What is the shape of the trailing edge of an aircraft?
Both the trailing edge and the leading edge of an aircraft wing may be curved or straight or one edge might be curved and the other straight. One or both edges of an aircraft wing can be tapered so that it is narrower at the tip. The wing tip can be pointed, rounded or square.
What is the trailing edge of the wing called?
Plain flaps form the trailing edge of the wing when the flap is in the retracted position. [Figure 1-63A] The airflow over the wing continues over the upper and lower surfaces of the flap, making the trailing edge of the flap essentially the trailing edge of the wing.
What is a trailing edge wedge for an aircraft wing?
A trailing edge wedge for an aircraft wing is attached to a bottom downwardly facing wing surface along the trailing edge of the wing so that an inner edge wedge surface is fully covered by the bottom wing surface. When the edge wedge is secured to a bottom surface of a wing, the wedge tip faces in the flight direction.
What is a tapered wing in aviation?
Tapered Wing The tapered wing was designed by modifying the rectangular wing. The chord of the wing is varied across the span for approximate elliptical lift distribution. While it isn’t as efficient as the standard elliptical wing, it does offer a compromise between efficiency and manufacturability.
What do you mean by trailing edge?
Definition of trailing edge : the rearmost edge of an object that moves and especially of an airfoil.
What are leading and trailing edges?
Leading edge dimming cuts of the front edge of each waves' half cycle. Conversely trailing edge dimming cuts out the second half of each waves' half cycle. Trailing edge dimmers are now the more popular of the two types.
What is the function of trailing edge flaps?
Flaps are a high lift device consisting of a hinged panel or panels mounted on the trailing edge of the wing. When extended, they increase the camber and, in most cases, the chord and surface area of the wing resulting in an increase of both lift and drag and a reduction of the stall speed.
What is leading edge and trailing edge in airfoil?
The leading edge is the "front" of the airfoil—the portion that meets the air first. The trailing edge is the back of the airfoil—the place at which the airflow over the upper surface of the airfoil joins the airflow over the lower surface of the airfoil.
What is a trailing?
Trailing refers to the property of a measurement, indicator, or data series that reflects a past event or observation. It is usually attached to a specified time interval by which the data trail or over which that data are aggregated, summed, or averaged.
Where is the leading edge of a wing?
The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.
Why do you need to bend the trailing edge of the wings?
This helps the operating airlines save money by decreasing the amount of fuel consumed, as well as landing charges at airports. In other words, if you ever make a paper plane, be sure to bend the ends of the wing upwards just a little, and it will fly a bit further.Jan 17, 2022
What is a trailing edge dimmer?
These more modern dimmers have many benefits over the leading edge type. These improvements include smoother dimming with less buzzing and interference. Trailing edge dimmers have a much lower minimum load than the leading edge, making them far more suitable for powering LEDs.
What is the leading edge on an airplane?
A leading-edge slot is a fixed aerodynamic feature of the wing of some aircraft to reduce the stall speed and promote good low-speed handling qualities. A leading-edge slot is a spanwise gap in each wing, allowing air to flow from below the wing to its upper surface.
What is the name of the line between the leading edge and trailing edge?
The straight line drawn from the leading to trailing edges of the airfoil is called the chord line.
What is a leading edge flap?
Leading-edge flaps. A portion of the leading edge of the wing that folds downward to increase the camber of the wing to increase both its lift and its drag. Leading-edge flaps are used both for takeoff and landing.
What is tapered wing?
Tapered: wing narrows towards the tip. Structurally and aerodynamically more efficient than a constant chord wing, and easier to make than the elliptical type. Trapezoidal: a tapered wing with straight leading and trailing edges: may be unswept or swept.
What are sharp edged surfaces attached to the trailing edges of wings?
Other sharp-edged surfaces that are attached to the trailing edges of wings or control surfaces include: On control surfaces: trim tabs. servo tabs. anti-servo tabs. Other surfaces: flaps. Other equipment that may be attached to the trailing edges of wings include: anti-shock bodies.
What is the trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface?
The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets. Essential flight control surfaces are attached here to control the direction of the departing air flow, and exert a controlling force on the aircraft. Such control surfaces include ailerons on the wings for roll control, elevators on the tailplane controlling pitch, and the rudder on the fin controlling yaw. Elevators and ailerons may be combined as elevons on tailless aircraft .
What is trailing edge shape?
Trailing edge shape. The trailing edge may either have a triangle-like or cusp-like shape. A trailing edge with a triangle-like shape is also often referred to as a trailing edge that has a finite angle.
Why is the trailing edge important?
The shape of the trailing edge is of prime importance in the aerodynamic function of any aerodynamic surface. George Batchelor has written about:
What are the wings of an aircraft?
Aircraft wings are airfoils that create lift when moved rapidly through the air. Aircraft designers have created a variety of wings with different aerodynamic properties. Attached to the body of an aircraft at different angles, these wings come in different shapes.
Where are the wings on a plane?
The wing tip can be pointed, rounded or square. Aircraft wings may be attached at the bottom of the fuselage, mid-fuselage or at the top. They might extend perpendicular to the fuselage’s horizontal plain or can angle down or up slightly.
What is an ogive wing?
The ogive wing design is used in very high-speed aircrafts. The complex mathematical shape of this aircraft wing is derived to minimize drag at supersonic speeds. Ogive wings offer excellent performance at supersonic speeds with minimal drag.
What are the disadvantages of ogive wings?
The main disadvantage of these types of aircraft wings is that they are very complex and manufacturing them is difficult. Moreover, their subsonic performance isn’t satisfactory in comparison. The retired Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde used ogive wings.
What are the internal structures of an aircraft?
The internal structures of aircrafts wings are usually made of stringers and spars running spanwise and formers or bulkheads and ribs running chordwise – leading edge to trailing edge. Spars are important structural members of an aircraft wings.
What are aircraft wings made of?
Some aircrafts wings are made using a magnesium alloy. In modern aircrafts, stronger and lighter materials are used in wing constructions and throughout the airframe. Wings made of carbon fiber also exist and there are also aircraft wings that are made using a combination of materials to provide maximum strength.
What aircraft has tailed wings?
Some aircrafts use tailed delta wings and one of the most famous of those aircrafts is the Russian MiG-21. Editorial Team Eurofighter Typhoon T1.
Where is the wedge element on an aircraft wing?
The invention relates to a wedge element for attachment to a bottom surface of an aircraft wing directly along the trailing edge of the wing whereby the wedge element referred to herein as edge wedge preferably extends in parallel to the trailing edge of the wing.
What is trailing edge wedge?
A trailing edge wedge for an aircraft wing is attached to a bottom downwardly facing wing surface along the trailing edge of the wing so that an inner edge wedge surface is fully covered by the bottom wing surface. When the edge wedge is secured to a bottom surface of a wing, the wedge tip faces in the flight direction. The inner edge wedge surface and an opposite outer edge wedge surface enclose a wedge angle within the range of about 5° to about 20°. The edge wedge compensates for asymmetric aircraft characteristics due to unavoidable manufacturing tolerances.
What are the bail edges on Jane's All the World's Aircraft?
An other publication “Jane's All The World's Aircraft” published in Jane's Yearbooks 1976-77 edition, discloses on pages 31 and 81 single engine propeller aircraft equipped with wings having ailerons secured to the trailing edge of the wing and provided with bail edges. These bail edges on the ailerons are arranged only on one side of the aircraft and produce a counter moment to the rolling moment which is produced by the propeller wake of a single engine aircraft. Asymmetric aircraft characteristics caused by unavoidable structural tolerances are not compensated by such bail edges on the ailerons.
What is wedge shaped structural component?
No. 4,542,868 (Boyd) discloses a wedge-shaped structural component for attachment to the bottom surface of an aircraft wing profile near or along the trailing edge of the aircraft wing. The purpose of such a conventional wedge shaped structural component is to improve the lift coefficient and to reduce the drag during cruising speeds. The conventional wedge-shaped component has a downward height within the range of 0.5% to 1.5% of the local chord of the aircraft wing. The downwardly facing or outer surface of the conventional wedge component encloses with the chord an angle within the range of 15° to 45°. The conventional wedge component is secured directly along the wing trailing edge or at a distance from the wing trailing edge whereby the distance corresponds up to 1% of the length of the local wing chord. While the conventional wedge component improves the lift coefficient and reduces the drag during cruising flight, it does not provide any compensation for unavoidable structural tolerances and related asymmetric characteristics of the aircraft.
How to determine wedge angle?
The angle α is also determined by the ratio of the height h to length 1 of the bottom surface 8of the edge wedge 5. This length 1 is measured in the longitudinal direction of the chord axis 4of the wing 1between its leading and trailing edges. The wedge angle α according to the invention is within the range of about 5° to about 20°, preferably less than 17°. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the wedge angle α is equal to the flow-off angle β at the end of the trailing edge. In such a construction the length 1 of the edge wedge 5is for example 1% of the local wing chord 4. The height h preferably is within the range of 0.1% to 0.3% of the local wing chord 4.
What is a micro flap?
No. 4,867,396 (Wainfan) discloses a micro flap trailing edge device for an aircraft wing for improving the lift coefficient and for reducing drag. The flap is a flat plate-like member having a length within the range of about 0.5% to 1.5% of the local chord of the aircraft wing. The plate-like flap forms an angle with the wing chord within the range of 5° to 25°. The purpose of such a micro flap attached to the wing downstream of the trailing edge of the wing is to improve lift without any compensation for aircraft asymmetric characteristics that are due to unavoidable structural tolerances.
What is FIG 2?
FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, however with a curved edge wedge outer downwardly facing surface.
How does a fowler flap work?
Fowler flaps not only lower the trailing edge of the wing when deployed but also slide aft, effectively increasing the area of the wing, reference Figure 22.16.4‑2. This creates more lift via the increased surface area, as well as the wing camber. When stowed, the fowler flap typically retracts up under the wing trailing edge similar to a split flap. The sliding motion of a fowler flap can be accomplished with a worm drive and flap tracks. An enhanced version of the fowler flap is a set of flaps that contains more than one aerodynamic surface. Figure 22.16.4‑3 shows a triple-slotted flap. In this configuration, the flap consists of a fore flap, a mid flap, and an aft flap. When deployed, each flap section slides aft on tracks as it lowers. The flap sections also separate leaving an open slot between the wing and the fore flap, as well as between each of the flap sections. Air from the underside of the wing flows through these slots. The result is that the laminar flow on the upper surfaces is enhanced. The greater camber and effective wing area increase overall lift.
What is a fowler flap?
An enhanced version of the fowler flap is a set of flaps that contains more than one aerodynamic surface.
What is a simple slotted flap?
The simple slotted flap has a flap panel with a fully developed aerodynamic leading edge. It is generally mounted on pivots a little below the lower wing surface and is deployed into a slotted down position of 30° to 35°. The simple slotted flap has very little flap overlap with the fixed trailing edge and hence develops only little Fowler motion, defined as aft travel of the flap that increases wing area.
Why is a triple slotted flap so heavy?
Because all three of the flap elements have to be supported structurally and their motion somehow geared together, the triple- slotted flap is very complex and heavy. It produces higher sectional lift than the double-slotted flap, but edge losses are very significant (one vortex per flap panel edge).
What are flaps made of?
Flaps are usually constructed of materials and with techniques used on the other airfoils and control surfaces of a particular aircraft. Aluminum skin and structure flaps are the norm on light aircraft. Heavy and high-performance aircraft flaps may also be aluminum, but the use of composite structures is also common. There are various kinds of flaps. Plain flaps form the trailing edge of the wing when the flap is in the retracted position. [Figure 1-63A] The airflow over the wing continues over the upper and lower surfaces of the flap, making the trailing edge of the flap essentially the trailing edge of the wing. The plain flap is hinged so that the trailing edge can be lowered. This increases wing camber and provides greater lift. A split flap is normally housed under the trailing edge of the wing. [Figure 1-63B] It is usually just a braced flat metal plate hinged at several places along its leading edge. The upper surface of the wing extends to the trailing edge of the flap. When deployed, the split flap trailing edge lowers away from the trailing edge of the wing. Airflow over the top of the wing remains the same. Airflow under the wing now follows the camber created by the lowered split flap, increasing lift.
Why is the flap hinged?
The plain flap is hinged so that the trailing edge can be lowered. This increases wing camber and provides greater lift. A split flap is normally housed under the trailing edge of the wing. [Figure 1-63B] It is usually just a braced flat metal plate hinged at several places along its leading edge.
How are vanes actuated?
Generally, vanes are not actively actuated but are spring-loaded into the deployed position and stowed by the stow stop and the actuating force of the main flap. The structural-vane-to-main—flap connections are generally either straight or circular arc tracks that penetrate the front spar of the main flap. If an active mechanism for moving the vane relative to the main flap is used, it is easier to provide a single-slotted takeoff position with the slot in front of the vane and the vane-to—main—flap slot closed.
Where is the low wing on a plane?
Low wing: mounted near or below the bottom of the fuselage.
Which plane has a significantly smaller upper wing?
Inverted sesquiplane: has a significantly smaller upper wing. The Fiat CR.1 was in production for many years. Busemann biplane: a theoretical supersonic wing configuration, in which shock waves between the wing planes interfere to reduce their energy and wave drag. Biplane.
Where is the vortilon on a plane?
Vortilon: a flat plate attached to the underside of the wing near its outer leading edge, roughly parallel to normal airflow. At low speeds, tip effects cause a local spanwise flow which is deflected by the vortilon to form a vortex passing up and over the wing.
What is a biplane?
Parasol wing. A fixed-wing aircraft may have more than one wing plane, stacked one above another: Biplane: two wing planes of similar size, stacked one above the other. The biplane is inherently lighter and stronger than a monoplane and was the most common configuration until the 1930s.
Why do airplane wings sweep back?
A small degree of sweep is sometimes used to adjust the centre of lift when the wing cannot be attached in the ideal position for some reason, such as a pilot's visibility from the cockpit. Other uses are described below.
What is wing configuration?
The wing configuration of a fixed-wing aircraft (including both gliders and powered aeroplanes) is its arrangement of lifting and related surfaces.
Why is the wing chord varied?
The wing chord may be varied along the span of the wing, for both structural and aerodynamic reasons.
What is the unswept trailing edge on a Boeing wing?
The better alternative is to disproportionally increase wing chord at the root. The unswept trailing edge near the root is a consequence of Boeing's flap track mechanism. Boeing Fowler flaps move perpendicular to the hinge line, and an unswept hinge line avoids lateral movement of the flap.
What is the benefit of a low trailing edge sweep angle?
Another benefit of a low trailing edge sweep angle is that the effectiveness of the inboard trailing edge flap is higher. The maximum C L of the flaps decreases with increasing sweep angle. ( http://adg.stanford.edu/aa241/highlift/clmaxest.html)
Why do large aircraft need heavy wing spars?
Large aircraft need heavy wing spars, and increasing chord near the root gives the spar more height while the relative thickness of the airfoil can remain unchanged. A higher spar is structurally more efficient, so increasing its height at the root saves weight.
Where is the unswept part on an airplane?
Many airliners have a distinct unswept part at the wing root at the trailing edge . See for example this image from Wikimedia of a B737-400.
Why do wing sweeps have a drop?
Swept wings suffer from interference at the center of the wing. If wing taper and sweep remain constant over the full span, the lift distribution will show a distinct drop at the center. This is called the " Mitteneffekt ". The remedy is to locally increase the wing chord near the root and to decrease the wing's sweep angle. This, together with a change in airfoils and local incidence, "fills up" the dimple in the lift distribution and reduces induced drag.
Where is the landing gear located on an airplane?
The main landing gear is positioned just behind the aircraft's center of gravity. For most aircraft with wing-mounted engines this is near the trailing edge of the wing root. In order to have enough space for the landing gear when it is retracted, and to have a part of the wing structure that is dedicated to support the landing gear, this part of the wing has a larger chord, and thus a smaller trailing edge sweep angle.
Which aircraft has a high speed aileron?
Boeing fills the gap with a high-speed aileron. Also, this gap avoids that the flaps protrude into the hot, turbulent exhaust stream of the jet engine. Airbus flaps move in flight direction and leave the sweep angle of the trailing edge free.
