What are the forces on a tied down glider?

Doug Hoffman wrote:

Seems like wing and tailfeather covers should help some. Maybe
a lot. The full covers I've seen (Jaxida) hang down a lot of
covering beneath the wings and horizontal stabs/elevators. To my
eye the covers might be far more effective than even open
spoilers in destroying lift.

My observation is the the wind puffs up the covers so they stand
completely off the top and bottom of the wing. In a strong wind, the
covers look like they are inflated to a high pressure, making the wing
look more like a sausage than anything else. My guess is this is a high
drag, low lift "airfoil", but I have no documentation for it.

It also provides protection from hail, which just bounces off the taut
wing covers and never gets near the wing skin.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
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