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| Wing Construction - Lift Competition |
Students research the four forces of flight, and then design a wing section to produce maximum lift.
Wing designs are computer modeled, modified for maximum efficiency, and then scale models of each student's wing are
manufactured.
Students test their wing in the school wind tunnel, with lift and drag cooeficients tracked on computer.
The wing with the greatest lift coefficient wins the competition.
Students conclude the unit by submitting an analysis of their wing's performance, with conclusions.
The formula to calculate lift coefficient is as follows:
where Cl is lift coefficient
L is lift force in newtons
p is density (air) in kilograms/meters cubed
V is velocity in meters/second
A is area (wing) in meters squared
Further information on fluid mechanics formulas used in aerodynamics are available in the RHS Tech Ed Reference Collection
(Room 194).
An aircraft's lift is measured from this formula:
L = (1/2) d v2 s CL
L = Lift
d = density of the air. This change with altitude.
v = velocity of an aircraft (feet per second)
s = the wing area of an aircraft (square feet)
CL = Coefficient of lift (determined by airfoil type and angle of attack)
I.C.A.O. Standard
Atmosphere Table
Altitude Density Speed of Sound
(Feet)
(d) (Knots)
0
.002377 661.7
1,000
.002308 659.5
2,000
.002241 657.2
3,000
.002175 654.9
4,000
.002111 652.6
5,000
.002048 650.3
6,000
.001987 647.9
7,000
.001927 645.6
8,000
.001868 643.3
9,000
.001811 640.9
10,000
.001755 638.6
15,000
.001496 626.7
20,000
.001266 614.6
25,000
.001065 602.2
30,000
.000889 589.5
35,000
.000737 576.6
36,089
.000706 573.8
40,000
.000585 573.8
45,000
.000460 573.8
50,000
.000362 573.8
55,000
.000285 573.8
1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour = 6,076 ft per hour
1 mph = 1 mile per hour = 5,280 feet per hour
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