Dihedral Angles and Their Effect on Flight

Overview

Objectives/Goals This experiment was designed to determine if the dihedral angle of a plane's wing affects a plane's length of flight. The dihedral angle is the angle of a plane's wing to a horizontal plane. Methods/Materials The test plane was created from a balsa wood kit, an arrow shaft and threaded rods. A hinge fitting was constructed by having a one inch dowel rod with a hole in it slid over a threaded rod on the fuselage. The hinge fitting was used to shift the dihedral angle of the wings. A launch system was created to insure each test was launched consistently. Fifty tests were completed for the following dihedral angels: 0o, 15o, 30o, -15o, and -30o. The data was recorded from where the nose hit each time. The tests were completed in an inside facility that was not affected by the outside elements. Results The -30o anhedral flew the farthest on average. The -15o flew the shortest on average. However, this angle flew with the most stability. Conclusions/Discussion The experimenter believes the -30o anhedral flew the furthest because a cushion of air formed under the plane which did not allow the normal vortexes to form and kept the plane aloft longer.

Competition history

• CSEF 2003 Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics · Entry J0103

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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