ORIGINAL: andrew66
sounds like i should scrap the flat stab idea all together. I wonder if kit comanies dont make flat stabs to keep costs down. Since im going to cut foam for the stab, it will be a piece of cake to "build"
thanks for all the input.
Not at all.
The reason our designs keep using flat stabs is because they work great for our models. There actually is a performance difference but it is so often insignificant that it doesn't come close to mattering.
Very often the aerodynamic results are far less than the structural results. We get a tiny bit more or less aero at some parts of the envelope, but wind up with a lot more or less weight or strength.
A properly sized and built flat stab compared to a properly shaped airfoiled stab is like the comparison of an orange to a tangerine.