slowboat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:00 pm
How is lift and glide related in a kite hydrofoil? What design characteristics would you look for in a foil that has lots of lift AND glide?
thanks
Depends on what glide is to you ?
If you mean how far distance it glides without power/kitepull before touchdown, then it is simply glideratio.
If you want it to glide as long TIME as possible, before touchdown, it is area/weight and only a small part is glideratio.
For glideratio to be maxed, you need a good profile (not too cambered nor too flat), and a really high AR wing.
Size doesnt matter at all, same glideratio with a big wing as a small fast wing, if same AR.
Your connections and fuselage and mast and rear stabilizer need to be as thin and small and low drag as possible too.
If you want lots of lift, it goes without saying, a big wing high AR wil give you loads of lift AND glide
BUT, it will suck at turning fast, and be slow.
If you want it to be BOTH lively and glide for a long time without power, before touchdown (but not very far), you need a big wing lower AR and can get both - but it will have poor glideratio (thus also poor upwind angle)
PF