Wing Tip Shapes

[Troy A. Newman]

No, not drag

the reason that the tips are usually blunt is its easier to make them the
same.

My personal opinion is that it does matter. Can you fly 2 different models
and tell the difference...maybe not. I think that there are reasons to round
out the tip and that's why I round them. I also think as a side note reason
its a sign of craftsmanship in how your model looks. I take pride in my
models and my building. Part of that is making it look right in my eyes. I
want to be proud of the way it looks on the ground and the way it flies in
the air. That is why I do things the way I do them.

Just like I believe there is a really good reason to not run the ailerons
and elevators thru the tips....But everybody is doing it and showing it on
their kits...I don't do mine that way. Mine will be capped in. I feel it
helps in the arena of servo pot wear. Putting the aileron out in a known
area of turbulence is not going to help your servo pots. Plus I think the
models with ailerons thru the tips don't fly as well in crosswinds. Maybe
its because this turbulence causes lots of little tip stalls all the time in
as the air hits the hinge line. If the aileron is covered by a wing tip then
this is prevented.

I proved it to myself a couple years ago building identical models one with
tips and one thru the tip on the ailerons and consistently the one with tips
flew better in turbulent air. I also had a model this summer that had
ailerons thru the tips and it was hell on servo pots, and I never felt the
model would lock in like I think it should.

Another reason for having wing tips and stab tips is to have a reference for
the control surfaces neutral position. I think this is very important in
maintaining the model.

Same can be said for top hinge vs. standard bevel and middle hinge setups. I
don't like the idea of the center of rotation of the surface not being in
the middle of the surface. Lots of manufacturers are doing this now and
recommend it in their kits. I don't like it.

Does it really matter nope.....I think you can live with any of it. I
personally think the choices you make in your models construction like wing
tips and so on are much less critical than making the left and right sides
match. However I do think that certain choices will produce a better model
from a aerodynamic point of view.


Just my thoughts

Troy Newman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dieter Rozek" <rozekd at earthlink.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 11:36 PM
Subject: Wing Tip Shapes


> After looking at many different Pattern and IMAC models and even full
> scale for that matter, I noticed that the wing planform
> for most aerobatic aircraft ends in a blunt tip.  I may be wrong about
> this but the information which I've read regarding aerodynamics
> would suggest that this kind of wing tip generates drag as opposed to a
> highly tapered or fusiform shape such at a spitfire.
> My question is does this type of tip help at slower speed and therefore
> that's why it's being used or why the blunt ends on
> all the aerobatic planes?
>
> Dieter
>
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