geosnooker2000
Well-Known Member
I was talking to a fellow EAA member about his lanceair he is restoring. He was a fighter pilot in his younger days, and he was telling me the Lanceair requires special training because on landing, the elevator is "hidden", or "blanked" in the wing wash. He didn't really get precise about why it was any different from, say... a Piper or a Zodiac 650 or any other low wing single, but I thought maybe it had something to do with the distance from the trailing edge of the wing to the elevator/stabilator?
Anyway, it got me to wondering how moving the wing back a small number of inches on a well-known low-wing kit plane design would affect the flying characteristics. Assuming the plane I am speaking of is 23' long, has a standard flight envelope of 60 - 150MPH, recommendation of 0-320 to 0-540 engine... think RV-10 or CH640. You guys with a lot of flight experience and intuition about aerodynamics, what would the affect be of moving the wing aft 5"-10" as it pertains to control-ability? Would it be negligible? Or noticeable? (Please assume CG would move appropriately WITH the wing.... actually... Assume this move of the wing is BECAUSE OF a CG move in design)
Anyway, it got me to wondering how moving the wing back a small number of inches on a well-known low-wing kit plane design would affect the flying characteristics. Assuming the plane I am speaking of is 23' long, has a standard flight envelope of 60 - 150MPH, recommendation of 0-320 to 0-540 engine... think RV-10 or CH640. You guys with a lot of flight experience and intuition about aerodynamics, what would the affect be of moving the wing aft 5"-10" as it pertains to control-ability? Would it be negligible? Or noticeable? (Please assume CG would move appropriately WITH the wing.... actually... Assume this move of the wing is BECAUSE OF a CG move in design)