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Person flying a Walkalong glider.

A walkalong glider is a lightweight, slow flying model aircraft designed to be kept aloft by controllable slope soaring in the lift generated by the pilot who walks along with the glider as it flies, usually holding a paddle. Hands or even the forehead can also be used to do this. This type of slope soaring differs from other types of slope soaring in that the orographic lift (or "hill") is following the plane as it flies in the air and thus no other wind is required.

Types of walkalong gliders have been patented. Some walkalong glider designs have been named.

Some known models are

• Air surfer,
• windrider walkalong glider,
• tumblewing
• Follow foil.

Walkalong gliding has also been referred to as controllable slope soaring but should not be confused with dynamic soaring.

Ground effect in aircraft is probably a factor in the extra lift that the walkalong glider has when in proximity to the paddle, but the effect is usually referring to the actual ground which is static and not to a dynamic moving surface like the paddle.

Patents

• US Patent 2718092 Joseph E Grant 1950 - "A virtually vertical baffle is then moved beneath the airplane in a direction transverse to the plane of the baffle and in the desired direction of flight... gives rise to an updraft and the airplane rides along..."
• US Patent 5100357 Mcready et al. 1992. Refers to Grant's later patent - "A toy airplane is launched; and an air flow deflecting surface is located in spaced relation to a V-shaped, swept-back wing of the airplane to deflect air flow generally upwardly toward the flight path of the airplane to aid in sustaining or balancing its flight. That surface is movable relative to the wing, and may be hand-held beneath the flying wing..." -- This patent adds details to the construction of a walkalong glider which will fly in a swooping tilt after each "boost".

See also

• Gliding
• Orographic lift
• Slope soaring
• controllable slope soaring
• Human-powered aircraft

External links

• Method of Flying Toy Airplane and Means Therefor
• How to build a walkalong glider
• Paper Airplane Walkalong Glider from Instructables.com
• PBS Scientific American Frontiers Free Flight episode with Walkalong Glider