For Researchers · Glide Performance
Glide Performance for a hypersonic vehicle
Built for researchers prototyping or validating an idea. Prototype fast, reproduce exactly, and share a citable, interactive version of your model. Simulate a hypersonic vehicle live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Glide PerformanceLive
how far from how high
Controls
Presets
An unpowered aircraft trades height for distance. Its glide ratio, L/D, is exactly how many meters forward it travels per meter of descent — a modern glider does 50:1. The shallow glide angle is set only by L/D, not weight, while the sink rate and time aloft depend on speed. Vital knowledge after an engine failure.
Data Inspector
Glide range15.0 km
Glide angle3.8°
Sink rate2.0 m/s
Time aloft8.3 min
Governing equation
Reading this result: Glide angle depends only on L/D, so the range scales straight with altitude; speed changes how fast you sink and how long you stay up, but not how far you reach.
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for researchers?
- Yes — this version of "Glide Performance for a hypersonic vehicle" is framed for researchers prototyping or validating an idea. Prototype fast, reproduce exactly, and share a citable, interactive version of your model.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.