Design Process: Planform Shape
Last month we took a look at the effects of span and aspect ratio. At this point on the design of the wing, we...
Design Process: Span and Aspect Ratio
At this point in the design process we have determined the wing area. The choice of high- versus low-wing and structural concept of the...
Design Process: Cantilever Wings
Last month we began our discussion of the structural layout of the wing with a look at externally braced wings. We now turn our...
Design Process: Braced Wings
As we saw last month, the designer has two fundamental choices of wing structural architecture: cantilever or externally braced. In a cantilever layout all...
Design Process: Wing Structure
Last month we started our discussion of wing design with a look at the vertical placement of the wing on the fuselage (high versus...
Design Process: Wing Design
At this point in the design process, we have gotten the airplane sized, balanced, and after six months of consideration gotten the landing gear...
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...
Design Process: Landing Gear, Part 5
For the past few editions of Wind Tunnel, we’ve been exploring the factors that drive the configuration and placement of landing gear. Last month...
Design Process: Landing Gear, Part 4
Last month we looked at how the static stability of the airplane when it is sitting at rest on its landing gear affects the...
Design Process: Landing Gear, Part 3
Last month we took a look at the basic characteristics of the two most common landing gear configurations: tricycle and taildragger. We will now...
In Case You Missed It
Engine Beat
Exhaust systems do more than just get air into and out of aircraft engines. Exhaust system design, in terms of exhaust pipe length, diameter and tuning, affect the efficiency and performance of the engine, for better or worse.
Develop Today, Sell Tomorrow
While the Experimental world has matured greatly in the last few decades, we’re no longer seeing the rapid rate of change experienced in the 1970s and through the ’80s.
Ask the DAR
What do you need to do when you buy an Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft? What should a builder/owner do when they're ramp checked?
