Wing lift drag

4 December 2023

Making a flat wing, but the tissue over the rib hover over the leading and trailing edges.

1. Lay down overlength strips (ribs), say 1/32"x1/16" (or greater but at the same 1/32" thickness) at the rib positions.
2. Glue on the 1/32" or 1/16" leading and trailing edges over the ribs.
3. Sand chamfer on the 1/32" ribs over the leading and trailing edges.
4. Cover with tissue/film. 

Not pretty but easiest.

21 November 2023

Design without ridges so that airflow over and under the wing has no obstruction. Leading and trailing edges are thicker and will obstruct, make slim. Thickness of chord will obstruct, make thin. Spars will obstruct, avoid ridges. Smooth is better than rough.

Curve is better than segmented. Drag increases with lift. Lift is the displacement of air downwards.

There has to be sufficient chord for curve/segment to take effect. 

Narrow chord with flat plate might be better than narrow chord with curved plate because the drag is reduced. On a curved/segmented wing, at zero AOA, the front deflected the air upwards (drag), turns back to zero (drag), turns to down (drag). On a flat wing, at zero AOA, air not deflected (no induced drag).