Elliptical wing, Racing aircraft?

[expat]

Regarding the recent posts on the Reno Air races.

When I was at school out Math teacher was ex RAF, we used to like to get him to talk about Aircraft (which was not too difficult

)

He told us that the elliptical wing shape of the Supermarine Spitfire had the lowest possible drag and was well suited to a high performance aircraft. But was costly to manufacture, so was not [often] copied.

I also remember building model rockets with my nephew, again, I read that an elliptical stabilizer would create the least drag.

Why do we not see elliptical wings at the Races?

 

[bdcardinal]

I wonder if the rules package does not allow for it? There are a lot of aero tricks that could be done in F1 and IndyCar that are not allowed due to regulations.

 

[4wheeldog]

For racing purposes, less wing = less drag, which is what is ultimately the driving force. Wings are shortened to the logical minimum. Reshaping would require entirely new wings, rather than abbreviated originals.

More wing = ability to fly at slower speed, and climb more efficiently. WWII era fighters had an entirely different set of parameters to work within, than pylon racers.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog
For racing purposes, less wing = less drag, which is what is ultimately the driving force. Wings are shortened to the logical minimum. Reshaping would require entirely new wings, rather than abbreviated originals.

More wing = ability to fly at slower speed, and climb more efficiently. WWII era fighters had an entirely different set of parameters to work within, than pylon racers.
And also to turn more tightly.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog
For racing purposes, less wing = less drag, which is what is ultimately the driving force. Wings are shortened to the logical minimum. Reshaping would require entirely new wings, rather than abbreviated originals.

More wing = ability to fly at slower speed, and climb more efficiently. WWII era fighters had an entirely different set of parameters to work within, than pylon racers.
And also to turn more tightly.


Well.......With less polar moment, but with less leverage. The wing's lift is what pulls Gs, around the turn, and more wing actually makes turning "Faster".

There is an old axiom in aviation.........Put enough power on it, and you can fly a barn door. Less drag means less drag, but also the need for more speed for equal lift.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog


More wing = ability to fly at slower speed, and climb more efficiently. WWII era fighters had an entirely different set of parameters to work within, than pylon racers.


But the Supermarine Spitfire was developed from a Schneider Trophy racer.

 

[edhackett]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
I wonder if the rules package does not allow for it? There are a lot of aero tricks that could be done in F1 and IndyCar that are not allowed due to regulations.


The only restrictions on the Unlimited class are: a minimum weight of 4500 pounds, capable of 6G, piston engine, and propeller driven.

Ed

 

[BusyLittleShop]

Air Foil shape determined drag more than the Spitfire's beautiful elliptical wing ever did...

WW2 WarBirds Air Foils comparison... the Mustang's laminar flow wing
was a success and its performance in the air war is now history... In
cross section the wing is slightly thicker than its rivals but the
maximum thickness is further back from the leading edge, being near the
center of the cord, and the bottom trailing edge is cusped... The
shape of this NACA 66 series air foil permitted the transition from
laminar to turbulence flow to be generated further and thus reduce
the profile drag or air resistance by a great margin than previous air
foils available in 1939 by friend or foe...

 

[grampi]

The P-51 has the most aerodynamically sleek wing of any WWII fighter, so it's not surprising that the Mustang has won more air races than any other warbird in history...it's also the reason it was able to escort the bombers all the way to and from their targets deep inside Germany...