Eagler's Nest
Airframes => Single Seaters => Topic started by: lazair2 on October 06, 2015, 09:41:54 PM
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I'm curious what the opinions are about wing tips? I've attached a couple photos of legal eagles and various tips chosen. I just pulled these from the web, so I'm not sure who's plane is who's. If your plane is shown it's obviously a pretty one ;)
Anyway, is there a real benefit to rounded tips. Technically it adds wing span, but is there any lift that is actually created? Or are they just extra items that are fragile and could possibly be damaged.
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For a given span, simple flat wing-tips can actually have less drag then rounded ones as gently rounded shape (as seen from the front) actually encourages the wingtip vortex to wrap around the top of the wing. Something like a Hoerner tip (as if someone sliced the wing with a knife at a 45-degree angle) does provide slight benefit but I'd be careful about adding much to the wing span. A few inches here or there is not important, but if you add full semicircular tips (like a Cub) to an existing wing you've just upped the span from 23' 6" to 28" and that's pretty significant in terms of spar loads, strut placement, etc.