RCU Forums - View Single Post - Different wing types
View Single Post
Old 09-18-2007 | 06:54 AM
  #13  
da Rock
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,517
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
From: Near Pfafftown NC
Default RE: Different wing types

It's a science fair project so you need to do something that LOOKS different, something that is easy to see is different.

You might actually build a couple of different wing planforms with the same airfoil. A non-tapered one to start. Then one of the same area but with a LE taper. And one with a straight LE but tapered TE. It's easier to see when a wing is a different shape than it is to see different profiles.

As for doing different wings with different airfoils, you've only got three major families of airfoils. Cambered (flat bottom), symmetrical, and reflex. But you could do a rectangular, like the flat foamies have.

Odd ones that are distinctive? A diamond is really a symmetrical. But it's distinctive.

Any cambered is going to work as a representative. So do a Clark-Y. It's obviously flat bottom. Then do a 12%-18% symmetrical. It'll look symmetrical, but look about the thickness of the Clark-Y. A reflex will need to have an obvious undercamber (and just might be a pain to build). The blownup foamy..... Whatever looks right. It's going to bring some chuckles. And do the diamond one to the same thickness you do the symmetrical, with the max thickness located the same chord station.

I wouldn't bother with the reflex if I were you.