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Technical Note

Analytic prediction of vortex drag of high aspect ratio tapered wings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

L. W. Traub
L. W. Traub*
Affiliation:
Aerospace Engineering DepartmentTexas A&M UniversityTexas, USA
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Abstract

An expression is derived to predict the effect of taper ratio on the vortex drag of high aspect ratio, unswept, planar wings. The expression was formulated by assuming that imposing an elliptic spanwise load distribution on the tapered planform, would result in a leading edge thrust excess, which relates to the increase in vortex drag above the theoretical minimum. Comparisons of this expression with results from lifting line theory show encouraging agreement.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 101 , Issue 1001 , January 1997 , pp. 25 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1997 

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References

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