Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

how exactly does a wind tunnel work?

What does Bernoulli's Principle state?

How does angle of attack relate with wing lift?

Why is angle of attack important for lifting a plane?

Which angles are best to put my wings at for my experiment with the wind tunnel?

Hello and Welcome to the Forums!

You have a great set of questions to begin your experiment with! If you are thinking about building a wind tunnel for you project, check out Science Buddies one: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... -toc.shtml!

I put a couple of your questions in a search engine, and good answers popped up right away. Start with your favorite search engine (or Wikipedia!) and come back with specific questions once you're going on your research.

Good luck and have fun!
Keith

Thank you for the information. It was very helpful! Here are some more specific questions.
Which set of angles would you recommend? More of a 45 degree angle each direction and a 0 degree angle? Or, An angle of 5 degrees each direction and a 0 degree angle?
When I make my model wings, is balsa wood the only option? And can the inside of the wing be hollow?

Hello alex.waddington,

The angles associated with an aircraft wing depend on many things such as speed, weight, and wing area.

Model wings are almost never made of solid balsa wood. They are often mostly hollow or filled with Styrofoam and covered with a stronger material.

You might visit a local hobby shop and look at the various model kits offered.

It seems that you need more than just simple answers a few questions. As recommended previously, web searches and books on aeronautics would help you begin to understand the issues in designing wings. For example, an inexpensive paperback book is Theory of Wing Sections: Including a Summary of Airfoil Data. If you find the book too difficult, then at least you will learn what background material you need to study.

Good luck, WW

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your help. I will make sure to get the book. Though one question keeps on popping up which I need a little clarification on. Does it matter how smooth the surface of the wing is? Would a smooth painted surface, which might reduce surface friction possibly help? Thank you for your time!

alex.waddington,

Yes, the smoothness of the wing surface is important. Turbulence is created in the air by any irregularity in the wing surface, for example a rivet head or a stuck-on piece of dirt.

I hope you enjoy reading about aerodynamics, WW

Thanks very much!! I will make sure to take that into consideration when doing my experiment.