Designer's Notebook

Bending.

One way to solve the problem of flow separation—and stall—is by installing vortex generators on your kit aircraft.

Like a wing, a propeller blade is characterized by its area, planform, and airfoil cross section.

The size and planform of the ailerons are set by the roll-control power needed to meet flying qualities and maneuvering requirements. Once the designer...

Stall flutter is the result of the elastic axis of a wings surface being aft of the aerodynamic center, resulting in instability. A vicious cycle of lift, twist, stall and lift may ensue.

Z-Brackets and the free-body diagram.

Pilots, especially those in low-powered aircraft, must always know how much energy they have available to maintain flight.

The cooling system is a major component of the airplane. It has a large impact on the performance and reliability of the machine. The...

Once designers had addressed every other drag-producing aspect of the biplane, they decided to get rid of the struts and wires bracing the wings—and the switch to the monoplane was made.

As we started to discuss last month, the landing gear is a major component of the airplane that affects the design in significant ways....