Re: Glider definition (span^2/weight)

Boy, this is how years worth of misconceptions get started..

If you go to the FAA website http://www.FAA.gov and use the aircraft
certification site ... reference the FAR part 1 Definitions.
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/BD73C51E9C7C3FE2862572960077077A

page 8 states " Glider means a heavier - than - air aircraft, that is
supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its
lifting surfaces and whose free flight does not depend principally on
an engine."

The JAR 22 reference is a European reference.
CAR 3 is the old certification reference for the USA. I can't recall
any US gliders that have been certified recently. The Kansas City
Small Aircraft Directorate is in charge of that in the US. In fact,
when I started to register my ASW-20 they were going to register it as
an LSA (light Sport Aircraft) until I told then the top speed is
160K !

"Wing Loading"is Weight/Wing Area (typically ASW-20 is 110 sq ft
approx.)
"Span Loading" is the distribution of lift over the wing span, is
typically elliptical (ie. is the top part of an ellipse with the
greatest amount at the center, decreasing 'elliptically' to the tip).

.

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