PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - dihedral and swept back lateral stability
Old 31st August 2011 | 21:51
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Mr Optimistic
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taken from http://www.b2streamlines.com/EffectiveDihedral.pdf

If the wing has some dihedral (wing tips higher than wing roots), the sideslip creates a situation in which the lower wing, which is moving into the sideslip, meets the oncoming air at a greater angle of attack than the higher wing. This generates a restoring force. It should also be noted that the lower wing, because it is operating at a greater angle of attack, is generating more drag than the higher wing. This creates a yaw to the left, thus reducing the sideslip. The result of all of these effects is to both reduce the sideslip and restore the wings to level.
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