In order to achieve lift in a glider, how fast must you go?and once you get in the air do you need flaps or no

Question

In order to achieve lift in a glider, how fast must you go?and once you get in the air do you need flaps or no

Answer 1

You guys crack me up. Now for the correct answer. Yes gliders do produce tremendous amounts of lift at slow speed and yes most of those built today have flaps. The flaps are used just like an airplane to poistively curve the wing and allow even slower flight but they also can be used as negative flaps, trailing  edge up, to provide high speed glides.

Answer 2

The speed needed to provide the lift is relatively slow.  It would depend on which glider your looking at but I'd say even as low as 20 knots before the wings stall (stop producing lift).  

Gliders acomplish tis by having a high aspect ratio.  The very long wings are very efficient at producing lift but at the sacrifice of manueverability.  Updrafts from ridges and hot air contribute to the lift of a glider so it can gain altitude.

There aren't generally flaps on a glider.  Flaps are for changing the shape of the wing so a plane can fly slower and still produce lift.  As I mentioned the design of the wing itself is what allows it to produce lots of lift at slow speeds.

Answer 3

Well, that's the thing with gliders, you dont have thrust and so not a lot of lift.     Why do you ask,  are you trying to build a glider?

Answer 4

It all depends on the glider. The wingspan, wing design, weight, density altitude wind speed and direction just to name a few. And no,you don't need flaps.