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  1. Y

    Turbo "Normalization" vs a steady hand

    Is there a difference, from the engine's point of view, between a turbo-normalized engine and a pilot that chooses to never exceed 30" on a conventional turbo?
  2. Y

    Data or experience on aerodynamic penalties of seams and rivets?

    Hi folks. I'm after what impact seams and rivets (as with wood or aluminum skins) have on a 140-150 kt design cruise, all else being equal of course. Is this speed so low as to be negligible? I'm guessing not, since modern sailplane designers seem to pursue ultra-smooth lines for 60-70 knots...
  3. Y

    Aerodynamic impact of small, spanwise creases, gaps, channels etc?

    All things retractable, detachable, openable, etc. invariably imply small interruptions in an otherwise (potentially) smooth body. So I'm wondering if there is a rule of thumb, or just common knowledge about how influential spanwise interruptions are, particularly if their width and depth are...
  4. Y

    Vehicle Sketch Pad mystery...is it just urban legend?

    I can find any number of documents discussing NASA's VSP software and, cruelly, urging its readers to explore it without providing so much as a clue about where one might find a link. Is it real, or just legend?
  5. Y

    Aerodynamics and locating a source for engine cooling.

    Assume for a moment that I was designing a cigar shaped pusher, with the engine mounted somewhere in the rear of the cigar (really, it's just a cigar). Where might one source an airstream for engine cooling, so as to minimize the interruption of laminar flow?
  6. Y

    Wanted: Raymer's "Simplified..." and Abbott & Doenhoff's "Theory of Wing Sections".

    As long as it's readable, the condition isn't of much concern to me. Thanks.
  7. Y

    Looking for info, research or discussions on reflected or deflected propwash

    Does anyone know of any experimentation done with some sort of propwash corrector or deflector that would function like a contra rotating prop system? If effective, it would sure be lighter and simpler than one. To clarify, I'm imagining something like the "settling chamber" in a wind tunnel.
  8. Y

    Wing-tip losses and fences

    I'm looking for info about just how much lift is lost to a wing tip (i.e. 2D model vs. 3D reality), and how much a well designed wing-tip fence can mitigate that effect. Any thoughts, links, references, etc. are appreciated.
  9. Y

    "Sphere of influence" of a wing?

    For lack of a better term, I'm trying to find out how one calculates the downwash angle, and the vertical range of the downwash. I know the latter is technically infinite, at least in-so-far-as a butterfly wing changes the course of world history. But if I were interested in knowing what the...
  10. Y

    Question about coplanar wings

    With canards, tandems, DeLannes, etc. that have coplanar wings, does the foreward wing not complicate the stream for the rearward, at least more than just trivially? If the downward stream of the fore were to feed the underside of the aft (more so than the topside, anyway), would it not create...
  11. Y

    Safety of outboard floats on seaplanes?

    I see that this site has several planes that include floats that are located at the outer extremes of the wings. I'd have thought that this could spell disaster if a wing tip dropped unexpectedly, and at an inopportune time.
  12. Y

    What to consider when choosing Control mechanisms?

    Why choose cables, or push-pull cables, or torque tubes, or push-pull rods, or....? I mean, cables stretch, rods are heavy, push-pulls are...I dunno...frictiony? So how would you make your choice if starting a design from scratch? I'll narrow this a bit and assume we're not aspiring over 200...
  13. Y

    tandem vs. side-by-side considerations

    Pepsi or Coke? ...no, not that kind of "vs" thread. But I do want to hear what considerations there are regarding the choice between them. For example, assuming an LSA friendly design (under 650Kg ;) ), will a .7 meter fuselage vs a 1.2 meter fuselage make an appreciable difference in...
  14. Y

    Wing Area

    After a bit of research and playing around with various tools, I find myself just a little confused about wing area. Assuming the following: -1150 lbs TOW -.75 Oswald -23012 airfoil (12% thickness) it looks to me and FoilSim like a measly 105 ft sq at 2.5 degrees angle of attack are plenty...
  15. Y

    A good, downward viewing angle?

    What do you consider sufficient in downward visibility to the fore, and what do you consider good? Yes, of course straight down would be super, but in a typical setup where you have no choice but to look over the instrument panel (and fit legs underneath), is 10 degrees below horizon good, bad...
  16. Y

    Empennage as ruddervator?

    Anyone know of any documented experimentation with a single structure ruddervator--perhaps a square or round tube (or even a cross-shaped prism) that takes incidence from yaw and pitch input? Tried this with X-plane just for kicks and even that wouldn't indulge me.
  17. Y

    What resources have you used?

    So what books, logs, blogs, etc.have you used for ideas. Take for example, how to mount flaps...or how to design gear with shocks, etc.?
  18. Y

    Is it possible to design a plane to be towable (w/o trailer)?

    With Cg near the gear to begin with, is there any reason an aicraft can't be designed to be towed by the tail? In CT they have a "homebuilt" class for trailers with very few, essential requirements. Also, if the gear span is roughly the same as a boat trailer (which in some cases is true)...
  19. Y

    Resources for control linkage systems?

    I'm in need of some expertise and wisdom on control systems; know of any good online resources where I can see how others have implemented theirs?
  20. Y

    What did this guy do wrong?

    Came across this on the Tube; a fuel valve allegedly clogged, but does this look like a panic stall?
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