Unpowered Aircraft

Unpowered aircraft are a group of aerial vehicles that can fly without onboard propulsion. They can be classified as gliders, balloons and kites. In this instance, 'flight' means a trajectory that is not merely a vertical descent such as a parachute. In the case of kites, the flight is obtained by tethering to a fixed or moving object, perhaps another kite. In the case of balloons, the flight is free but there is little directional control. The remainder of this group are the heavier-than-air craft such as gliders, hang gliders. and paragliders that have complete directional control and so can fly freely.