Jeremy
Well-Known Member
I've recently been re-reading the various articles by the George Spratt's on the controlwing. I've also read a couple of papers about it on the NASA tech server.
As far as I can see, it seems a simple principle, quite well suited to a microlight (ultralight) or low speed light aircraft. The advantages in terms of control surface simplicity alone make it an apparently good option for such a very light aircraft as a weight-limited microlight.
I understand the speed range issue (essentially it doesn't have a speed range without a AoA "bias loading" system or variable wing pivot point geometry), but apart from this disadvantage, it seems have a lot of positive points. I see that a French company seems to be developing a microlight version (see http://spratt.103.free.fr/spratt103_english/welcome.htm ), but as far as I know, no one else is working on a man-carrying controlwing (Freewing seem to be exclusively UAV now).
Is it just the odd configuration that makes this principle unpopular, or is there some unspoken major flaw with the whole idea?
Jeremy
As far as I can see, it seems a simple principle, quite well suited to a microlight (ultralight) or low speed light aircraft. The advantages in terms of control surface simplicity alone make it an apparently good option for such a very light aircraft as a weight-limited microlight.
I understand the speed range issue (essentially it doesn't have a speed range without a AoA "bias loading" system or variable wing pivot point geometry), but apart from this disadvantage, it seems have a lot of positive points. I see that a French company seems to be developing a microlight version (see http://spratt.103.free.fr/spratt103_english/welcome.htm ), but as far as I know, no one else is working on a man-carrying controlwing (Freewing seem to be exclusively UAV now).
Is it just the odd configuration that makes this principle unpopular, or is there some unspoken major flaw with the whole idea?
Jeremy
