ORIGINAL: frankflyboy1
Something I don't understand, I've heard of gliders exceeding 200 mph, I don't know how that can be? Aren't they relying on just gravity to reach these speeds? and gravity falls at 32ft per second, per second. I don't know how to calculate this speed, but skydivers fall at an airspeed somewhere around 150mph, but I know they spread themselves to slow the decent. Not sure where I'm going with this at this point.
Falling speed is only restricted by drag, terminal velocity of a skydiver is much slower when he is spread than when he forms a bullet shape.
The acceleration force due to gravity is 32ft per second per second or 9.81 newtons. in a vacuum every falling object would continue to accelerate forever (or instill it hit something!)
I have seen footage of the USA's early experiments with high altitude parachute drops. These were done from balloons at 100,000 feet + with the guy wearing a space suit.
If i remember correctly he reached speeds near to the speed of sound until the air thickened up and slowed him down.