Re: Ruben Strikes Back

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/23/99 1:22:21 PM EST, jrccea@bellsouth.net writes:

<< Light weight isn't really an advantage in gliding.  Rather the opposite.  
For the
 usual range of lift coefficients (roughly from about 0.3 to about 1.1), 
increased
 weight has no significant effect on glide ratio or distance traveled.  >>

Thanks for the most interesting post of the day for me so far. I was rather 
thinking in terms of light weight as an advantage in relieving damage from 
falling rather than in gliding. Would be interesting to see how weight 
distribution in theropods and avians might apply to gliding scenario for 
avian flight origins.