Glauert distribution
 

Is there an aerodynamicist in the house?

I'm spending my day going through some foreign reports, and they're referring to the "Glauert distribution", w.r.t. spanwise load. I've not heard the term used in that context before, but have a 1926 textbook by Glauert in my collection which uses only uniform and eliptical distribution. So, I'm guessing that it means eliptical.

Does anybody have enough knowledge to confirm or deny this for me?

Cheers,

G

Did you look at

http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/aero.../thinaero.html

?

ET

I hadn't, although I've got an earlier version of the textbook it's quoting. (I've not met him, but understand Ted Houghton is probably immortal, his "Aerodynamics for Engineering Students" has been co-authored by Brock, Caruthers, Carpenter and I think in latest edition by somebody else.)

However, the Glauert method of using a vorticity distribution to model an aerofoil chordwise (which is also in his 1926 "Aerofoil and airscrew theory" which is wonderful reading if you can ever find a copy) is about chordwise distribution - what I'm trying to work out is what's meant by a spanwise "Glauert distribution".

Nice website however, thanks for flagging it up.

Cheers,

G

The aerodynamics of it are mostly beyond me, but I note that the "lifting Line Theory (3D Wings)" section in

http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/aero/contents.html

states that

"The span-wise lift distribution is assumed to be elliptical with a small modification due to wing planform geometry. The assumed vortex line strength is thus a Fourier series approximation. "

Then goes on to give a function which looks rather like the Glauert approximation quoted earlier.

Regards

ET