VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

BELAGAVI

A Project Report on
GLIDER DESIGN, PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY
Submitted in the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of degree
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
In
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Submitted by
ADITYA SARATCHANDRA PADHIHARI 1BI18ME160
VAIBHAV VASHISHTH 1BI18ME147
TANISHQ SHETTY 1BI18ME142
VINAY KUMAR JANGIR 1BI18ME151

Under the guidance of

Mr RAJESH A.
Assistant Professor

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

BANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
K.R .Road, V.V .Puram, Bengaluru – 560004
2020-2021
 BANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
K.R. Road, V.V. Puram, Bengaluru – 560 004

CERTIFICATE
Certify that the project work entitled “GLIDER DESIGN, PERFORMANCE
AND STABILITY” carried out by ADITYA SARATCHANDRA
PADHIHARI (1BI18ME160), VAIBHAV VASHISHTH (1BI18ME147),
TANISHQ SHETTY (1BI18ME142) and VINAY KUMAR JANGIR
(1BI18ME151), the bonafide students of Bangalore Institute of Technology in
the partial fulfilment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical
Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi during the
year 2020-2021. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions indicated for
internal assessment have been incorporated in the report deposited in the
departmental library. The Project report has been approved as it satisfies the
academic Requirements in respect of project work prescribed for the said
degree.

Mr Rajesh A. Dr T V Sreerama Reddy Dr M. U. Ashwath

Assistant Professor Head of Department Principal

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name of the Examiners Signature with date

1.
2.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my sincere thanks to the management of RAJYA VOKKALIGARA

SANGHA and BANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru
for providing the necessary infrastructure and facilities to carry out our project
work.

We are privileged to thank our project guide Mr Rajesh A, Assistant Professor,

Mechanical Department, BIT, Bengaluru for providing all the helps and
guidance needed for successful completion of 6th semester mini project.

We would like to thank Dr T V Sriramareddy, H.O.D, Department of

Mechanical Engineering, BIT, Bengaluru for his help and guidance thought our
academic career.

We are grateful to our principal Dr M.U Ashwath, Principal, BIT, Bengaluru for
having provided the facilities to carry the project.

We would like to express my sincere thanks to all teaching and non-teaching

staff of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bangalore Institute of
Technology, Bengaluru, for their continued support throughout the project
work.
 DECLARATION

We, ADITYA SARATCHANDRA PADHIHARI (1BI18ME160), VAIBHAV

VASHISTH (1BI18ME147), TANISHQ SHETTY (1BI18ME142) and VINAY
KUMAR JANGIR (1BI18ME151) of 6th Semester B.E in Mechanical
Engineering, Bangalore Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, hereby declare that
the work being presented in this project work entitled “GLIDER DESIGN,
PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY” is an authentic record of the work that
has been carried out by us during the course under the supervision of Mr Rajesh
A. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bangalore
Institute of Technology, Bengaluru. The work contained in this report has not
been submitted in part or full to any other university or institution or
professional body for the award of any degree or diploma or any fellowship.

Place: Bengaluru

Date:

Name Signature

1. ADITYA SARATCHANDRA PADHIHARI(1BI18ME160)

2. VAIBHAV VASHISTH(1BI18ME147)
3. TANISHQ SHETTY(1BI18ME142)
4. VINAY KUMAR JANGIR(1BI18ME151)
 ABSTRACT

A glider is a fixed wing aircraft supported in flight by the dynamic reaction

of the air in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting
surfaces and whose free flight does not depend upon engines. Gliders are
subjected to lift, drag and weight. Each of these factors contributes to
efficiency of the gliders. For a glider to fly it must generate lift to oppose its
weight. The powered aircraft has engine. In today’s world we use gliders to
survey the farmlands, across seas and for metrology. The aim of our mini
project is to design the glider using XFLR5 software and designing the air
foil using different velocities. Using these Airfoils, we have designed the
wing using NACA Airfoil 0010 and 4410, completing the analysis with
different velocities, angles and taking analysis by the graphs. Using these
parameters body of the glider has been designed using the mass
parameters, and velocities have been designed appropriately. Elevators,
Fins and main wing have been designed by taking velocities, angles and
time period of it. Stability analysis has been done by taking the phugoid
analysis, lift ratio, taking lift analysis and hence the basic analysis has been
done. Further analysis of the stability has been done by taking the graphs
complete results have been obtained. After computing all the parameters
such as velocities, angle of attack, aerodynamically factors, stream flow
analysis, forces affecting its shifting the mass co-ordinates to attain its
centre of gravity to attain its stability, appropriate parameters in fins and
elevators, hence the design has been completed. The performance of the
glider has been analysed by using the above-mentioned parameters. Hence
completes the overall design, stability and performance of the glider.
SL. NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.
1. CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION

1.1 GLIDER STRUCTURE

1.2 AERODYNAMIC DESIGN
1.3 BRIEF THEORY ON AERODYNAMICS
1.4 RELATION BETWEEN LIFT
COEFFICIENT AND ANGLE OF ATTACK
1.5 ASPECT RATIO AND ITS EFFECT ON
AERODYNAMICS
1.6 GLIDER STABILITY THEORY
1.7 FLIGHT PARAMETER THEORY

2. CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE SURVEY

3. CHAPTER 3 – DESIGN METHODOLOGY

3.1 WORKING
3.2 FEATURES
3.3 APPLICATIONS

4. CHAPTER 4 – RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 AIRFOIL ANALYSIS

4.2 3D GLIDER DESIGN
4.3 STABILITY ANALYSIS
4.4 FLIGHT PERFORMANCE

5. CHAPTER 5 – CONCLUSION
6. CHAPTER 6 – REFERANCES
 INTRODUCTION

A glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air
against its lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Most gliders
do not have an engine, although motor-gliders have small engines for extending their flight,
when necessary, by sustaining the altitude (normally a sailplane relies on rising air to
maintain altitude) with some being powerful enough to take off self-launch. There is a wide
variety of types differing in the construction of their wings, aerodynamic efficiency, location
of the pilot, controls and intended purpose. Most exploit meteorological phenomena to
maintain or gain height. Gliders are principally used for the air sports of gliding, hang gliding
and paragliding. However, some spacecrafts have been designed to descend as gliders and in
the past military gliders have been used in warfare. Some simple and familiar types of gliders
are toys such as paper planes and balsa wood gliders.

1.1 Basic Glider Structure

A glider has many of the same parts as an airplane:

 fuselage
 wings
  control surfaces(wing, Horizontal and Vertical Stabilizer)
 landing gear

1)Fuselage: -

Gliders are as small and light as possible. Since there is no large engine taking up space,
gliders are basically sized around the cargo they carry, usually one or two people. The
cockpit of a single-seat glider is small, but it is large enough for most people to squeeze into.
Instead of sitting upright, pilots recline with their legs stretched out in front of them. The
frontal exposure of the pilot is reduced and the cross-sectional area of the cockpit can be
substantially smaller.
Gliders, along with most other aircraft, are designed to have skins that are as smooth as
possible to allow the plane to slip more easily through the air. Early gliders were constructed
from wood covered with canvas. Later versions were constructed from aluminium with
structural aluminium skins that were much smoother. However, the rivets and seams required
by aluminium skins produce additional drag, which tends to decrease performance. In many
modern gliders, composite construction using materials such as fiberglass and carbon fibre
are quickly replacing aluminium. Composite materials allow aircraft designers to create
seamless and rivet-less structures with shapes that produce less drag.

2)Wing: -

If you look at a glider next to a conventional powered plane, you'll notice a significant
difference in the wings. While the wings of both are similar in general shape and function,
those on gliders are longer and narrower than those on conventional aircraft. The slenderness
of a wing is expressed as the aspect ratio, which is calculated by dividing the square of the
span of the wing by the area of the wing. Glider wings have very high aspect ratios -- their
span is very long compared to their width. This is because drag created during the production
of lift (known as induced drag) can account for a significant portion of the total drag on a
glider. One way to increase the efficiency of a wing is to increase its aspect ratio. Glider
wings are very long and thin, which makes them efficient. They produce less drag for the
amount of lift they generate.
CONTROL SURFACES
Gliders use the same control surfaces (movable sections of the wing and tail) that are found
on conventional planes to control the direction of flight. The ailerons and elevator are
controlled using a single control stick between the pilot's legs. The rudder, as in conventional
aircraft, is controlled using foot pedals.

1. AILERONS
Ailerons are the movable sections cut into the trailing edges of the wing. These are
used as the primary directional control and they accomplish this by controlling the roll
of the plane (tilting the wing tips up and down). Ailerons operate in opposite
directions on each side of the plane. If the pilot wants to roll the plane to the right, he
moves the control stick to the right. This causes the left aileron to deflect down
(creating more lift on this side) and the right aileron to deflect up (creating less lift on
this side). The difference in lift between the two sides causes the plane to rotate about
its long axis.

2. HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OR ELEVATOR

The elevator is the movable horizontal wing-like structure on the tail. It is used to
control the pitch of the plane, allowing the pilot to point the nose of the plane up or
down as required.

3. VERTICAL STABILIZER OR RUDDER

The rudder is the vertical wing-like structure on the tail. It is used to control the yaw
of the aircraft by allowing the pilot to point the nose of the plane left or right.

LANDING GEAR
Another way to reduce the size of an airplane is to reduce the size of the landing gear. The
landing gear on a glider typically consists of a single wheel mounted just below the cockpit.
1.2 AERODYNAMIC DESIGN

The Aerodynamics and Design is mainly depends on the design and structure of an Airfoil
which is further used to derive the formulation of entire Wing Structure along with both
horizontal and Vertical Stabilizer. Aerodynamic design begins with the wing and Airfoil
shape, and then quickly extends to the full outer surface of the aircraft. Along with designing
a smooth, low drag shape, aerodynamic design also includes providing good stability, control,
and handling qualities.

1.3 BRIEF THEORY ON AERODYNAMICS

. The top view shows simple rectangular wing geometry, like that used by the Wright
brothers. The front of the wing (at the bottom) is called the leading edge; the back of the wing
(at the top) is called the trailing edge. The distance from the leading to trailing edges is called
the chord. The ends of the wing are called the wing tips, and the distance from one wing tip
to the other is called the span. The shape of the wing, when viewed from above looking down
onto the wing, is called a planform. For a rectangular wing, the chord length at every location
along the span is the same. For most modern aircraft, the chord length varies along the span,
and the leading and trailing edges may be swept. The wing area is the projected area of the
planform and is bounded by the leading and trailing edges and the wing tips. The aspect ratio
(AR) of a wing is defined to be the square of the span (s) divided by the wing area (A).
Aspect ratio is a measure of how long and slender a wing is from tip to tip. For a rectangular
wing, this reduces to the ratio of the span to the chord length (c):
 s2 s2 s
AR= = =
A s×c c

High aspect ratio wings have long spans (like high performance gliders), while low aspect
ratio wings have either short spans or thick chords (like the Space Shuttle). Gliders have a
high aspect ratio because the drag of the aircraft depends on this parameter. A higher aspect
ratio gives a lower drag, a higher lift to drag ratio, and a better glide angle. The front view of
this wing shows that the left and right wing do not lie in the same plane but meet at an angle.
The angle that the wing makes with the local horizontal is called the dihedral angle if the tips
are higher than the root or the anhedral angle if the tips are lower than the root. Dihedral is
added to the wings for roll stability; a wing with some dihedral will naturally return to its
original position if it encounters a slight roll displacement. The wing tips are farther off the
ground than the wing root. Highly manoeuvrable fighter planes, on the other hand usually
have the wing tips lower than the roots giving the aircraft a high roll rate. A cut through the
wing perpendicular to the leading and trailing edges will show the cross-section of the wing.
This cross-section is called an Airfoil, and it has some geometry definitions of its own as
shown at the lower right. The straight line drawn from the leading to trailing edges of the
Airfoil is called the chord line. The chord line cuts the Airfoil into an upper surface and a
lower surface. If we plot the points that lie halfway between the upper and lower surfaces, we
obtain a curve called the mean camber line. For a symmetric Airfoil the upper surface is a
reflection of the lower surface and the mean camber line will fall on top of the chord line. But
in most cases, the mean camber line and the chord line are two separate lines. The maximum
distance between the two lines is called the camber, which is a measure of the curvature of
the Airfoil (high camber means high curvature). The maximum distance between the upper
and lower surfaces is called the thickness. Often you will see these values divided by the
chord length to produce a non-dimensional or "percent" type of number. Airfoils can come
with all kinds of combinations of camber and thickness distributions.
1.4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FORCES ACTING ON GLIDER

Thrust, drag, lift, and weight are forces that act upon all aircraft in flight. Understanding how
these forces work and knowing how to control them with the use of power and flight controls
are essential to flight. This chapter discusses the aerodynamics of flight—how design,
weight, load factors, and gravity affect an aircraft during flight manoeuvres. The four forces
acting on an aircraft in straight-and-level, unaccelerated flights are thrust, drag, lift, and
weight. They are defined as follows:

 THRUST
Thrust the forward force produced by the power plant/propeller or rotor. It opposes or
overcomes the force of drag. As a general rule, it acts parallel to the longitudinal axis.
However, this is not always the case, as explained later.

 DRAG
Drag a rearward, retarding force caused by disruption of airflow by the wing, rotor,
fuselage, and other protruding objects. As a general rule, drag opposes thrust and acts
rearward parallel to the relative wind.

 LIFT
Lift is a force that is produced by the dynamic effect of the air acting on the Airfoil,
and acts perpendicular to the flight path through the centre of lift (CL) and
 perpendicular to the lateral axis. In level flight, lift opposes the downward force of
weight.

 WEIGHT
Weight the combined load of the aircraft itself, the crew, the fuel, and the cargo or
baggage. Weight is a force that pulls the aircraft downward because of the force of
gravity. It opposes lift and acts vertically downward through the aircraft’s centre of
gravity (CG).

1.5 RELATION BETWEEN LIFT COEFFICIENT AND ANGLE

OF ATTACK

The lift coefficient of a fixed-wing aircraft varies with angle of attack. Increasing angle of
attack is associated with increasing lift coefficient up to the maximum lift coefficient, after
which lift coefficient decreases. As the angle of attack of fixed-wing aircraft increases,
separation of the airflow from the upper surface of the wing becomes more pronounced,
leading to a reduction in the rate of increase of the lift coefficient. A symmetrical wing has
zero lift at 0 degrees angle of attack. Cambered Airfoils are curved such that they generate
some lift at small negative angles of attack. The lift curve is also influenced by the wing
shape, including its Airfoil section and wing planform. A swept wing has a lower, flatter
curve with a higher critical angle.
 1.6 ASPECT RATIO AND ITS EFFECT ON AERODYNAMICS

Here, we have an Infinite wing (Airfoil) and finite Aspect ratio wing in lift coefficient vs
Angle of Attack graph. In Airfoil, the Aspect ratio is infinite and a real finite Aspect ratio
wing has a finite Aspect ratio. The slope drops as we moves from an Infinite wing to finite
AR wing. Also, the Stall angle moves slightly to the right. This is so because the amount of
wing tip Vortices generated reduces. Due to reduced effective angle of attack at the tip, a
lower aspect ratio wing will stall at higher angle of attack than high aspect ratio wing. This is
one reason why tail tends to be lower aspect ratio than wing, delaying the tail stall until well
after the wing stall and assures adequate control.

1.7 GLIDER STABILITY THEORY

Aircraft designs incorporate various stability characteristics that are necessary to support the
desired flight performance. Balanced flight demonstrates the desire for predictable flight
performance, i.e., stability. Stability is basically defined as an aircraft's ability to
maintain/return to original flight path. Allows aircraft to maintain uniform flight conditions,
recover from disturbances, and minimize pilot workload. Aircraft are designed with positive
static stability to support dynamic stability. More stable in right turns due to left turning
tendencies. Aircraft axis are imaginary lines passing through the aircraft; thought of as pivot
points.
Longitudinal Axis: ensures stability along the longitudinal axis from the nose to the tail,
through the fuselage.
Lateral Axis: ensures stability from wing tip to wing tip.
Vertical Axis: ensures stability through the centre of the fuselage, from the top to the bottom.
An aircraft is considered directionally stable when there is no rotational motion or tendency
about any of the aircraft axis. A few additional considerations, like the left turning
tendencies, Manoeuvre vs. Controllability, Manoeuvrability vs. controllability and adverse
yaw contribute. Manoeuvrability and controllability are a balance depending on desired
aircraft performance.

BALANCED FLIGHT

Figure 1 Figure 2
In steady flight, the principles of flight demonstrate the relationship between forces acting
upon an aircraft [Figure 1]. Simply stated: thrust equals drag and lift equals weight, but more
appropriately stated:
The sum of all upward components of forces (not just lift) equals the sum of all downward
components of forces (not just weight). The sum of all forward components of forces (not just
thrust) equals the sum of all backward components of forces (not just drag). This refinement
addresses how any time the flight path of the aircraft is not horizontal, lift, weight, thrust, and
drag vectors must each be broken down into two components. Force vectors during a
stabilized climb shows thrust has an upward component [Figure 2]. In glides, a portion of the
weight vector is directed along the forward flight path and, therefore, acts as thrust.

STATIC STABILITY
 Figure 3
Static stability is the initial tendency of the aircraft. Stability can be described as positive,
negative or neutral [Figure 3]
Positive Static Stability: Tendency to return to original position. If an airplane yaws or skids,
the sudden rush of air against the fuselage and control surfaces quickly forces the airplane
back to its original direction.
Neutral Static Stability: Tendency to remain at new position. If an airplane is put into a turn
and the pilot lets go of the controls and the aircraft remains in that turn but neither rolls out or
gets steeper.
Negative Static Stability: Tendency to continue away from original position. If an aircraft is
rolled to a high bank angle, letting go of the controls results in the aircraft continuing to roll
further.

DYNAMIC STABILITY

Figure 4
Dynamic stability is the tendency of the aircraft over time. An aircraft must have positive
static to have dynamic stability [Figure 4].
Positive Dynamic Stability: Positive dynamic stability is the tendency of an aircraft to
dampen toward original position once disturbed.
Neutral Dynamic Stability: Neutral dynamic stability is the tendency of an aircraft to dampen
back to its original position once disturbed to new position.
Negative Dynamic Stability: Negative dynamic stability is the tendency of an aircraft to trend
away from original position once disturbed.

LONGITUDINAL STABILITY
The longitudinal axis is an imaginary line running from the nose to the tail of the aircraft,
motion about this axis is called roll, and it is controlled by the ailerons. Longitudinal stability
is the tendency of an aircraft to return to the trimmed angle of attack. Accomplished through
elevators and rudders Contributors:
 Straight wings (negative)
 Wing Sweep (positive)
 Fuselage (negative)
 Horizontal stabilizer (largest positive)
 Aerodynamic centre forward of C.G. is a de-stabilizing moment.
LATERAL STABILITY
The lateral axis is an imaginary line running from wing tip to wing tip, movement about this
axis causes the nose of the aircraft to raise or lower, and is caused by moving the elevators.
Lateral stability is the tendency of an aircraft to resist roll.

DIHEDRAL EFFECT

Figure 5
Dihedral is evident when an aircraft rolls, creating a side-slip (assume no rudder). One of the
wings is lower than the other and this creates a difference in the angle of attack experienced
by each wing. The lower wing has an increase in angle of attack which causes it to create
more lift and therefore rise while the opposite is true for the higher wing [Figure 5]. The net
result is the aircraft rolling away from the side-slip, thus resisting roll and attempting to bring
the wings back to level. Use of the rudder will smoothen the turn and overcome these forces
as well as others, such as adverse yaw.

SWEPT WING EFFECT

Figure 6
Side-slips create more direct relative wind to the upwind swept wing which creates a roll
back toward wings level [Figure 6].

VERTICAL STABILITY

Figure 7
The vertical axis is an imaginary line running from the top of the plane to the bottom of the
plane, rotation about this axis is called "yaw" and is controlled by the rudder. Tendency to
resist Yawing moment accomplished through rudders.

DIRECTIONAL STABILITY
Stability around the vertical axis or Vertical tail accomplishes Directional Stability. It must
have more surface area behind the CG than in front of it.
DUTCH ROLL
Coupling of the lateral and directional axes causes Dutch roll. Dutch roll is a combined
yawing-rolling motion of the aircraft and may be considered only a nuisance unless allowed
to progress to large bank angles. Large rolling and yawing motions can become dangerous
unless properly damped. Side-slip disturbance will cause the aircraft to roll. The bank angle,
in turn, causes side-slip in the opposite direction. While not unstable, this continual trade-off
of side-slip and angle of bank is uncomfortable. Dutch roll may be excited by rough air or by
lateral-directional over controlling. Once induced, it is damped by normal aircraft stability.
Poor Dutch roll characteristics may make the aircraft susceptible to pilot induced oscillations
(PIO).
FOUR LEFT TURNING TENDENCIES
1. P-FACTOR :-
Also referred as asymmetric loading. P-factor is a complex interaction between
aircraft relative wind and rotational relative wind. The descending blade has a higher
Angle of Attack and therefore increased thrust.
2. GRYOSCOPIC PRECESSION :-
Gyroscopic precession is the force applied (which moves a propeller out of its plane
of rotation) is felt 90° from that location, in the direction of rotation. Gyroscopic
Precession is more prevalent in tail wheel airplanes at lower airspeeds with high
power settings. In a tail-wheel plane on the take-off run when the tail comes up it will
produce a left turning tendency, as the top of the propeller is "pushed" forward and
the bottom is "pulled". When the nose is raised for climb it will produce a force to the
right. When the nose is lowered for a descent, it will produce a force to the left. In the
helicopter community, gyroscopic precession is also called Phase Lag.
3. TORQUE :-
Torque is the force generated when the clockwise rotation of the blade forces the
aircraft to rotate counter clockwise but in case of a glider it is produced by upcoming
wind. It is greatest at low airspeeds with high power settings, and a high angle of
attack.
4. SLIP STREAM :-
The corkscrew wind strikes the tail (rudder) on the left side.
MANOEUVRE VS CONTROLABILTY
Controllability and Manoeuvrability are conflicting ideas and the two must be balanced by
the designers for the purpose of the aircraft or Glider.

MANOEUVRABILITY
Permits you to manoeuvre the plane easily and allows aircraft to withstand stress. It depends
on Weight, Flight control system, Structural strength, Thrust.

CONTROLABILITY
Aircraft ability to respond to control inputs w/ regard to attitude and flight path.

ADVERSE YAW

Figure 8
Adverse yaw is caused by imbalanced drag between the wings which causes a yaw moment
on the aircraft or Glider, opposite the direction of turn. Any time the ailerons are used,
adverse yaw is produced. When the outboard aileron is deflected down, lift on the outboard
wing increases and lift on the inboard wing decreases, which causes the airplane to roll.
In a turn to the right: the right aileron is up and the left aileron is down
In a turn to the left: the left aileron is up and the right aileron is down
However, as a downward-deflected aileron is increasing the Airfoil's lift, it is also increasing
the drag. When the aileron is deflected down, lift and drag are increasing. This slows the
outboard wing and the rudder must be used in the direction of the turn to overcome the
outboard wing's increased drag to keep that drag from holding the wing back. With no rudder
input, the nose will yaw outboard while rolling into the turn. The ball indicates this yaw by
sliding to the inside of the turn which we refer to as a slip. The rudder is used to offset the
unequal drag of the wings that is created only when the ailerons are deflected. Unbalanced
drag only exists while the ailerons are deflected and the airplane is in the act of rolling. What
that also says is that when the airplane is in a steady bank, as when established in a turn, the
ailerons are neutral so the lift on the two wings is balanced. The drag is also balanced. That
being the case, the rudder generally isn't needed while actually in the turn. Also, since the
airplane is in a steady-state condition (banked), generally no aileron deflection is needed to
maintain that condition. The farther out the wings are (ailerons) the more of a moment this
drag will have.

1.8 FLIGHT PARAMETER THEORY

Stream velocity is the speed of the air in the stream and is denoted by ‘u’. Units are distance
per time (e.g., meters per second or feet per second). For our Project we have assume it to be
20 m/s. Mach number is a dimensionless quantity and is denoted by ‘M’. In fluid dynamics
representing the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound. For our
Project we have assume it to be 0.07. Altitude (h) is the distance between the sea level to the
targeted height so we have tested our glider at 7620 m. The density of a substance is its mass
per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ‘ρ’. The density of air varies with
the change in altitude as at sea level it is 1.2 m/s 3 and at 7620 m it is 0.549 m/s 3. Dynamic
viscosity is the resistance to movement of one layer of a fluid over another and is defined as
kinematic viscosity times the density of the fluid. It is denoted by ‘µ’. Dynamic viscosity also
varies with the change in altitude as it is 1.8 × 10-5 kg/m.s at sea level and 1.54 × 10-5 kg/m.s
at 7620 m. The Reynolds number (Re) helps predict flow patterns in different fluid flow
situations. At low Reynolds numbers, flows tend to be dominated by laminar (sheet-like)
flow, while at high Reynolds numbers flows tend to be turbulent. Reynolds numbers is a
dimensionless quantity in fluid mechanics. Reynolds Number too varies with the change in
Altitude as it is 1.186 × 106 at 7620 m and 0.634 × 106 at sea level.

Chapter-2

Literature Survey
 Sumon Sinha and Sundeep Ravande(2012):-

A 5 to 20% increase in the glide ratio of a Standard Cirrus sailplane was observed
across its flyable airspeed range by treating 60-100% of the span of the wing upper
surface with a Flexible Composite Surface Deturbulator (FCSD) tape. The compliant
surface layer of an appropriately positioned narrow FCSD strip undergoes sub-micron
scale constrained mode flow-induced oscillations. This encourages the formation of a
stable thin and long separation bubble like flow structure in non-zero pressure
gradient boundary layers by delaying the breakdown of the shear layer separating the
aforementioned bubble from the in viscid external flow. As a result, wind-tunnel tests
showed the external flow is accelerated increasing lift, while skin friction is mitigated.
This was confirmed by a reduction of the sailplane’s induced and parasitic drag
components with extended span FCSD treatment. Furthermore, a parallel flight with a
higher performance ASW-28 sailplane yielded results that corroborate these
measurements.[1]

 B. Grossman, Z. Gurdal, G. J. Strauch, W. M. Eppard and R. T.

Haftka(2012):-

The objective of this research is an investigation of the techniques and payoffs of

integrated aircraft design. In particular, they studied the interaction of aerodynamic
and structural design for a simple aircraft configuration—a sailplane wing. Utilizing
elementary analysis tools, lifting-line theory, beam analysis, the geometry (planform,
twist), along with the composite-material structural sizes (skin thickness, spar cap,
and web thicknesses), comprising 25-35 variables, were designed subject to aero
elastic, structural, and aerodynamic constraints. They investigated two design
procedures. One is the sequential Design, where the aerodynamic geometry is
designed to maximize the performance (defined as the average cross-country speed),
followed by a structural/aero elastic design to minimize the weight. The weight is
input to the aerodynamic analysis, and the process continues iteratively. The second
procedure is the Integrated Design. Here we simultaneously design the aerodynamics
and the structure.[2]

 Mark D. Maughmer(2012):-

Although theoretical tools for the design of winglets for high-performance sailplanes
were initially of limited value, simple method were used to design winglets that
gradually became accepted as benefiting overall sailplane performance. As
understanding was gained, improved methods for winglet design were developed. The
 current approach incorporates a detailed component drag built up that interpolates
airfoil drag and moment data across operational lift Coefficient, Reynolds number,
and flap-deflection Ranges. Induced drag is initially predicted using a relatively fast
multiply lifting-line method. In the final stages of the design process, a full panel
method, including relaxed-wake modeling, is employed. The drags a prediction are
used to compute speed polars for both level and turning flight. The predicted
performance is in good agreement with Flight test results. The straight and turning
flight speed polars are then used to obtain average cross-country speeds because they
depend on Thermal strength, size, and shape, which are used to design the winglet
that provide the greatest gain in overall performance. Flight-test measurements and
competition result have demonstrated that the design methods produce winglets that
provide an important performance advantage over much of the operating range for
both span-limited and span-unlimited high-performance sailplanes.[3]

 Krzysztof Kubrynski(2012):-

The paper discusses the following topics: opportunities to improve sailplane cross-
country flight performance, a quantitative assessment of the impact of the airfoil
aerodynamic characteristics on the objective function adopted, way to solve the
problem of Aerodynamic design with an emphasis on correct determine the airfoil
characteristic and finally present the effects of Aerodynamic design. Due to Virtually
no possibility for further reducing drag or improve L/D ratio of airfoil, the goal is
mainly to increase the efficiency of energy extraction from the atmosphere.
Aerodynamic design methodology is based on Optimization technique using genetic
algorithm and a modified program XFOIL to analyze the airfoil characteristics. An
example of Aerodynamic design of the airfoil, as well as computational and wind
tunnel results of an optimized airfoil are presented.[4]

 Loek Boermans, A. van Garrel(1997)-

A laminar flow airfoil with camber changing flap, named DU89-1.34 / 74, has been
designed and wind tunnel tested for application in the high-performance sailplanes
ASH-26E and ASW-27 produced by Alexander Schleicher, Germany. The ASH-26E
is an 18m span self-launching sailplane with retractable propeller and the ASW-27 is
a 15m span FAI competition sailplane. Primary objectives were: low drag at a
specified range of lift coefficients and Reynolds numbers, no abrupt loss of lift
beyond the upper boundary of the low drag bucket at high lift conditions - to avoid
bad handling and climbing qualities in thermal flight conditions, gradual stalling
characteristics, and a maximum lift coefficient insensitive to leading edge
contamination. These requirements have been met, as verified experimentally, by the
 design of long laminar flow regions on the upper and lower surface and, at increasing
angle of attack, a controlled growth of the turbulent separated area while transition
moves forward to the leading edge. Flap deflections and artificial transition were
integrated from the start into the design. Flexible slot sealing’s save drag and, at the
high speed flap settings, the sealing on the lower surface enables the boundary layer
to remain laminar up to 95% chord, where pneumatic tabulators cause transition. In
comparison with the well-known Wortmann sailplane airfoil FX62-K-737/77, the new
airfoil shows superior performance.[5]

 Krzysztof Kubrynski (2006):-

The aerodynamic design philosophy and computational analysis of cross-country

flight performance of Diana-2 sailplane in different thermal conditions are presented.
To address the second issue, a continuous spectrum of thermal models is created. For
specified thermal model (thermal strength vs distance from core center, inter thermal
descent, length and strength of cloud streets), the sailplane mass and aerodynamic
characteristics optimum flight parameters (circling speed and bank angle, inter
thermal glide speed and speed in cloud streets) is found applying optimization
technique. Finally expected cross-country speed for different thermal conditions and
water ballast weight, as well the optimum water ballast amount, can be predicted.
The main goal of the analysis is the optimization of sailplane parameters and helping
pilots make decisions regarding optimum blasting technique in flight. An estimation
of the influence of bugs and rain on the sailplane aerodynamic characteristics is also
presented.[6]

Chapter 3 - DESIGN METHODOLOGY

Design a glider in XFLR5 using different combinations of Airfoils namely NACA 0010 and
NACA 4412. Perform aerodynamic analysis using viscous methods and VLM2 for glider
plane. Conduct performance analysis using flight mechanics and Calculate required Flight
parameters such as Glider Range, Time of Flight, and Glider Speed. Analyse the flight
stability performance in longitudinal and lateral directions for the plane.

3.1 WORKING
In flight, a glider has three forces acting on it as compared to the four forces that act on a
powered aircraft. Both types of aircraft are subjected to the forces of lift, drag, and weight.
The powered aircraft has an engine that generates thrust, while the glider has no thrust. In
order for a glider to fly, it must generate lift to oppose its weight. To generate lift, a glider
must move through the air. The motion of a glider through the air also generates drag. In a
powered aircraft, the thrust from the engine opposes drag, but a glider has no engine to
generate thrust. With the drag unopposed, a glider quickly slows down until it can no longer
generate enough lift to oppose the weight, and it then falls to earth. Some hang-gliders and
most sailplanes are towed aloft by a powered aircraft and then cut loose to begin the glide.
The powered aircraft that pulls the glider aloft gives the glider a certain amount of potential
energy. The glider can trade the potential energy difference from a higher altitude to a lower
altitude to produce kinetic energy, which means velocity. Gliders are always descending
relative to the air in which they are flying.
XFLR5 is an analysis tool for Airfoils, wings and planes operating at low Reynolds Numbers.
It includes: XFoil's Direct and Inverse analysis capabilities
Wing design and analysis capabilities based on the Lifting Line Theory, on the Vortex Lattice
Method, and on 3D Panel Method. We have made our Airfoil using XFOIL Direct method
and use Lattice vortex method for analysing the lifting surfaces of Glider. We have used
NACA 0010 Airfoil for our Glider’s Horizontal and Vertical Stabilizer and NACA 4412
Airfoil for our Glider’s Main Wing.
NACA NOMENCLATURE: First digit describing maximum camber as percentage of
the chord. Second digit describing the distance of maximum camber from the Airfoil leading
edge in tenths of the chord. Last two digits describing maximum thickness of the Airfoil as
percent of the chord.
For example, the NACA 2412 Airfoil has a maximum camber of 2% located 40% (0.4
chords) from the leading edge with a maximum thickness of 12% of the chord.
The NACA 0015 Airfoil is symmetrical, the 00 indicating that it has no camber. The 15
indicates that the Airfoil has a 15% thickness to chord length ratio: it is 15% as thick as it is
long.

3.2 FEATURES
ADVANTAGES OF GLIDER:-
1. Low Cost
2. Environmental Studies Enhancement
3. Used by trainee pilot to stimulate on-board emergency such as Engine Failure.
4. Learn Navigation more accurately
5. The transitioning to powered airplanes is easy.
Various Parts can be Installed other than the basic parts of a Glider or Sailplane in order to
Increase Manoeuvrability and Controllability also it improvise its efficiency and
performance. Such parts include: -
1. WINGLET: -
The idea behind the winglet is to reduce the strength of the tip vortex and therefore
cause the flow across the wing to be more two-dimensional. Flight tests at the NASA
Dryden Flight Research Centre have found a 6.5% reduction in the fuel use of a
Boeing 707 type airliner when using winglets.
2. FLAPS: -
A flap is a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a
given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing
aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landing distance. Flaps
also cause an increase in drag so they are retracted when not needed.

3. ALIERONS: -
An aileron is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge
of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft
in roll (or movement around the aircraft's longitudinal axis), which normally results in
a change in flight path due to the tilting of the lift vector. Movement around this axis
is called 'rolling' or 'banking'.
4. MOTOR:-
 Motor Installation on a Glider have different benefits such as the capacity of Glider
increases, the glide ratio increases, motor generate additional thrust due to which
means the air velocity over the control surface increases which eventually means the
wing will generate extra lift against its weight.

3.3 Applications
1. Gliders are principally used for the Air sports of gliding, hang gliding and
paragliding.
2. Some Spacecraft have been designed as glider to descend when entered into Earth’s
atmosphere.
3. Military Grade Glider is used in warfare.
4. Glider is also used by Trainee Pilot during their training period.
5. Unmanned Glider is used for Research purpose.
6. Glider is used for environmental studies.

Chapter-4

Air Foil Analysis

While designing the glider our main aim to choose an air foil which is most suitable for our purpose.
Some airfoils are designed in such a way that they provide a good amount of lift or climb but they
compromise on the glide. Similarly, some provide a good amount of glide but compromise the climb.
Our main quest is to find the right airfoil that mill not compromise or trade-off a lot between the
climb and glide.

For our project we considered the following airfoils.

 A18
 BE50
 MA409
 NACA 6409
 NACA 4412
 NACA 0010
Wing analysis using 2d (NACA 4412)
For the wing analysis here, we use naca 4412 air foil
In this foil it provides the better performance and glide ratio.
In below fig is the naca 4412 air foil.

 Range of Reynolds Number(Re): 0.01 – 5 Million

 Range of Mach Number (M) : 0.1 – 0.2 M
 Range of Angle of Attack(α) :- 15o - 30o

A18 and MA 409 have similar shape and performance. However, MA409 has less camber therefore
the polar is shifted downwards compared to A18. This can be advantageous in the vertical climb
phase as it has almost zero Cl with Re in the range 250k-300k. The zero lift Cd of MA409 is lower
than the A18. Although A18 may not launch as high as MA409, the A18 makes up for the climb in
glider performance.
BE50: Comparing with A18, it has a lower drag coefficient at Re of 60K and the same trend is
observed at Re of 100k. It also shows smooth increase in drag over the Cl range from 0.5-1. Since this
type pf airfoil has the best endurance over a large Cl range, corresponding to broad speed range, it is
less sensitive to vast changes in glide comparing with the above two airfoils, A18 and MA409.

NACA 6409 and NACA 4412: Wake generation is less in NACA 4412 than in NACA 6409. Lift to
drag ratio is better in NACA 4412 than in NACA 6409. The lift to drag ratio of NACA 4412 is at 0
and 5 degree of Angle of Attack are 3.365 and 5.382. The lift to drag ratio of NACA 6409 and at 0
and 5 dree of Angle of attack are 0.39 and 0.66.

The better air foil is one which has higher lift to drag ratio. In this case, it is evident that NACA 4412
is better. Moreover, due to the fact that it is easier to construct and manufacture NACA 640 and Naca
4412 (since the other air foils have thin rear section), we decided to use NACA 4412 as it is better
than NACA 6409.

Naca 0010 will be used for vertical and horizontal stabiliser. Since the air foil is symmetric
(represented by the first two digits), it has zero lift at zero AOA. We will be analysing using Reynolds
number in the range of 0.01 – 5 million. The graph below shows the analysis. The relationship
between Cl and AOA for different Reynolds number has been represented by the blue line. It is
evident from the graph that it has zero lift at zero AOA. It has a max Cl of 1.52 at 10.8 degree of
AOA. The second graph represents the relationship between glide ratio to AOA. From the graph it is
evident that it has a max glide ratio of 103 at 9 degree of AOA.

And in below graph for naca 0010 it has very good positive climb and lift ratio since it has
lift at 0 deg itself.

NACA 0010 for horizontal and vertical Stabilizer

Here we use NACA 0010 for horizontal and vertical stabilizer since it give positive lift at 0
deg.Specifications are given below

 Range of Reynolds Number(Re) :0.01 – 5 Million

 Range of Mach Number(M): 0.1 – 0.2M

 Range of Angle of Attack(α) :- 15o - 30o

For Naca 4412 we will be analyzing the airfoil between 0.01- 5 million of Re Number and
0.1 to 0.2 Mach number as a batch analysis. This is done because we can get vast range of
results which can aid in better analysis. The angle of attack is chosen to be between 15 – 30
degree.

For analysis we will be plotting a number of graphs showing the relationships between
different parameters. The first one being relationships between Cl and AOA. From the graph
it is evident that NACA 4412 has max Cl of 1.9 at 19 degree of AOA. This means that
beyond this AOA, the glider will stall. The analysis with different Reynolds number has been
represented purple lines.
The second graph represents the relationship between cl/cd to AOA after analysis by the
software. The analysis for different Reynolds number has been represented by the purple
lines. The best Cl/CD ratio represents the max efficiency or glide ratio. The max glide ratio is
found at 2.5 Degree of AOA.
4.2 Glider Design

After all these analyses and deciding the right airfoils, it is now time to o study the behaviour
of the entire glider as a whole. To d that we must analyse different parameters. The
parameters are shown in the graph below. The first graph represents the relationship between
glide ratio and AOA. From the graph it is evident that the stall angle is now at 3.5 degree (fig
1). The second graph shows the relationship between Cl and AOA. It can be observed that the
glider has a positive lift even when the AOA is zero.

The third graph represents the relationship between Coefficient of moment and coefficient of
lift. The slope is negative which denotes its nose down which is favourable for our glider.
This is because the wind or the air flowing against the glider naturally causes a nose up
moment. To counter that we need nose down behaviour and thus the negative slope is
favourable.

Glide Ratio vs Ratio

C L vs α

C m vs α
Isometric View

Side view
 Front View

Top View

Here are the 4 different 3D views of the glider having the following specifications
Wing Span length of 15 m
xy coordinate projected span -14.991m
Tail Volume = 1.391
Root Chord – 1.250m
MAC – 0.982 m
Aspect Ratio – 15.773
Taper Ratio – 1.917
Root tip sweep = 0.004o

4.3 Stability Analysis

The stability of plane depends on the three main points.

 Centre of Pressure (CP) is the point of the body where the aerodynamic forces acts.

 Centre of Gravity (CG) is the Point at which the moment of the body acts that is purely
depend on the distribution of mass only.
 Neutral Point (NP) is the Reference point where the moment of pitch depends on plane
external geometry alone.

 During the situation of CG in front of the NP: Stable flight.

 During the condition of CG slightly forward of the NP: Stable flight but unstable on slight
gust.

 During CG overlaps with position of NP: Unstable flight.

 During the CG positioned behind the NP: Stable in reverse position

Longitudinal Stability

Cm vs α

Here from the above graph we can come to know that there is a positive pitch in the glider i.e.
for the alpha angle 2.5 degree the Cm value is 0.15.

To have a glider to be Longitudinally stable its centre of the gravity must be located after
aerodynamic centre i.e. Centre of gravity must be at 0.2 m.
 Cm vs CL

From the graph we can tell that CL having the value 0.5 Cm value will be 0.3

Hence from the above graphs there is appositive pitch and lift.

Hence it is longitudinal stable. For longitudinal stability Pitch moment derivative must be
negative. Positive lift co efficient obtained when Cm =0

Longitudinal Stability has two types

1] Short Mode: It is a short period mode having time period of 0. 010s..It has short /quick
recovery.

2]Phugoid Mode: It is a large time period slow oscillation with small damping.

A phugoid is an aircraft/glider motion in which the vehicle pitches up and climbs, and then pitches
down and descends, accompanied by speeding up and slowing down as it goes "downhill" and "up
hill".
Lateral Stability
In this condition CL vs CN is always zero i e Cl and Cn

For Roll static stability CLβ is negative i e CLβ <0

For yaw direction, static stability Cnβ is positive i e Cnβ >0

CN vs β

In this graph the slope is negative in which the manoeuvre of the glider will be easier
and having the mass of the wing 3 kg.
It is stable glider.
 Cl vs β

In this above graph there is a yaw direction i. e static stability is positive

And there is a positive manuver.
Here v = 20m/s.

For lateral/directional Stability is of 3 types

1 Roll Subsidence Mode: It is a short period mode
2 Dutch Roll Mode: It is a coupled yawing and rolling motion.
3 Spiral Mode: It is a slow and very large time period mode.

4.4 Performance
Target Conditions of the glider are given as below:

• Stream Velocity(u) – 20 m/s

• Mach No. – 0.07
• Altitude(h) – 7620 m
• Density of Air at h – 0.549 kg/m3
• Density of Air at Sea level – 1.2 kg/m3
-5
• Dynamic Viscosity at h – 1.54×10 kg/m.s
-5
• Dynamic Viscosity at Sea level - 1.8×10 kg/m.s
• Reynolds Number at Sea level – 0.634 million
• Reynolds Number at h – 1.186 million
For the complete performance of a glider, it needs to have certain parameters and needs to be
calculated. It has 4 steps.

1.Flight Path Calculation: -

Tanγ = Cd /CL where inverse of Cd /CL is called as Glide Ratio.

γ is the Flight Path Angle.

Cd = 0.01475, CL =0.442, CL /Cd = 0.442/0.01475 = 29.996

Where CL - Lift coefficient

Cd – Drag Coefficient

Trim Angle = 1.327o

Flight Path Angle (γ) = 1.93o

2. Glide range Calculation: -

Here Glide range of the glider is calculated by multiplying range of altitude and glide ratio.

Range = Δh*CL/CD where Δh – is the range of altitude.

7620*29.996 = 228569.52 m = 228.569km.

3.Glider Velocity Calculation: -

Here we assuming the glide angle is very small

L = WCosγ =W

Therefore v =( √W/0.5ρSCL ) where ρ- Density of air at altitude

S-Wing area

1079.1
=
√ 0.5∗0.549∗14.27∗0.442
. = 25 m/s

V= 25 m/s.

• Weight of Glider without Loading = 392.4 N

• Weight of Glider with Loading = 1079.1 N
• Glide Ratio = 29.634
Here we consider weight of glider with loading.

4) Rate of Descend (H) and Time of Flight (t): -

H = -v Cd /Cl = -√ W /0.5 ρSCL * CL/CD = - 25.08*( 0.01475/0.4423/2 )

 =-1.25m

t = -Δh/H

= 7620/1.26

=6096 s or 1.693 hr

Time of Flight : Rate of descent is the vertical component of the aircraft's velocity, normally
expressed in feet per minute
Chapter – 5

Conclusion

• By Replacing existing Airfoil with more efficient Airfoil will enhance Glider
Performance
• It is Observed that Reynolds number is high for powered aircraft than micro air Glider
• Up to some Extend, Reynolds Number is directly proportional to the lift coefficient it
also delays the stall angle
• The more Dihedral angle will be, the more stable will be the aircraft in roll.
• Example – Fighter jet have a negative dihedral increasing Maneuverability.