RCU Forums - View Single Post - Reducing drag through wing tip vortices ?
Old 03-06-2004 | 11:43 AM
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banktoturn
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From: Bloomington, MN,
Default RE: RE: Best way to avoid those ****** wing tip vortices ?

ORIGINAL: Strykaas

No, to get back to the initial post :

- My understanding is that these tip vortices are somewhat linked to drag. As you all know, they are generated through pressure difference between upper and lower part of the wing. So the higher CL, the higher the pressure diff, the bigger the vortices... Induced drag, which increases as CL increases, corroborates this.

- So my question "how to reduce them ?" : indeed, I want to reduce drag (I have something to sort out with SalmonBug, a young inexperimented modeller ). I don't know if it's actually impossible to reduce them (some of you stated this) and that it is only possible to move them away from the wing, but eh, that 's exactly the same : If we can limit their impact on wing airflow, useful wing area will get closer to its geometrical size, thus reducing induced drag, though virtual wing area increase.

Regarding SalmonBug's experience, this was a joke, he 's ultra-experimented, and without a little help from you fellows, I would say I've already lost the race... Let alone the fact he 's about to build his third Shrike, so he definitely knows this airframe quite a bit.

Too bad he's noticed this thread ! Interesting fight, though ...
Strykaas,

Yes, there is a way to reduce the effect of these vortices on your plane. You are already doing it. It is to fly very fast, so that the wing is operating at a low CL. I assure you, although Ken Litko does not agree, any effort you expend to reduce induced drag would be better spent reducing profile drag. Fairing behind the engine, or better yet, cowling the entire engine, would be your biggest drag reduction, by far.

banktoturn