Sailplane

Sailplanes, also know as gliders, are aircraft that specialize in motorless flight by coasting through the air as efficiently as possible without an engine. They are either towed airborne or self-launched by a built-in motor. Once launched pilots use soaring techniques involving naturally rising air currents to keep them aloft for hours. The way they're able to glide without an engine is much like a car coasting down a hill thanks to gravity. As the sailplane is accelerated through the air by gravity the airflow over the wings provides lift, permitting flight. They are able to climb in rising currents of air because the currents they're flying through are going up quicker than the sailplane normally descents.

Modern sailplanes are usually characterized by their slender, long, and sleek form and white painted composite structure. Their modern aerodynamic design gives them as high as a 60 to 1 glide ratio, which means they only loose 1 foot for every 60 feet they move forward. The average glide ratio for most new models is in the 40s, that's twice as efficient as the most efficient airliners and 4-6 times better than most small prop airplanes.

Today sailplanes are primarily used for recreation whereas in the past they were used in the development of aircraft, research, and training from engineers like the Wright Brothers.