Question about Project of Effect of Different Wing Design on Aerodynamics of a Plane

[ScienceBeta789]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping to do the project Effects of Different Wing Design on Aerodynamics of the Plane. I was planning to make a homemade wind tunnel and then use three-four different types of planes. However I'm confused about that. How do we find the planes each with a different design? Do we make our own?

Thank you

Moderator note: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... esign-lift

[CarissaP]

Hello,
Building a homemade wind tunnel to test different wing designs is a great project! I would suggest following the instructions here to build the wind tunnel: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ind-tunnel. This tutorial also discusses how to test the wind tunnel and get data from it. To test different wing designs, you will need to create different airfoils, which is the shape of the plane's wing and is designed to create lift. Here are two websites that look into different airfoil shapes and what they are used for: https://resources.system-analysis.caden ... iderations, https://www.flitetest.com/articles/what ... ould-i-use. To create the different airfoils, you should use a wood that can be easily shaped, such as balsa wood. Let us know if you have any other questions!
- Carissa

[ScienceBeta789]

Hi,

Thank you so much for your reply! It really helped a lot. I just had one more question. Would a cardboard wind tunnel be just as effective? I found a tutorial for one, and I'm not sure if I can afford to make one out of wood.

Thank you so much,
Neelima

[DauntlessDog12]

Hi there,

For this design specifically, cardboard may be too flimsy for some of these components, namely the Diffuser assembly and the contraction flow. Even high-quality cardboard tends to bend easily, which is why this project requires heavier-duty wood. I would suggest asking your school's administration for help with some of the costs or to collaborate with others for this project to lower your individual cost. You could also potentially reach out to others or your local aviation museum to see if you could borrow their wind tunnels for your testing. Finally, you could look at some smaller scale wind tunnels that are made out of cardboard, just remember that you may not get the same data and force readings than the Science Buddies wind tunnel. Hope this helps.
-Benjamin

[ScienceBeta789]

Thank you so much! I'll take that into consideration and start looking for some options. I had one more question. How would I go about making the airfoils? I know balsa wood or Styrofoam would probably be the best option. Do I just shape the wood? Is there anything else I should do to them?

Thank you so much once again,
Neelima

[CarissaP]

Hello! I would suggest using balsa wood to make the airfoils. Here is a guide to make the airfoils (scroll down to step 5): https://www.instructables.com/Balsa-Wood-Glider/. And here is a more in-depth explanation of making the airfoils: http://my.pclink.com/~dfritzke/SteamForming.pdf. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Carissa

[ScienceBeta789]

Thank you so much! I will surely use this tutorial.

[ScienceBeta789]

Hi!

So, I've started with my wind tunnel, and I was wondering how I am supposed to measure lift? I know that creating a code program would probably be the best option here, but I have little experience with coding. So if possible, please provide some recommendations for some ideas or any code programs I could use?

Thank you,
Neelima

[DauntlessDog12]

Hi there,

Specifically for measuring lift, usually projects require scales that will measure the amount of lift, which is just equal to the upward force. If you want to implement code, you could potentially add in a force sensor that measures the lift and converts it into a reading. You will need some sort of scale or sensor to measure lift, however, as a code program alone won't work. Let us know if you have any questions pertaining to how to use the sensor or deploy code to the sensors.

[ScienceBeta789]

Hi,

I was wondering how I would use sensors and scales within my project and where I would put them in my wind tunnel?

Thank you,
Neelima