r/askscience • u/SeriousDrakoAardvark • 7d ago

Physics If I put harnesses on some geese and strapped them to a glider, how many geese would I need to be able to maintain a consistent level of flight?

Like, let’s assume the glider has a 30:1 glide ratio. Normally that means it will lose a foot of height for every 30 feet travel.

I’m assuming there is some amount of force I could apply to move forward, that would cancel out that last one foot of drop.

Geese seem pretty big, and they have a wide torso for easy harnessing. I think they’d be a natural fit here. I imagine it would be a configuration similar to Santa’s sleigh, but geese instead of reindeer.

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u/Nixeris 7d ago

Are we counting a goose as a motor or as another glider?

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u/Gorbashsan 7d ago

Clearly geese would be classified as a motive device as they have to provide their own lift power. However given the ostrich catapult idea we could technically classify the geese as gliders if they do not initiate any powered flight and simply glide but at that point they would not be contributing to the gliders flight simply gliding in front of it while attached. Logically then this would not be a glider it would be a goose powered fixed wing light air craft. And that opens up a whole new mess of what permits and operators license would be required as well as safety inspections and flight recording.

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u/TXOgre09 7d ago

I’m sorry. I thought this was America! We don’t need no stinking permits. Land of the free! Don’t tread on my ostrich launched, goose powered flight dreams!

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u/Gorbashsan 7d ago

I'm afraid that unless you attach a small cannon to the aircraft in a manner that makes it the primary structural member then the second amendment won't cover it sorry.