introductiontoaeronauticsadesignperspective.docVIP

INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS: A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE CHAPTER 4: WINGS AND AIRPLANES “After running the engine and propellers a few minutes to get them in working order, I got on the machine at 10:35 for the first trial. The wind, according to our anemometers at this time was blowing a little over 20 miles; 27 miles according to the government anemometer at Kitty Hawk. On slipping the rope the machine started off increasing in speed to probably 7 or 8 miles. The machine lifted from the truck just as it was entering the fourth rail.” From the Diary of Orville Wright for December 17, 1903 4.1 DESIGN MOTIVATION The Lift and Drag of Wings The study of airfoils in Chapter 3 gave insight into how wings generate lift, but it did not tell the whole story. The flow over a wing near the wingtips is very different from the two-dimensional flow around an airfoil. The differences have profound effects on the lift and drag generated by a wing. Understanding these effects is crucial to the aircraft designer who must shape an aircraft’s wing to optimize its performance. Section 4.2 discusses wing lift and drag theory and analysis methods. Whole Aircraft Lift Curve Other components besides the wing contribute to an aircraft’s lift. The lift contributions of the aircraft’s fuselage, control surfaces, high-lift devices, strakes, etc. must all be considered in order to accurately predict an aircraft’s lifting capability. The aircraft’s maximum lift coefficient is one of the governing factors in an aircraft’s instantaneous turn capability, landing speed and distance, and takeoff speed and distance. Section 4.3 describes a variety of devices for increasing an airplane’s maximum lift coefficent, while Section 4.4 presents methods for estimating the lift curve slope and maximum lift coefficient of a complete airplane, including the effects of strakes, high-lift devices, control surfaces, etc. Whole Aircraft Drag Polar The drag of all aircraft components must also be in