2012 Volume 60 Issue 3 Pages 121-127
The effect of aspect ratio (AR) on the aerodynamic characteristics of rectangular wings is investigated. Reynolds numbers considered are 7.6×104 and 5.2×104. Experimental results are compared with analytical ones obtained from Lamar's method. It is shown that the aspect ratio of wings affects the stall characteristics when AR≤2.0. The aspect ratio also has an effect on the lift slope if AR≤1.5. Furthermore, maximum lift coefficients increase when AR≤1.0. Comparisons show that the variations of aerodynamic characteristics are caused by tip vortices. It is also considered that the position of the center of pressure is varied with the angle of attack because of the effects of the laminar separation bubble and tip vortices on wing surfaces.
