Linked Questions
51 questions linked to/from How does an aircraft form wake turbulence?
3
votes
2
answers
8k
views
How could it be possible to fully prevent wing tip vortex formation? [duplicate]
I know that winglets and swept wings are ways to reduce the vortex that are currently in use on many aircraft. Are there any aircraft design concepts out there that completely eliminate the vortex ...
- 9,137
3
votes
2
answers
687
views
Why does this plane have vapor trails coming out of wings? [duplicate]
See this video of Birmingham strong crosswinds landings:
At 2.57, there is a 737-800 landing (screen shot below).
One can clearly see some vapor (?) coming out of ...
- 691
0
votes
1
answer
390
views
Why do I see moisture coming from the middle of the wing as well as wingtip vortices? [duplicate]
A lot of times I see small tube like streams of visible moisture training from the middle of an airliners wing. I assume this is induced drag created by wingtip vortices, when the aircraft is heavy, ...
- 833
1
vote
0
answers
214
views
How does downwash bend airflow down? How can wing-tip vortices reach the airflow in front of the wing? [duplicate]
Wing-tip vortices only start occurring when the pressure difference on the two sides of the wing starts. Wouldn't this mean that by the time the downwash from the vortices is acting on the airflow it ...
- 539
60
votes
11
answers
40k
views
How do wings generate lift?
Just the basic question that every aviation enthusiast must be curious about: exactly how does a wing generate lift?
- 23.6k
50
votes
8
answers
13k
views
How complete is our understanding of lift?
I'm currently studying for my PPL and one of the accepted textbooks contains the following disclaimer at the end of the Principles of Flight section on lift:
It is important to note that the forgoing ...
- 8,830
57
votes
5
answers
14k
views
Is a winglet better than an equal span extension?
Is there indisputable evidence that a winglet improves performance over an equal span extension? Please note: I am only interested in L/D improvements.
Winglets do improve roll performance, that is ...
- 217k
28
votes
10
answers
9k
views
What is ground effect?
We've all heard the "acts like a cushion of air" explanation tossed casually around by CFIs.
There's also plenty of books and reference materials that give a detailed, accurate, and complete ...
- 22.2k
31
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Why the ground effect has such a different outcome for wings and cars?
I have some confusion concerning the ground effect.
If we take two applications: Aircraft and Cars, they seem to have completely opposite effects.
Aircraft
From Ground effect (aerodynamics), we can ...
- 6,103
28
votes
5
answers
17k
views
How do paper airplanes create lift if their wings are flat?
Paper airplanes' wings are completely flat, unlike the droplet shaped curvature of a full sized wing. How does a flat wing generate any lift if both sides have the same air pressure?
- 631
12
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Can these vortices be dangerous?
There is a question related to this one right here but I'm more interested in the danger of those vortices. Are they very dangerous to cause a wake turbulence for the aircraft that comes behind this? ...
- 11.2k
12
votes
2
answers
29k
views
How does the raked wingtip of the Boeing 787 work?
The wing tips are very different on these airplanes. The wingtip on a Boeing 787 is a sharp triangle, while the wingtip on a Boeing 737-300 is flat.
British Airways Boeing 787-8 G-ZBJC wingtip | by ...
- 9,137
7
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Does an aircraft landing on a carrier increase the carrier weight before it touches down? [closed]
The same question goes for any runway, but I guess that for small aircraft carriers, one might actually be able to measure the exact point of weight increases (e.g. measure the submersion of the hull)....
- 7,307
9
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Can wing-tip vortices be reduced/eliminated with a rear-facing propeller near the wing-tip?
Let's say we have a propeller-driven aircraft in the pusher configuration (rear-facing propellers). If we could somehow put an engine at the wing tip (ignoring structural concerns), and maybe make the ...
- 17.1k
11
votes
3
answers
11k
views
Does the downwash created by induced drag increase or decrease lift?
According to the theory I know, lift is produced by accelerating air downwards at the trailing edge (downwash). Hence, as downwash increases so does lift. Induced drag is due to vortices at the wing ...
- 731