trivia: highest glide ratio

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

The Gossomer Albatross perhaps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross

but what's the very best anyone has managed, presumably using some
wildly experimental airframe?

Johan,
At operating altitude, the space shuttle 'flies' thousands of
miles without losing any altitude. So they have an glide ratio
approaching infinity until they put the bakes on.

Horst
L33

schrieb:

but what's the very best anyone has managed, presumably using some
wildly experimental airframe?

Johan,
At operating altitude, the space shuttle 'flies' thousands of
miles without losing any altitude. So they have an glide ratio
approaching infinity until they put the bakes on.


As would any object placed at the same speed at that altitude...

If wildly experimental airframes had ever achieved an L/D of something
above 40 they would probably have been used as gliders.
Come to think of it - they have: LS4,6,8, ASW20,24,27, ASH25,...

Regards
Marcel Duenner

Earlier, wrote:
but what's the very best anyone has managed, presumably using some
wildly experimental airframe?

I think that the ETA is it with a best L/D of around 70:1.

I think it's a bit extreme and certainly extravagant, but not what I
would call "wildly experimental."

but what's the very best anyone has managed, presumably using some
wildly experimental airframe?

Johan,
At operating altitude, the space shuttle 'flies' thousands of
miles without losing any altitude. So they have an glide ratio
approaching infinity until they put the bakes on.

Horst
L33

I recorded a glide ratio of 54 in a PW5 going from Midland to Lubbock. Had
one hell of a tailwind. Don't ask what it was going _to_ Midland, I'm sure
it was about as small a positive number as you can have.

wrote in message
oups.com...
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

I recorded 174/1 under a long cloud street in Moriarty.

At 19:12 04 August 2006, Sam 303a wrote:
I recorded a glide ratio of 54 in a PW5 going from
Midland to Lubbock. Had
one hell of a tailwind. Don't ask what it was going
_to_ Midland, I'm sure
it was about as small a positive number as you can
have.

wrote in message
roups.com...
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