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Old 16th November 2005 | 20:48
  #24 (permalink)  
Shaggy Sheep Driver
 
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 2
From: UK
Do different wings have different A of A's?

Or is it a constant regardless of wing shape/chord/ span etc.?
Cloud69 - not a stupid question at all. I'll try not to give a stupid answer.

To add to HWD's answer, the A of A is actually the angle between the mean wing chord and the airflow - that is, the angle at which the wing is presented to the airflow. So a wing doesnt 'have' an A of A, but 'experiences' whatever A of A it is presented with.

The problem comes when the A of A reaches the angle at which the airflow can no longer follow the top surface of the wing, and breaks away. This is the stall. That angle depends on the design of the wing - including aspect ratio (chord to span ratio), and cross-sectional profile. These factors also affect how the wing behaves at high A of A - for instance, whether the airflow suddenly detaches, or does so more progessivly - or not at all.

The example of Concorde HWD gives is interesting - narrow delta wings like that will work at extremely high A of As without stalling - but the drag goes up at a phenominal rate, so as a delta is pitched up it genertaes more lift and more drag (as do all wings). But whereas a conventional wing will reach a stallling angle (around 15 degrees on most light aircraft) the delta just goes generating more lift and more drag - much more drag. Soon it reaches a point where, despite full engine power, the only way is down, and the aeroplanes sinks earthwards.

SSD
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