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Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Indoor Flying Models*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

Max Hacklinger*
Affiliation:
German Air and Space Research Establishment, Mechanics of Flight Institute

Summary

The development of a special model aeroplane technique is reviewed which renders possible easy and illustrative experimenting In the Reynolds number regime from 1 to 5000. The models are built in extremely light-weight construction; with wing span from 0·1 to 1 metre and all-up weights from 0·01 to 2 grammes, flight velocities between 0·1 and 1 m/ sec are reached. The requirement of extremely low wing loading, together with the special air flow characteristics in this region, leads to rather unconventional construction principles with the materials balsa wood, nichrome wire and cellulose film. These principles are reviewed briefly. The problem of optimum propulsion for such model aeroplanes is treated analytically. Some results are given for flight performance optimisation. By combining theory and experiment there has been evolved, e.g. the Schwebeleistungs method (power required for horizontal flight) for optimising the duration of indoor model aeroplanes without exact knowledge of their aerodynamic characteristics. Flight characteristics with some elasticity of the structure present formidable problems and are reviewed in some examples. Finally, some problems of hangar meteorology are mentioned.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1964

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References

Note on page Lecture given at the Annual WGL Meeting in Braunschweig, 9th-12th October 1962. Translated from the German by John B. Knight, B.Sc.(Eng.), Grad.R.Ae.S., British European Airways.

Note on page 731 * This model was shown at Braunschweig and is mentioned here because of its exceptionally low power requirement