[NSRCA-discussion] Airplane angle of attack

Jay Marshall lightfoot at sc.rr.com
Sun Sep 30 06:32:13 AKDT 2007


Remember, full scale airplanes have wings with an airfoil! I would think
that at design speed they would provide all of the lift necessary such that
the rest of the aircraft is at 0 deg pitch. BTY, the fuse on a B-2 is a good
lifting shape. (lol)

Jay Marshall

-----Original Message-----
From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Hill
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 8:08 AM
To: NSRCA Mailing List
Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Airplane angle of attack

This is a question about full size airplanes that has some  
applicability to model design. We're talking about airliners that  
have an essentially cylindrical fuse.

I'm having a debate with a friend at work about whether or not full  
scale airliners fly slightly nose up. I claim they do he claims they  
don't.

I claim they do because the airflow would be more stable about a  
cylindrical body that was at a slight angle of attack, and that if  
you make it nose up you also gain a little lift.

He claims that airliners fly with no AOA in the fuse because the last  
thing a designer wants is lift from the fuse because lift generates  
drag, the fuse is not a good shape for generating lift, and  
consequently it isn't worth paying the drag penalty.

What do you all think?

Jeff Hill
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