Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 08:53:22 -0400
Message-ID: <redirect-220317@logan.com>
From: Ted Noel <tednoel@cfl.rr.com>
Reply-To: tednoel@cfl.rr.com
Subject: aerodynamics
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Not being an aerodynamicist, I listen to the learned opinions of others. While 
stall strips and AOA are vital, a couple of other items seem reasonable. 
Perhaps Marv can supply the pix. My confuser is being resurrected, and has 
minimal function at the moment.

1. Winglets. These extend the wingspan, and would thereby have some salutary 
effect on stall speed due to increased effective wing area.

2. flap fences. These function effectively as winglets on the flaps. Mine are 
placed in the streamline when retracted, so as to not increase drag. But when 
the flaps are deployed, we expect them to act as winglets in this high lift 
situation (of the flap) trapping more air and reducing dirty stall speed.

3. Ventral fin. This is a suggestion by Jack Webb. Apparently when the 
throttle is reduced, the braking effect of the prop disc destabilized the 
airplane, making it want to turn sideways. A ventral fin adds lateral area 
aft of the center of lift, stabilizing this tendency.

In a stall, a dorsal fin would likely be blanked. But a ventral fin will not 
be blanked. This ought to increase the ability to recover from a stall. It 
may also increase spin recovery, but I'm not about to explore that part of 
the envelope.

Ted Noel
L-IVP at the airport, not yet flown.
 
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