ORIGINAL: The_Pipefather
I have some questions about tapered (non-constant chord) wings. I did a search, but if some of these have already been "asked & answered" please excuse.
1) Why is a tapered wing more efficient than a constant chord wing?
Less energy is consumed in wingtip vortices.
2) I have read here that a tapered wing seems to "think" it has dihedral, why is this so, and is there a rule of thumb that says "so much taper approximately equals so many degrees of dihedral" ?
Actually, swept wings act as if they had dihedral, whether or not they are tapered.
3) Is a tapered wing more susceptible to a tip stall than a straight wing of the same area? How to get around this?
You can use washout at the wingtips.
4) What is the amount of taper from root to tip that will achieve the max. possible efficiency while being resistant to tip stalls?
An elliptical wing has the maximum efficiency. (Supermarine Spitfire)
5) I have noticed that pattern planes almost always have a tapered wing. Is this a case of form over function, or does it result in any advantages such as the above, and also more "precision" ?
Everything on a pattern plane is function. Snap rolls involve intentional tip stalls.
Washout on a constant chord wing mimics the elliptical lift distribution of an elliptical wing at cruising speed and reduces cruising drag.