Design Process: Size, Bones, and Balance
Up to now in our ongoing series about the design process, we have been considering the aspect of the mission. At this point, the...
Wind Tunnel
Taxi testing may seem to be a mere formality, but it is a vital step toward bringing a new aircraft to flight, and is not without its dangers.
Laminar- vs. Turbulent-Flow Airfoils
Airfoils break down into two general classes based on the behavior of the boundary layer.
Design Process: Strakes and Ventral Fins
On some airplanes, the basic empennage does not provide acceptable flying qualities in all flight regimes. Supplemental surfaces to augment directional stability, improve high...
Wind Tunnel
Flight testing for longitudinal stability problems continues this month as columnist Barnaby Wainfan details tests for stick force as related to trim and stick-free stability of an aircraft. The object is to gather data and analyze it to see if the hypotheses about the nature of the problem hold up under scrutiny.
