Use of Electric Motors in the Context of Glider Aviation

Abstract

In sailplane aviation, I attach great importance to the achieved aerodynamic parameters due to the main idea of sailplane flights, which is the flight of a sailplane without external energy supply for staying in the air and only in favourable weather conditions, e.g. increasing thermal movements of the air. Only during take-off, external devices, such as a winch or a towing plane, can be used. Therefore, the use of a propulsion installed in sailplanes and operating only during take-off is a very convenient solution. This is a step towards facilitating the access to flying for a wider group of people due to the reduction of costs related to the take-off processes, and also increases the level of safety of sailplane flights by enabling the use of propulsion at critical moments of the flight. The study presents the current trends in the development of gliding, in particular motor gliders. Additionally, as a result of research works, the energy storage system was shown, which is the weakest element of the system, and at the same time the one with the greatest development potential.