22k views

Why/when is the blunt nose better?

Most large aircraft and some fighters have blunt, rounded nose cone. OTOH many fighters (that don't use the nose for air intake) and notably the two supersonic airliners (Concorde, TU-144) have the ...
6k views

How do insects decrease aircraft performance?

Is it true that insects hitting the fuselage could decrease aircraft performance and increase fuel consumption? Insects are small in mass. I think even a large amount of them accumulate on the ...
17k views

What dictates the aspect ratio of an aircraft's wing?

When designing an aircraft, there has to be a decision as to the aspect ratio of a wing. It's been said that having a higher aspect wing will reduce drag for the same wing area, however most of the ...
3k views

Is a golf ball surface a good idea for wings or fuselage?

I searched for an infamous golf ball question on this site but did not find any, so I guess it's time for one. Would a dimpled surface like a golf ball somehow improve the aerodynamics of an airplane?...
19k views

How does chord length affect wing design?

In comments on the answer to a question about transonic speeds and control surfaces I came across this comment and I'm having a hard time understanding it. If you increase the chord, lift goes up ...
9k views

What is the “area rule”?

The "area rule" states that the supersonic drag on an aircraft is related to the total area on part of the aircraft. What is the exact definition of the rule? Why does this happen?
42k views

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a delta wing compared to a swept wing?

What advantage does a delta wing have over a swept wing with high AR for supersonic flight? And what disadvantage does a delta wing have over a swept wing with high AR for transonic flight? The ...
3k views

How is the induced drag calculated for a wing with elliptical planform?

How is the induced drag calculated for a wing with elliptical planform ? Is this wing shape the most efficient ?
7k views

How does Reynolds Number affect skin friction drag?

I'm an aerospace engineering student, and I'm worried about efficiency as it relates to high and low Reynolds numbers. I don't understand which is more helpful for a aircraft. On a website I read ...
2k views

Can a supersonic plane use a subsonic wing if the nosecone shock produces subsonic airflow around the wing?

A supersonic plane will produce shock waves off the nose cone, as seen below: These oblique shocks reduce the speed of the air that the wing experiences. If the plane is at a low enough Mach number, ...
The Reynolds-Number $Re$ is defined as $Re = \frac{c \cdot L \cdot \rho}{\mu} = \frac{c \cdot L}{\nu}$, with the velocity $c~\left[ \frac{m}{s} \right]$, the reference length $L~\left[ m \right]$, ...