Title page for ETD etd-06112002-115347

Type of Document

Master's Thesis

Author

Intaratep, Nanyaporn

Author's Email Address

nintarat@vt.edu

URN

etd-06112002-115347

Title

The Investigation of an Inboard-Winglet Application to a Roadable Aircraft

Degree

Master of Science

Department

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
James F. Marchman, III	Committee Chair
Joseph A. Schetz	Committee Member
William J. Devenport	Committee Member

Keywords

roadable aircraft
aerodynamics
conceptual design
propeller-induced flow
inboard winglet

Date of Defense

2002-05-31

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

The inboard-winglet concept was examined for its flow characteristics by testing for pressure coefficients over the wing and winglet surface in the Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel over a range of freestream velocity and angle of attack. The results were analytically applied to calculate aircraft performance of a roadable aircraft, Pegasus II, which used the inboard-winglet concept in its design. The results proved that this concept has the potential to increase a wing lift coefficient at the right combination of thrust setting and freestream velocity better than a conventional wing-propeller arrangement. The lift coefficient inside the winglet channel was approximated as 2D in behavior. It is also shown that the winglets produce thrust at a positive-lift wing configuration. In the Pegasus II, the vertical stabilizers act like inboard winglets and produce a thrust component from its resultant force, giving 5.2% improvement in its effective aspect ratio and resulting in an induced-drag decrease. With an application of the new wing concept, the Pegasus II performance is comparable to other general aviation aircraft.

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