ORIGINAL: KurtS
Valid points. Now I read somewhere that a symmetrical airfoil should be set at +1 degree and the stab at 0 degrees. ??
Kurt
Probably read that on the internet.
It's way too "sound byte".
The AOI is a function of the expected speed and weight of the aircraft. You reckon all airplanes weigh the same and fly the same speed? And models have a wide performance range too.
The wing is set to the fuselage to give the appropriate lift at the design speed while holding the fuselage to the least drag AOA. And whatever the wing does with the air determines the downwash that hits the stab. And the stab is set accordingly.
NOW, all that said, the stab isn't going to have to deal with an induced pitching moment, so one would assume the stab wouldn't need to be rigged to stabilize that extra moment, but you'd still have to consider the other details.
Would it work? With our models, probably "good enough". But that doesn't make it any more or less true.