Which plane has the highest glide ratio?


Which plane has the highest glide ratio? The largest open-class glider, the Eta, has a span of 30.9 meters and has a glide ratio over 70:1. Compare this to the Gimli Glider, a Boeing 767 which ran out of fuel mid-flight and was found to have a glide ratio of 12:1, or to the Space Shuttle with a glide ratio of 4.5:1.


Can a plane glide if the engines fail?

Even if some or all of an airplane's engines fail, it can still safely glide while descending in preparation of an emergency landing. An airplane won't just drop to the ground after its engines fail. Airplanes are designed with long wings to create lift, which essentially holds them in the air.


What is the glide ratio of the A320?

The key measure of performance in gliding is the glide ratio which is related to the lift-to-drag ratio of the aircraft. The glide ratio of a clean A320 is 17:1 which means it can travel 17 units of distance forwards for every 1 unit of distance downward at best glide speed.


What is the glide ratio of a 747 200?

For example, with a glide ratio of 15:1, a Boeing 747-200 can glide for 150 kilometres (93 mi; 81 nmi) from a cruising altitude of 10,000 metres (33,000 ft).


How long can a A330 glide?

The pilots of the Airbus A330 were able to glide the aircraft to a landing at Lajes Air Base, Terceira Island in the Azores. They were able to glide for 20 minutes and 115 miles to the airport. The reported landing speed was about 200 knots indicated airspeed, higher than the normal speed of 130 to 145.


What is the glide ratio of a A380?

The A380 has a glide ratio of about 15:1, which means that for every 15 kilometers (9 miles) it travels horizontally, it loses 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of altitude. Therefore, if an A380 is cruising at 12 kilometers (7 miles) above sea level, it can glide for about 180 kilometers (110 miles) before reaching the ground.


What is the glide ratio of a 747?

Without engine thrust, the 747 had a glide ratio of 15:1, meaning it can glide forward 15 kilometres for every kilometre it drops. After calculating the glide ratio, the crew realized that they had less than 30 minutes to regain power before they smashed into the ground.