How much altitude does an airplane lose in 6 miles when gliding at an angle of attack of 10 degrees?

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To determine how much altitude an airplane loses while gliding at an angle of attack of 10 degrees over a distance of 6 miles, it is essential to know the glide ratio achieved at this angle of attack. The glide ratio, which is the distance the aircraft travels horizontally for every unit of altitude lost vertically, is highly influenced by the wing design, weight of the aircraft, and the drag experienced at different angles of attack.

For an angle of attack of 10 degrees, a typical glide ratio might be around 9:1 for many general aviation aircraft. This means that for every 9 units of horizontal distance traveled, the aircraft would lose 1 unit of vertical altitude. Given this glide ratio, we can calculate the altitude loss.

If the airplane glides 6 miles (which is equivalent to 31,680 feet, since 1 mile = 5,280 feet) at this glide ratio of 9:1, we can use the formula for altitude loss:

Altitude Loss = Horizontal Distance / Glide Ratio

Substituting the values, we have:

Altitude Loss = 31,680 feet / 9 = approximately 3,520 feet.

However, if we adjust our glide ratio or consider variations depending on flight conditions

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