A winglet, like everything else on an airplane, represents a compromise between numerous factors, including, cost, structure and performance. A winglet is a wing tip extension, its purpose to improve aerodynamic efficiency. “The airflow around winglets is complicated, and winglets have to be carefully designed and tested for each aircraft.” (How Things Work: Winglets). The invention of the winglet allows a reduction in drag acting upon the aircraft by converting the airflow at a wingtip into a forward force, rather than an upward force. The size, shape and angle of which a winglet is mounted to the wing, depends on the aircraft type and size. A winglet improves the overall performance of the aircraft and is beneficial to the aviation industry in that, the aircraft will have an improved fuel economy, a reduced need of engine maintenance checks, the ability to carry a greater payload and will be better for the environment. The idea of winglets was developed by F.W. Lancaster a British aerodynamicist in the late 1800s. However, it was not until an energy crisis in 1976, causing the price of fuel to skyrocket, that Richard Whitcomb, a NASA aerodynamicist, took Lancaster’s concept to the next step. Whitcomb soon published a comparison between a wing with a winglet and the same wing with a simple wing extension to increase its span. This paper showed significant improvement from the simple wing extension to the wing with the winglet. The winglet caused a reduction in drag and an improvement in the lift/drag ratio. Whitcomb proved that in theory the winglet would work, but it was Burt Rutan, an American aerospace engineer that went ahead and designed his ‘Vari-Eze’ to incorporate the ‘Whitcomb Wings’. “Rutan takes winglets from the drawi... ... middle of paper ... ...dvantage of the drag reduction by throttling back and saving fuel. Payload: Due to an improved fuel economy, winglets enable an aircraft to carry less fuel and more payload. Allowing the company to save money on fuel and make more out of the payload. Environment: The lower fuel burn means lower emissions. Winglets are recorded to have resulted in decreases of CO2 by as much as 6% and in NOX by 8%. “Drag reduction is a high-priority goal of [aircraft] designers.” (textbook, pg 25) By reducing the spanwise flow at the wingtip, winglets are therefore able to weaken vortices and significantly decrease drag. During cruise, minimal drag means maximum performance. Winglets are now quite common in the aviation industry, making them, “…one of the most successful examples of NASA aeronautical innovation being utilized around the world on all types of aircraft.” (nasa.gov).
The history of aerodynamics first comes from Leonardo Da Vinci he was a famous mathematician, he studied in aerodynamics and he also created two types of flying objects, one looked like a helicopter but instead it was powered by a turning wheel and the wings was just a spiral on top of the platform, and the other looked like a bird suit with wings that can flap up and down. (Phillips,Warren F, 2004) Th...
...r. The kite is folded more closely together; therefore they have been a very popular style to many flyers. The next kite we’ll be introducing is the keeled sled. This kite puts a spin on things with 2/3 spars. It really is a hybrid between all of the variations. This kite includes 2 spars, 1 keel, which both have a bridle, and 6 vents. Multi- Sleds are put parallel to each other. They usually combine different types of decorations, and they also save 1 spar, and a bridle fan. One of the biggest problems with the sled hybrids are they are more prone to collapse in windy weather. The way that most people fix this problem is by using a cross spreader that fits into the wings. By doing this, it adds an extra boost for the weight. The biggest exponent for the sled is the simple way of producing it. A twin spar delta is basically just a double-canopied multi-vented sled.
...der was designed to hold a pilot on his stomach in the center and would control the movement of the craft through a process that would become known as "wing warping". (Cite) On a windy day, the brothers tested their glider. Wilbur was the pilot while Orville and a man named Bill Tate held ropes that would steady the glider like a kite. The craft was successful and lifted fifteen feet off the ground. (Cite) After the successful flight though, the brothers ran into a slight set back. While adjusting the glider, a wind lifted the craft off the ground and the glider was smashed onto the ground a few yards away. This crash was not the last setback the wright brothers experienced. After many successful flights later on, the brothers began to look for a way for the glider to be self-powered, and not have to rely on the wind. Their glider needed a propeller and an engine.
Leonardo provided innovative thought in the study of flight. He focused on aviation for over 23 years. Credited for using the scientific method for the first time to study flight, he observed how birds fly and then applied that knowledge to try to achieve human flight (Cooper 53). Leonardo devoted much energy into making a flying machine utilizing manually powered wings attached to a person (Kallen 55-57). Over the years, he added more and more devices to help control the plane, such as landing gear, wing slots, and a tail for steering (Cooper 53). However, he never got the flying machine to work because it weighed too much and humans could not provide enough power (53). He also made sketches for an “aerial screw” that were the basis for the design of the modern day helicopter (Hart 328). Leonardo derived the sketches from a Chinese toy that whirled rapidly (Byrd 28). The lack of a powerful enough engine to rotat...
Secondly, the Runway pocket allows the two center runners to flex out and hug the ball better while in play thereby improving performance. The icing on the cake has got to be the string Lock technology that allows one to set their preferred pocket size so as to avoid bagging. Combine this with the elongated face for much more powerful passes and shots and you get a really formidable tool. Pros.
Following World War II and the jet engine technology that emerged largely toward its end, aerospace engineers knew well that the technology had great potential for use in the commercial aviation industry. The Comet was the first aircraft to utilize jet propulsion; however, its designers failed to consider the metallurgy of the aircraft’s materials under flight conditions or the consequences of their atypical window design. The aircraft was designed by Britain’s De Havilland Aircraft Company and entered service in May 1952. After a year of service, however, the design issues mentioned above resulted in the failure of several Comet aircraft. Extensive evaluations revealed that repeated pressurization stress on the aircraft’s main cabin had caused its structure to fail.
Heppenheimer, T. (2001). A Brief History Of Flight: From Balloons to Mach 3 and Beyond. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mortimer, G. (2013). Giving the machine gun wings. Aviation History, 23(6), 50-5. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2e489df0-5604-49cf-8709-9359f8a1feee%40sessionmgr4003&vid=3&hid=4211
Through time, there has been a significant decrease in the number of bones through fusion, or loss of individual bones (“Evolution of Birds”). The loss in these bones result in a “hollow construction of the skeleton,” as well as a reduction in the availability movable joints. Though this seems like it should not benefit the bird, it is actually better adapted as a framework of a “flying machine.” The clavicle of birds is used and near it is a keeled sternum that the flight muscles attach to. The skull of a bird is lightweight and mostly composed of the protein keratin. Without teeth present, the jaw has also become light weight, all aiding in its ability to achieve the best possible flight. The changing in structure of the physical bird and functions of each their bones have aided in their diversification and ability to thrive as the modern bird that we know
From the Wright Flyer to the aircraft we fly today, they all started as a dream that later turned into a design. NASA is not sending astronauts into space at the moment, but that has not stopped the engineers at NASA from working on advanced aerodynamic designs and technologies that would help us achieve the dream of traveling farther, faster and higher. Improved materials such as carbon-fiber give an aircraft lighter weight, improved performance and lower fuel consumption. NASA’s newest design in carbon-fiber is called “PRSEUS” (Pultruded rod, Stitched, Efficient, Unitized Structure), a material that will be stronger than current carbon-fiber technology and will greatly reduce the need for rivets and other fasteners that lead to structural fatigue. NASA believes this new material will help Boeing achieve its goal of an aircraft of blended wing design (Sloan, 2011). Boeing has stated that tests for strength and performance on PRSEUS have exceeded their expectations. Boeing is using this new material in their X-48B, a small scale functional ble...
The trials and tribulations of flight have had their ups and downs over the course of history. From the many who failed to the few that conquered; the thought of flight has always astonished us all. The Wright brothers were the first to sustain flight and therefore are credited with the invention of the airplane. John Allen who wrote Aerodynamics: The Science of Air in Motion says, “The Wright Brothers were the supreme example of their time of men gifted with practical skill, theoretical knowledge and insight” (6). As we all know, the airplane has had thousands of designs since then, but for the most part the physics of flight has remained the same. As you can see, the failures that occurred while trying to fly only prove that flight is truly remarkable.
The basic concepts of lift for an airplane is seen. The air that is flowing splits to move around a wing. The air that that moves over the wing speeds up creating lower pressure which means that the higher pressure from the air moving slower under the wing pushes up trying to equalize the pressure. The lift generated can be affected by the angle at which the wing is moving into the flowing air. The more surface area of the wing resisting against the flow of air can either generate lift or make the plane dive. This can be easily simulated in everday life. Next time you are riding in a car with someone stick your hand out the window. Have your fingers pointing in the direction of the motion of the vehicle. Now move your hand up and down slightly. You can feel the lift and drag that your hand creates.
Newton's third law, stated above, explains how the remaining lift force is produced. Lift is generated when the air hits and is deflected off of the underside of the wing. This deflection of air downwards, in turn, causes an upward lift force on the wing since there must be an "equal and opposite reaction force."(Newman) This force accounts for a relatively small portion of the total lift generated for a wing.(JEPPESEN 1-13)
In order to prove this theory, I would work to design an experiment where a variety of winglet designs could be installed onto a scale model of a wind turbine. I would then place the wind turbine into a wind tunnel without any winglets to determine a control. While the turbine is in the wind tunnel, I would measure the amount of power produced for a set amount of time at a constant wind speed. Once I had a control group, I would repeat the process in the same manner with a variety of winglet designs, winglet orientations, and wind speeds.
A in November 1962, the British and French governments agreed to develop and build a supersonic aircraft. Each design presents an aerodynamic supersonic aircraft with a range of difficult problems, including two that have the highest interest powerplant installation and design of subsonic aircraft. supersonic speed because it is there are many configuration changes have been introduced, particularly in the areas of the nose and visor, rear wing and fuselage. the head of...