Does anyone have a link to a supplier of wing blank stock

[TMcRally]

Hi

Are there companies who supply lengths of wing profiles or is it a DIY job.

Thanks
Dave

 

[MikeHalloran]

How big a wing do you want to make, and how many sets of material will you buy?



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[TMcRally]

Hi Mike

I'm a 1 book expert on aerodynamic design and no practical experience at all - apologies over....

I was hoping there were outlets with racks of different wing profiles that I could view on the internet and buy by the metre. I’m new to the aero game so I would only buy one or 2 at a time.

Dave

 

[MikeHalloran]

The last time I checked, which was a while ago I admit, the largest aluminum extrusion press in the entire world was located in Arkansas, and could produce any extrudable shape that would fit inside a 13 inch diameter circle.

Extrusions with larger major dimension can be made by extruding them in curled form, and flattening them after they emerge from the die.

But you can see that extruding an entire wing in one piece is impractical except for rather small airplanes, not to mention that many wings are tapered.

So airplane wings are typically built from sheet and (small) extrusions, or the top and bottom are milled from plate, then curled and fastened together, or bonded from composite preforms.

As politely as possible, I suggest that you have some more reading ahead of you before you start building.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[patprimmer]

Dave

Where you looking for an extruded profile or for a fabricated profile.

Regards
Pat
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[TMcRally]

Sorry if I've miss lead you here, I was looking for a rear wing for a car with a main element and probably 2 flaps so 13" is enough for me, I was thinking fabricated but I hadn't considered extruded. I wasn't going to vary the profile across the span so extruded would work.

I think I am after profiles with more camber than I have seen in an aircraft wing, do you think he would have these profiles or would he expect me to supply a die ?

Dave

 

[MikeHalloran]

You can fabricate a straight car wing from aluminum sheet and angles that you can get at a hardware store.

You probably wouldn't want a custom extrusion from my friends in Arkansas. They will supply a die if you can't, but you have to pay for it either way, and you have to buy 5000 lb of extrusion, which is the amount the press pushes out in one stroke. It's a big press.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[patprimmer]

It sounds like you need a fabricated section.I would suspect they are available, but I don't know from where.

Regards
Pat
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[GregLocock]

One of the back issues of Neil Roshier's Race magazine has an article on building a wing.

http://www.racemagazine.com.au/

I'm sure he's also got advice on extruded wing sections


Cheers

Greg Locock


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[evelrod]

Since this is a stated DIY effort at wing building-----

For a 'one off' or for simple comparison of various airfoil designs...This is what I did in the late 70's as a 'lift' experiment for a 1/4 and 1/2 scale sailplane wings. The size of the wing and the shape could easily be used on an automobile. Easily constructed from a foam core (foam came from packing store 'scrap' pile) cut with a 'hot wire' over plywood templates. Really simple and cheap to create all the tools and templates.
The foam cores were covered with balsa wood at first and later with a marine grade plywood (thin). I used model aircraft MonoKote and the wife's hair dryer. Fiberglass could cover the core should you wish and then the foam dissolved out with solvent.

This is the section I ended up using, as example.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NACA_6412.svg

It should go without saying that it should be mounted 'up side down' on an automobile?

Rod

 

[TMcRally]

Thanks Guys for the leads. I think I will make my own.

I can hear you all sigh even before I say it BUT, what are the pitfalls if I come up with my own profile based on gut feel and relying on my vast experience of reading a book once.

There is more fun available in coming up with my own profile and I can live with something not 100% efficient if it's progressive but not if I end up with a car that's unpredictable or untrustworthy taking into account cross winds and/or sliding sideways.

I doubt that I would get something 100% efficient choosing an existing profile and applying it my way anyway.

Thanks
Dave

 

[bvanhiel]

Dave,

If you're not concerned with efficiency you could use pretty much any section, even a flat sheet of 1/2" plywood and be safe for this application. Just make sure it's bolted down. I currently have a 6' section of Cessna wing attached to the roof of my Civic and crosswinds are not a concern.

Rules for whatever series you're racing in will be your biggest concern. I believe most race cars use non-aircraft foil sections because they are usually restricted by rules in wing area and care less about drag.

Unless you are going to move the flaps I'm not sure there is any advantage to having them over a bigger wing.

-b