Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
(OP)
This is an interesting idea. Flexible wing design
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC





RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
The dream of a wing configuration that truly adapts to different portions of the flight regime seamlessly has been chased for a long time.
Most attempts such as 'swing wings' or efforts to change camber/aerofoil section etc. come at a significant weight penalty and weight is the enemy of flight so ...
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
this is a NASA project about adaptive wings ... instead of using traditional flaps to create a cambered wing section, they're using some "magic" so they they've got a continuous wing skin, and they're deflecting the trailing edge down (and presumably the leading edge too) so that the top of the wing is a smooth continuous curve.
ok, it's not "magic" but clever engineering (which sort of counts as magic; to paraphrase Arthur Clarke, any sufficiently advanced engineering is indistinguishable from magic) ... stretchy membranes, actuators, control system and somewhere enough primary structure to carry the load.
another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
rb1957, sure the Wrights used it for control (rather than ailerons) while NASA is using it as a lift device (in lieu of flaps) but these 2 applications have overlap (i.e. flaperons, or the fact that ailerons are differentially increasing/decreasing lift on each wing rather than equally increasing lift on each wing) and fundamentally use the same core aerodynamic principles.
They work primarily by changing the effective angle of attack, to change lift & there's more than one way to skin that particular cat.
(Yes, flaps often increase wing area or introduce things like slots to tweak the aerodynamics but I believe my point stands.)
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
I agree there are issues with what they're doing, structurally and aerodynamically, but they have tried this before (I think on an F111) and were happy enough with those results to try it again. it may lead somewhere, it may just be a boon-doddle.
another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
Active boundary layer control is always the one that springs to mind - I don't mean blown flaps etc. I mean lots of small holes in the skin of the A/C and some kind of 'suction' on the back side.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
I was talking about something different which is pretty much what I describe. Can be made to work until you try it in the real world and all the holes get filled with bug guts etc.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
Due to the weight of the aircraft and the small flight decks of Navy carriers the predicted landing speed caused some problems but Blackburn had heard of a system called 'Boundary Layer Control' (BLC), where hot air is bled from the engines and blown over the wing flaps, wing leading edges and tail plane to increase air flow and produce more lift.
another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?
RE: Jointly developed flexible wing design for airplanes
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC