What is the physics involved in this type of wing geometry?
2007-08-09 17:49:23 · 6 answers · asked by ahe03 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
This upwards bend (and sometimes small downward bend) keeps air near the tip of the wing flowing over the wing. This air can sometimes slip off the outer edge of the wing and then does not help create maximum vortices's just behind the wing edge near the tip.
This is why these guys here keep telling you that it increases the effective length of the wing. It makes the tip of a somewhat shorter wing as lift efficient as the extra length of a somewhat longer wing. It also does this with less drag.
As far as stability goes, It depends if your asking an engineer or a pilot... sort of 6 of one, half dozen of the other... Here's why this myth is still around. Stability is not improved... straight and level, and has nothing to do with why it is added to the design... But, the spillage of air off the tip of the wing is most noticeable to a pilot during hard rudder operations. When you turn the plane with the rudder (level) a larger amount of air "falls off" the tip of one wing than the other wing. Consequently, one wing has more lift than the other and the pilot must correct for this. Ergo, from the pilot's point of view, these structures seem to give him more stability, even though they were added to for greater wing lift efficiency.
So you can see how each camp views the benefits of this simple design feature.
Hope I've been helpful.
2007-08-09 20:55:42 · answer #1 · answered by erikfaraway 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The longer the length of the entire wing, the more the lift. We would love to have more lift but however, having an extremely long wing would make the airplane very huge and bulky. Therefore they bent the tips of the wings upward to maintain the lift while at the same time, keep the overall "size" of the airplane virtually smaller. There is a aerodynamics mathematical ratio for this, but i cant seem to remember it right now. I hope this helps...
2007-08-09 17:58:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
The "bent up tip" you refer to is an end plate or vortex generator.
It increases the effective length of the wing without ading more structure.
Without the structure you question, high pressure air tends to leak out from under the wingtip.
With it, the whole wing is effective.
2007-08-09 18:37:29 · answer #3 · answered by Irv S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It improves stability, it makes the airplane tend to want to stay upright, rather than roll to the left or right. It works in the same way that a dihedral wing does (a dihedral wing is when the entire wing is angled upward toward the ends).
A wing gets maximum lift when it is perfectly horizontal. In an airplane with a dihedral or a upturned tip, if the plane starts to roll one way or the other, the 'lower' wing (or lower wing tip in the case of your question) is more horizontal than the opposite wing or wing tip. It therefore gets more lift, and tends to roll the airplane upright again.
2007-08-09 18:08:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
to reduce vortecies formation which cause the plane to vibrate and uncomfort passenger
also for stability reasons
2007-08-10 03:41:23 · answer #5 · answered by koki83 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's basically added stability when flying, especially when manuevering
2007-08-09 17:51:37 · answer #6 · answered by saviour 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋