the air. For heavier microlights the current UK regulations are similar to the European ones, but helicopters and gyroplanes are not included. Other than the very earliest aircraft, all two-seat UK microlights (and until 2007 all single-seaters) have been required to meet an airworthiness standard; BCAR Section S. In 2007, Single Seat DeRegulated (SSDR),

1134-470: A microphone is worn on the head or incorporated in the helmet, and the PTT switch is either fixed to the outside of the helmet, or strapped to a finger. Operating a VHF band radio without an appropriate license is illegal in most countries that have regulated airwaves (including United States, Canada, Brazil, etc.), so additional information must be obtained with the national or local Hang Gliding association or with

1215-438: A premium is placed on gentle behaviour, especially at the stall and natural pitch stability. The wing loading must be very low in order to allow the pilot to run fast enough to get above stall speed . Unlike a traditional aircraft with an extended fuselage and empennage for maintaining stability, hang gliders rely on the natural stability of their flexible wings to return to equilibrium in yaw and pitch. Roll stability

1296-1222: A significant percentage of the global civilian-owned aircraft. For instance, in Canada in February 2018, the ultralight aircraft fleet made up to 20.4% of the total civilian aircraft registered. In other countries that do not register ultralight aircraft, like in the United States , it is unknown what proportion of the total fleet they make up. In countries where there is no specific extra regulation, ultralights are considered regular aircraft and subject to certification requirements for both aircraft and pilot. 2 persons, 622.5 kg (1,372 lb) (600 kg (1,323 lb) without parachute) Stall speed 65 km/h (40 mph) (undefined in Civil Aeronautics Act) Passengers also need permission. Other minister's permissions: Flyable area: uncontrolled airspace over unpopulated areas, within 3 km (2 mi) from departure point and landing at another point forbidden. Aircraft: Must have fixed landing gear, and

1377-601: A single engine with fixed pitch propeller. In Australia, ultralight aircraft and their pilots can either be registered with the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA) or Recreational Aviation Australia (RA Aus). In all cases, except for privately built single seat ultralight aeroplanes, microlight aircraft or trikes are regulated by the Civil Aviation Regulations. Pilots of a powered, fixed wing aircraft or paramotors do not need

1458-406: A stationary control frame, also known as a triangle control frame, or an A-frame. The control frame normally consists of 2 "down-tubes" and a control bar/base bar/base-tube. Either end of the control bar is attached to an upright tube or a more aerodynamic strut (a "down-tube"), where both extend from the base-tube and are connected to the apex of the control frame/ the keel of the glider. This creates

1539-611: A stiffened flexible wing hang glider in 1904, when Jan Lavezzari flew a double lateen sail hang glider off Berck Beach , France . In 1910 in Breslau , the triangle control frame with hang glider pilot hung behind the triangle in a hang glider, was evident in a gliding club's activity. The biplane hang glider was very widely publicized in public magazines with plans for building; such biplane hang gliders were constructed and flown in several nations since Octave Chanute and his tailed biplane hang gliders were demonstrated. In April 1909,

1620-636: A sub-category of single seat aircraft was introduced, allowing owners more freedom for modification and experiments. By 2017 the airworthiness of all single seat microlights became solely the responsibility of the user, but pilots must hold a microlight licence; currently NPPL(M) (National Private Pilots Licence). Ultralights in New Zealand are subject to NZCAA General Aviation regulations with microlight specific variations as described in Part 103 and AC103-1. The United States FAA 's definition of an ultralight

1701-451: A visual display. These units are generally electronic, vary in sophistication, and often include an altimeter and an airspeed indicator. More advanced units often incorporate a barograph for recording flight data and/or a built-in GPS. The main purpose of a variometer is in helping a pilot find and stay in the 'core' of a thermal to maximize height gain, and conversely indicating when he or she

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1782-400: Is a unit of measurement of power , or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the imperial horsepower as in "hp" or "bhp" which is about 745.7 watts , and the metric horsepower as in "cv" or "PS" which is approximately 735.5 watts. The term

1863-412: Is also slipped over the head but the knee part is wrapped around the knees before launch and just pick up the pilots leg automatically after launch. A supine or suprone harness is a seated harness. The shoulder straps are put on before launch and after takeoff the pilot slides back into the seat and flies in a seated position. Pilots carry a parachute enclosed in the harness. In case of serious problems,

1944-420: Is also used in many places to symbolize brake horsepower. Drawbar power (dbp) is the power a railway locomotive has available to haul a train or an agricultural tractor to pull an implement. This is a measured figure rather than a calculated one. A special railway car called a dynamometer car coupled behind the locomotive keeps a continuous record of the drawbar pull exerted, and the speed. From these,

2025-421: Is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider . Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered with synthetic sailcloth to form a wing . Typically the pilot is in a harness suspended from the airframe , and controls the aircraft by shifting body weight in opposition to

2106-463: Is equivalent to a boiler heat output of 33,469 Btu/h (9.809 kW). Present industrial practice is to define "boiler horsepower" as a boiler thermal output equal to 33,475 Btu/h (9.811 kW), which is very close to the original and revised definitions. Boiler horsepower is still used to measure boiler output in industrial boiler engineering in the US. Boiler horsepower is abbreviated BHP, which

2187-454: Is equivalent to a boiler heat output of 33,485 Btu/h (9.813 kW). A few years later in 1884, the ASME re-defined the boiler horsepower as the thermal output equal to the evaporation of 34.5 pounds per hour of water "from and at" 212 °F (100 °C). This considerably simplified boiler testing, and provided more accurate comparisons of the boilers at that time. This revised definition

2268-490: Is for people who physically cannot foot-launch. In 1983 Denis Cummings re-introduced a safe tow system that was designed to tow through the centre of mass and had a gauge that displayed the towing tension, it also integrated a 'weak link' that broke when the safe tow tension was exceeded. After initial testing, in the Hunter Valley, Denis Cummings, pilot, John Clark, (Redtruck), driver and Bob Silver, officianado, began

2349-503: Is generally set to be near neutral. In calm air, a properly designed wing will maintain balanced trimmed flight with little pilot input. The flex wing pilot is suspended beneath the wing by a strap attached to their harness. The pilot lies prone (sometimes supine ) within a large, triangular, metal control frame. Controlled flight is achieved by the pilot pushing and pulling on this control frame, thus shifting their weight fore or aft, and right or left in coordinated maneuvers. Furthermore,

2430-484: Is in psi, and flow rate is in US gallons per minute. Drilling rigs are powered mechanically by rotating the drill pipe from above. Hydraulic power is still needed though, as 1 500 to 5 000 W are required to push mud through the drill bit to clear waste rock. Additional hydraulic power may also be used to drive a down-hole mud motor to power directional drilling . When using SI units, the equation becomes coherent and there

2511-427: Is in sinking air and needs to find rising air. Variometers are sometimes capable of electronic calculations to indicate the optimal speed to fly for given conditions. The MacCready theory answers the question on how fast a pilot should cruise between thermals, given the average lift the pilot expects in the next thermal climb and the amount of lift or sink he encounters in cruise mode. Some electronic variometers make

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2592-465: Is needed to pull a drawbar load of 2,025 pounds-force at 5 miles per hour? { P } h p = 2025 × 5 375 = 27. {\displaystyle \{P\}_{\mathrm {hp} }={\frac {2025\times 5}{375}}=27.} The constant 375 is because 1 hp = 375 lbf⋅mph. If other units are used, the constant is different. When using coherent SI units (watts, newtons, and metres per second), no constant

2673-507: Is needed, and the formula becomes P = Fv . This formula may also be used to calculate the power of a jet engine, using the speed of the jet and the thrust required to maintain that speed. Example: how much power is generated with a thrust of 4000 pounds at 400 miles per hour? { P } h p = 4000 × 400 375 = 4266.7. {\displaystyle \{P\}_{\mathrm {hp} }={\frac {4000\times 400}{375}}=4266.7.} This measure

2754-434: Is no dividing constant. where pressure is in pascals (Pa), and flow rate is in cubic metres per second (m ). Boiler horsepower is a boiler 's capacity to deliver steam to a steam engine and is not the same unit of power as the 550 ft lb/s definition. One boiler horsepower is equal to the thermal energy rate required to evaporate 34.5 pounds (15.6 kg) of fresh water at 212 °F (100 °C) in one hour. In

2835-450: Is ordinarily stated in watts or kilowatts. In the United States, the power output is stated in horsepower which, for this purpose, is defined as exactly 746 W. Hydraulic horsepower can represent the power available within hydraulic machinery , power through the down-hole nozzle of a drilling rig , or can be used to estimate the mechanical power needed to generate a known hydraulic flow rate. It may be calculated as where pressure

2916-426: Is required to provide resistance to distortion and stretch. This resistance is important in maintaining the aerodynamic shape of the sail. Woven polyester provides the best combination of light weight and durability in a sail, with the best overall handling qualities. Laminated sail materials using polyester film achieve superior performance by using a lower stretch material that is better at maintaining sail shape, but

2997-635: Is significantly different from that in most other countries and can lead to some confusion when discussing the topic. The governing regulation in the United States is FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles . In 2004, the FAA introduced the " Light-sport aircraft " category, which resembles some other countries' microlight categories. Ultralight aviation is represented by the United States Ultralight Association ( USUA ), which acts as

3078-435: Is still relatively light in weight. The disadvantages of polyester film fabrics are that the reduced elasticity under load generally results in stiffer and less responsive handling, and polyester laminated fabrics are generally not as durable or long-lasting as the woven fabrics. In most hang gliders, the pilot is ensconced in a harness suspended from the airframe , and exercises control by shifting body weight in opposition to

3159-743: Is the approximation of Assuming the third CGPM (1901, CR 70) definition of standard gravity , g n = 9.80665 m/s , is used to define the pound-force as well as the kilogram force, and the international avoirdupois pound (1959), one imperial horsepower is: Or given that 1 hp = 550 ft⋅lbf/s, 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 lbf ≈ 4.448 N, 1 J = 1 N⋅m, 1 W = 1 J/s: 1 hp ≈ 745.7 W The various units used to indicate this definition ( PS , KM , cv , hk , pk , k , ks and ch ) all translate to horse power in English. British manufacturers often intermix metric horsepower and mechanical horsepower depending on

3240-413: Is to allow greater liberty regarding distance flights in regulated airspaces, in which the aircraft radio is normally a legal requirement. Fourth is the universal emergency frequency monitored by all other users and satellites and used in case of emergency or impending emergency. GPS (global positioning system) can be used to aid in navigation. For competitions, it is used to verify the contestant reached

3321-781: The kilowatt as the official power-measuring unit in EEC directives. Other names for the metric horsepower are the Italian cavallo vapore (cv) , Dutch paardenkracht (pk) , the French cheval-vapeur (ch) , the Spanish caballo de vapor and Portuguese cavalo-vapor (cv) , the Russian лошадиная сила (л. с.) , the Swedish hästkraft (hk) , the Finnish hevosvoima (hv) ,

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3402-501: The 1926 Iowa State Fair , they reported that the peak power over a few seconds has been measured to be as high as 14.88 hp (11.10 kW) and also observed that for sustained activity, a work rate of about 1 hp (0.75 kW) per horse is consistent with agricultural advice from both the 19th and 20th centuries and also consistent with a work rate of about four times the basal rate expended by other vertebrates for sustained activity. When considering human-powered equipment ,

3483-861: The Estonian hobujõud (hj) , the Norwegian and Danish hestekraft (hk) , the Hungarian lóerő (LE) , the Czech koňská síla and Slovak konská sila (k or ks ), the Serbo-Croatian konjska snaga (KS) , the Bulgarian конска сила , the Macedonian коњска сила (KC) , the Polish koń mechaniczny (KM) ( lit.   ' mechanical horse ' ), Slovenian konjska moč (KM) ,

3564-477: The Flatlands Hang gliding competition at Parkes, NSW. The competition quickly grew, from 16 pilots the first year to hosting a World Championship with 160 pilots towing from several wheat paddocks in western NSW. In 1986 Denis and 'Redtruck' took a group of international pilots to Alice Springs to take advantage of the massive thermals. Using the new system many world records were set. With the growing use of

3645-612: The US aeroclub representative to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale . There are several categories of aircraft which qualify as ultralights in some countries: Advancements in batteries, motors, and motor controllers has led to some practical production electric propulsion systems for some ultralight applications. In many ways, ultralights are a good application for electric power as some models are capable of flying with low power, which allows longer duration flights on battery power. In 2007,

3726-667: The Ukrainian кінська сила (к. с.) , the Romanian cal-putere (CP) , and the German Pferdestärke (PS) . In the 19th century, revolutionary-era France had its own unit used to replace the cheval vapeur (horsepower); based on a 100 kgf ⋅m/s standard, it was called the poncelet and was abbreviated p . Tax or fiscal horsepower is a non-linear rating of a motor vehicle for tax purposes. Tax horsepower ratings were originally more or less directly related to

3807-411: The air such as frequencies restrictions, but has several advantages over FM (i.e. frequency modulated) radios used in other services. First is the great range it has (without repeaters) because of its amplitude modulation (i.e. AM). Second is the ability to contact, inform and be informed directly by other aircraft pilots of their intentions thereby improving collision avoidance and increasing safety. Third

3888-490: The calculations automatically, allowing for factors such as the glider's theoretical performance (glide ratio), altitude, hook in weight, and wind direction. Pilots sometimes use 2-way radios for training purposes, for communicating with other pilots in the air, and with their ground crew when traveling on cross-country flights. One type of radio used are PTT ( push-to-talk ) handheld transceivers , operating in VHF FM. Usually

3969-409: The competent radio regulatory authority. As aircraft operating in airspace occupied by other aircraft, hang glider pilots may also use the appropriate type of radio (i.e. the aircraft transceiver into Aero Mobile Service VHF band). It can, of course, be fitted with a PTT switch to a finger and speakers inside the helmet. The use of aircraft transceivers is subject to regulations specific to the use in

4050-472: The discipline to cease flying when weather conditions are unfavorable, for example: excess wind or risk cloud suck . In the UK, a 2011 study reported there is one death per 116,000 flights, a risk comparable to sudden cardiac death from running a marathon or playing tennis. An estimate of worldwide mortality rate is one death per 1,000 active pilots per year. Most pilots learn at recognised courses which lead to

4131-666: The early days of steam use, the boiler horsepower was roughly comparable to the horsepower of engines fed by the boiler. The term "boiler horsepower" was originally developed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876, where the best steam engines of that period were tested. The average steam consumption of those engines (per output horsepower) was determined to be the evaporation of 30 pounds (14 kg) of water per hour, based on feed water at 100 °F (38 °C), and saturated steam generated at 70 psi (480 kPa). This original definition

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4212-530: The engine's bore size, number of cylinders, and a (now archaic) presumption of engine efficiency. As new engines were designed with ever-increasing efficiency, it was no longer a useful measure, but was kept in use by UK regulations, which used the rating for tax purposes . The United Kingdom was not the only country that used the RAC rating; many states in Australia used RAC hp to determine taxation. The RAC formula

4293-499: The engine. The situation persisted for several generations of four- and six-cylinder British engines: For example, Jaguar's 3.4-litre XK engine of the 1950s had six cylinders with a bore of 83 mm (3.27 in) and a stroke of 106 mm (4.17 in), where most American automakers had long since moved to oversquare (large bore, short stroke) V8 engines . See, for example, the early Chrysler Hemi engine . The power of an engine may be measured or estimated at several points in

4374-606: The fact that the wing is designed to bend and flex, provides favourable dynamics analogous to a spring suspension. This provides a gentler flying experience than a similarly sized rigid-winged hang glider. To maximize a pilot's understanding of how the hang glider is flying, most pilots carry flight instruments . The most basic being a variometer and altimeter—often combined. Some more advanced pilots also carry airspeed indicators and radios. When flying in competition or cross country , pilots often also carry maps and/or GPS units. Hang gliders do not have instrument panels as such, so all

4455-911: The first decade of the 1900s; the U is variant of the A-frame. Due to the poor safety record of early hang gliding pioneers, the sport has traditionally been considered unsafe. Advances in pilot training and glider construction have led to a much improved safety record. Modern hang gliders are very sturdy when constructed to Hang Glider Manufacturers Association, BHPA , Deutscher Hängegleiterverband, or other certified standards using modern materials. Although lightweight, they can be easily damaged, either through misuse or by continued operation in unsafe wind and weather conditions. All modern gliders have built-in dive recovery mechanisms such as luff lines in kingposted gliders, or "sprogs" in topless gliders. Pilots fly in harnesses that support their bodies. Several different types of harnesses exist. Pod harnesses are put on like

4536-511: The first pioneering company in this field, the Electric Aircraft Corporation , began offering engine kits to convert ultralight weight shift trikes to electric power. The 18 hp motor weighs 26 lb (12 kg) and an efficiency of 90% is claimed by designer Randall Fishman. The battery consists of a lithium-polymer battery pack of 5.6kWh which provides 1.5 hours of flying in the trike application. The company claimed

4617-438: The first truly practical gliders , such as those developed in the United States by John Joseph Montgomery . Otto Lilienthal built controllable gliders in the 1890s, with which he could ridge soar . His rigorously documented work influenced later designers, making Lilienthal one of the most influential early aviation pioneers . His aircraft was controlled by weight shift and is similar to a modern hang glider. Hang gliding saw

4698-503: The flexible wing concept to make foot-launched hang gliders with four different control arrangements. In 1963 Mike Burns adapted the flexible wing to build a towable kite-hang glider he called Skiplane . In 1963, John W. Dickenson adapted the flexible wing airfoil concept to make another water-ski kite glider; for this, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale vested Dickenson with the Hang Gliding Diploma (2006) for

4779-449: The following sources: Thermals With each generation of materials and with the improvements in aerodynamics, the performance of hang gliders has increased. One measure of performance is the glide ratio . For example, a ratio of 12:1 means that in smooth air a glider can travel forward 12 metres while only losing 1 metre of altitude. Some performance figures as of 2006: Because hang gliders are most often used for recreational flying,

4860-489: The horse could pull with a force of 180 pounds-force (800 N). So: Engineering in History recounts that John Smeaton initially estimated that a horse could produce 22,916 foot-pounds (31,070 J) per minute. John Desaguliers had previously suggested 44,000 foot-pounds (59,656 J) per minute, and Thomas Tredgold suggested 27,500 foot-pounds (37,285 J) per minute. "Watt found by experiment in 1782 that

4941-651: The implementation of the EU Directive 80/181/EEC on 1 January 2010, the use of horsepower in the EU is permitted only as a supplementary unit. The development of the steam engine provided a reason to compare the output of horses with that of the engines that could replace them. In 1702, Thomas Savery wrote in The Miner's Friend : The idea was later used by James Watt to help market his improved steam engine. He had previously agreed to take royalties of one-third of

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5022-496: The instruments are mounted to the control frame of the glider or occasionally strapped to the pilot's forearm. Gliding pilots are able to sense the acceleration forces when they first hit a thermal, but have difficulty gauging constant motion. Thus it is difficult to detect the difference between constantly rising air and constantly sinking air. A variometer is a very sensitive vertical speed indicator. The variometer indicates climb rate or sink rate with audio signals (beeps) and/or

5103-616: The internationally recognised International Pilot Proficiency Information card issued by the FAI . Launch techniques include launching from a hill/cliff/mountain/sand dune/any raised terrain on foot, tow-launching from a ground-based tow system, aerotowing (behind a powered aircraft), powered harnesses , and being towed up by a boat. Modern winch tows typically utilize hydraulic systems designed to regulate line tension, this reduces scenarios for lock out as strong aerodynamic forces will result in additional rope spooling out rather than direct tension on

5184-478: The invention of the "modern" hang glider. Since then, the Rogallo wing has been the most used airfoil of hang gliders. Hang glider sailcloth is normally made from woven or laminated fiber, such as dacron or mylar , respectively. Woven polyester sailcloth is a very tight weave of small diameter polyester fibers that has been stabilized by the hot-press impregnation of a polyester resin. The resin impregnation

5265-454: The limit. In that legend, Watt accepted the challenge and built a machine that was actually even stronger than the figure achieved by the brewer, and the output of that machine became the horsepower. In 1993, R. D. Stevenson and R. J. Wassersug published correspondence in Nature summarizing measurements and calculations of peak and sustained work rates of a horse. Citing measurements made at

5346-512: The origin of the engine in question. DIN 66036 defines one metric horsepower as the power to raise a mass of 75 kilograms against the Earth's gravitational force over a distance of one metre in one second: 75 kg × 9.80665 m/s × 1 m / 1 s = 75  kgf ⋅m/s = 1 PS. This is equivalent to 735.49875 W, or 98.6% of an imperial horsepower. In 1972, the PS was replaced by

5427-810: The parachute is manually deployed (either by hand or with a ballistic assist ) and carries both pilot and glider down to earth. Pilots also wear helmets and generally carry other safety items such as knives (for cutting their parachute bridle after impact or cutting their harness lines and straps in case of a tree or water landing), light ropes (for lowering from trees to haul up tools or climbing ropes), radios (for communication with other pilots or ground crew), and first-aid equipment. The accident rate from hang glider flying has been dramatically decreased by pilot training. Early hang glider pilots learned their sport through trial and error and gliders were sometimes home-built. Training programs have been developed for today's pilot with emphasis on flight within safe limits, as well as

5508-670: The power generated can be calculated. To determine the maximum power available, a controllable load is required; it is normally a second locomotive with its brakes applied, in addition to a static load. If the drawbar force ( F ) is measured in pounds-force (lbf) and speed ( v ) is measured in miles per hour (mph), then the drawbar power ( P ) in horsepower (hp) is { P } h p = { F } l b f { v } m p h 375 . {\displaystyle \{P\}_{\mathrm {hp} }={\frac {\{F\}_{\mathrm {lbf} }\{v\}_{\mathrm {mph} }}{375}}.} Example: How much power

5589-732: The required check-points. Records are sanctioned by the FAI . The world record for straight distance is held by Dustin B. Martin , with a distance of 764 km (475 mi) in 2012, originating from Zapata, Texas . Judy Leden (GBR) holds the altitude record for a balloon-launched hang glider: 11,800 m (38,800 ft) at Wadi Rum, Jordan on 25 October 1994. Leden also holds the gain of height record: 3,970 m (13,025 ft), set in 1992. The altitude records for balloon-launched hang gliders: Competitions started with "flying as long as possible" and spot landings. With increasing performance, cross-country flying has largely replaced them. Usually two to four waypoints have to be passed with

5670-455: The safety benefits of being instructed is highly recommended and indeed a mandatory requirement in many countries. In 1853, George Cayley invented a slope-launched, piloted glider. Most early glider designs did not ensure safe flight; the problem was that early flight pioneers did not sufficiently understand the underlying principles that made a bird's wing work. Starting in the 1880s, technical and scientific advancements were made that led to

5751-408: The savings in coal from the older Newcomen steam engines . This royalty scheme did not work with customers who did not have existing steam engines but used horses instead. Watt determined that a horse could turn a mill wheel 144 times in an hour (or 2.4 times a minute). The wheel was 12 feet (3.7 m) in radius; therefore, the horse travelled 2.4 × 2π × 12 feet in one minute. Watt judged that

5832-406: The shape of a triangle or 'A-frame'. In many of these configurations additional wheels or other equipment can be suspended from the bottom bar or rod ends. Images showing a triangle control frame on Otto Lilienthal 's 1892 hang glider shows that the technology of such frames has existed since the early design of gliders, but he did not mention it in his patents. A control frame for body weight shift

5913-423: The size of the engine; but as of 2000, many countries changed over to systems based on CO 2 emissions, so are not directly comparable to older ratings. The Citroën 2CV is named for its French fiscal horsepower rating, "deux chevaux" (2CV). Nameplates on electrical motors show their power output, not the power input (the power delivered at the shaft, not the power consumed to drive the motor). This power output

5994-432: The sporting (FAI) definition limits the maximum stalling speed to 65 km/h (40 mph) and the maximum take-off weight to 450 kg (992 lb), or 472.5 kg (1,042 lb) if a ballistic parachute is installed. The definition means that the aircraft has a slow landing speed and short landing roll in the event of an engine failure. In most affluent countries, microlights or ultralight aircraft now account for

6075-493: The system, other launch methods were incorporated, static winch and towing behind an ultralight trike or an ultralight airplane . A glider in flight is continuously descending, so to achieve an extended flight, the pilot must seek air currents rising faster than the sink rate of the glider. Selecting the sources of rising air currents is the skill that has to be mastered if the pilot wants to achieve flying long distances, known as cross-country (XC). Rising air masses derive from

6156-459: The tow line. Other more exotic launch techniques have also been used successfully, such as hot air balloon drops from very high altitude. When weather conditions are unsuitable to sustain a soaring flight, this results in a top-to-bottom flight and is referred to as a "sled run". In addition to typical launch configurations, a hang glider may be so constructed for alternative launching modes other than being foot launched; one practical avenue for this

6237-502: The transmission of the power from its generation to its application. A number of names are used for the power developed at various stages in this process, but none is a clear indicator of either the measurement system or definition used. In general: All the above assumes that no power inflation factors have been applied to any of the readings. Engine designers use expressions other than horsepower to denote objective targets or performance, such as brake mean effective pressure (BMEP). This

6318-481: Was adopted in the late 18th century by Scottish engineer James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses . It was later expanded to include the output power of other power-generating machinery such as piston engines , turbines , and electric motors . The definition of the unit varied among geographical regions. Most countries now use the SI unit watt for measurement of power. With

6399-484: Was also shown in Octave Chanute 's designs. It was a major part of the now common design of hang gliders by George A. Spratt from 1929. The most simple A-frame that is cable-stayed was demonstrated in a Breslau gliding club hang gliding meet in a battened wing foot-launchable hang glider in the year 1908 by W. Simon; hang glider historian Stephan Nitsch has collected instances also of the U control frame used in

6480-546: Was instituted by the Royal Automobile Club and was used to denote the power of early 20th-century British cars. Many cars took their names from this figure (hence the Austin Seven and Riley Nine), while others had names such as "40/50 hp", which indicated the RAC figure followed by the true measured power. Taxable horsepower does not reflect developed horsepower; rather, it is a calculated figure based on

6561-475: Was sometimes applied in British colonies as well, such as Kenya (British East Africa) . where Since taxable horsepower was computed based on bore and number of cylinders, not based on actual displacement, it gave rise to engines with "undersquare" dimensions (bore smaller than stroke), which tended to impose an artificially low limit on rotational speed , hampering the potential power output and efficiency of

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