Wind Tunnel
Its easy to get carried away with new systems and technology that promise to make your airplane faster, smarter and even safer. But sometimes more is just more.
Design Process: Landing Gear, Part 6
Last month, I ran out of space before getting to the end of our discussion of landing gear. This month, we conclude the series...
Wind Tunnel
Barnaby Wainfan explores the optimum size of a wing and the best ways to balance performance and efficiency.
Design Process: Vertical Tail Spin Considerations
Not every airplane is designed to perform intentional spins, but that doesn’t mean the designer can safely ignore the effect of the vertical tail...
Wind Tunnel
Contrary to popular belief, the frontal area of an airplane is not the most important determinant of drag.
Design Process: Ailerons
Last month we looked at roll control schemes for airplanes where high lift or other requirements do not leave enough room on the wing’s...
Wind Tunnel
Its an age-old duality: stability versus maneuverability. Many factors go into developing and building any aircraft, and the designers choices will affect a pilots workload, for good or ill. Among the topics discussed are trim, pitch stability and yaw stability;