Barnaby Wainfan
Barnaby Wainfan is a principal aerodynamics engineer for Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Design organization. A private pilot with single engine and glider ratings, Barnaby has been involved in the design of unconventional airplanes including canards, joined wings, flying wings and some too strange to fall into any known category.
Design Process: Roll Control
The primary function of the wing is to generate lift, but it must also incorporate control surfaces to control the airplane in roll.
Design Process: Slots and Slats
Opening a properly shaped slot between the lower and upper surface of the wing near the leading edge can greatly increase the angle of...
Design Process: Droops and VGs
In general, there are two ways to increase the maximum lift of a wing. The first, as we have been discussing the past couple...
Design Process: Flap Types
Last month we took a look at the trade-offs the designer should consider when defining the flap system for the airplane. The choice comes...
Design Process: Flaps
Flaps change the geometry of the wing to allow the pilot to change the aerodynamic characteristics of the airplane to match the needs of...
Laminar- vs. Turbulent-Flow Airfoils
Airfoils break down into two general classes based on the behavior of the boundary layer.
Design Process: Airfoils
Once the size and planform of the wing have been determined, it’s time to choose (or design) the airfoil.
Design Process: Stall and Roll Damping
Last time we took a look at the effect of twisting the wing. Wing twist is used to adjust both the spanwise distribution of...
Design Process: Twist Effects
For the last few months, we have been looking at how the planform affects both the distribution of lift and the distribution of lift...
Design Process: Distribution of Lift Coefficient
In the last few months, we have explored how planform and taper affect both the distribution of total lift across the span and the...
