Post: <font color="#CCCCCC">Post Reply</font>: <b> Re: the Flying Dutchman and the Sailing Aerofoil by JD </b>

OriginalMessage: Re: the Flying Dutchman and the Sailing Aerofoil
Birds combine kinetic energy, thermical winds with the groud effect to "sail" long distances without flapping their wings. I have never seen a bird TAKE OFF without flapping its wings. Then it would change my thoughts. Something close to your idea is the paddlepowered plane that crossed the channel for instance. Very efficient, but slow and it still needed manpower. Without it it could not take off. Without contact with the water you will never be able to balance the enormous lateral forces involved in sailing, no matter what type of craft you use. So "empirical" evidence is not yet delivered but I will keep an eye open. JD

OriginalMessage: Re: the Flying Dutchman and the Sailing Aerofoil

Birds combine kinetic energy, thermical winds with the groud effect to "sail" long distances without flapping their wings. I have never seen a bird TAKE OFF without flapping its wings. Then it would change my thoughts. Something close to your idea is the paddlepowered plane that crossed the channel for instance. Very efficient, but slow and it still needed manpower. Without it it could not take off.

Without contact with the water you will never be able to balance the enormous lateral forces involved in sailing, no matter what type of craft you use.

So "empirical" evidence is not yet delivered but I will keep an eye open.

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