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What is the L/D of the self-launcher with the pylon extended?

April 26, 2017extended pylon self-launcher

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What is the L/D of the self-launcher with the pylon extended?

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In this configuration, the sink rate is about 2 m/s, which corresponds to L/D about 15. Since the rate of climb with the engine operating exceeds this sink rate, the glider will always be able to return to the airport in the event of an engine failure, even if the pylon is not retracted. This allows the pilot to concentrate on flying the glider and not worry about engine retraction etc. if there is a problem.