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Airfoil Analysis

Posted by Patrick Hanley on September 28, 2015 at 8:30am

3689669014?profile=original  Which airfoil shape is the best?

My name is Patrick Hanley and I am new to DIY drone.  My background is in aerodynamics.  I received my SM & Ph.D. degrees from MIT.  I worked as a professor at U of Connecticut teaching aerodynamics and compressible fluids before starting Hanley Innovations about 20+ year ago.

This video is an introduction to the commercial software that I write and post on my website:

I look forward to interacting with the DIY Drones community.

Best wishes,

Patrick

Tags: aerodynamics, airfoil, design, wing
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Comments

  • Justin Martin September 28, 2015 at 11:52am

    Patrick, welcome to DIYD! May I ask the benefits of your (purchasable) product over say Dr Drela's free xfoil and xflr5 programs?

    Gary, just to play devils advocate here, but maybe a good discussion point would be the use of flying wings in the first place. This in a way relates to the Quad vs conventional helicopter debate. Quad is mechanically simpler (debatable), however aerodynamically inefficient in comparison.

  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer September 28, 2015 at 10:57am

    That's just the sort of thing that needs to be discussed Dwgsparky. 

  • Moderator
    Dwgsparky September 28, 2015 at 10:36am

    I (and many others) use flying wings with good success, but the ready made airfoils (like the X5 on the left) can be tricky to set up, it would be good to have a defined "best solution" to the tip stalling and other control problems other than simply moving the CG forward to a point that it behaves!  

    The X5 for example will always tip stall with the CG too far back and it also suffers from opposite direction induced yaw. Solved by reducing the down going elevon movement. 

  • Patrick Hanley September 28, 2015 at 10:15am

    Thanks Gary.

    I like flying wings because of their drag characteristics.  

    Just thinking ... tip stall can be due to the higher taper ratio of flying wings.  Also sweep and end plates tend to push the maximum effective angle of attack towards the tips.   Washout can help.  

  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer September 28, 2015 at 9:58am

    Well I think we have seen lots of tip stalling and bad behavior from flying wings and finding out what somebody from the world of aerodynamics thinks of  flying wings would be of interest. I expect others will chip in.

  • Patrick Hanley September 28, 2015 at 9:17am

    Hi Gary,

    Thanks for the welcome.  Let me know if you have specific questions.  Best wishes.

  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer September 28, 2015 at 9:07am

    Excellent, maybe you could run through some MH flying wing aerofoils for the members here. Advantages disadvantages and how your software might help in design. Welcome aboard.

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