wrote:
wrote:
Here's a trivia question for you all. I've tried googling for it, but
nothing has turned up.

What airframe (commercial or experimental) had the highest recorded
glide ratio, and what was it?

Ratios of 50:1 are common in modern gliders, of course, but what's the
very best anyone has managed, presumably using some wildly experimental
airframe?

Johan Larson

A bit of googling turned up a discussion
http://forums.x-plane.org/lofiversion/index.php?t20112.html that
mentions a German motor-glider called the "eta", and a glide ratio of
72.

The eta is a monster two-seater with a 30 metre wing-span.
http://www.leichtwerk.de/eta/en/project_eta/index.html There does not
appear to be any specific glide ratio given on the website.

Johan Larson

Johan

The eta was supposed to have a glide ratio of about 70:1. Don't know
what has happened recently as the tail boom broke during a spin test.
The previously mentioned gossamer albatross would not have had a good
glide angle as it was designed to have a very low sink speed - that is
not the same as having a good glide angle.

HTH

George