RCU Forums - View Single Post - Reducing drag through wing tip vortices ?
Old 03-05-2004 | 09:15 PM
  #43  
KenLitko
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From: Crown Point, IN,
Default RE: Best way to avoid those ****** wing tip vortices ?

OK... check out this simple graph on the following web page:

http://142.26.194.131/aerodynamics1/Drag/Page9.html

Basically, it shows that induced drag dominates the low speed regime in aerodynamics. Obviously it really depends on the aircraft. Can i quantify it for the particular aircraft in question? No. I dont think that anyone could without the wind tunnel tests mentioned. It's a question of where that minimum lies for the particular craft in question.

Nonetheless, induced drag is an important drag force on model aircraft... simply due to the fact that we are operating at low mach number. I mention mach number because induced drag goes to zero as we approach the speed of sound. It is at it's highest at the lowest speeds that we would fly at.

Profile drag does not change much (if at all) in a turn because the frontal area of the aircraft does not change significantly... not nearly as much as the lift changes... which directly affects the induced drag.

I tried looking, but i could not find a good source that showed the types of drag present for the stuff we are interested in.