Pro-Newton vs. Pro-Bernoulli: Which Theory Is Misconcepted?

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective is to determine if wing-shape is the sole factor to creating lift on airfoils. Methods/Materials A NACA 0019 and NACA 4219 airfoil were each made out of poster board and foam core. An open circuit wind tunnel was made out of the materials suggested and figures and directions given from the Baals company website in conjunction with NASA kids' curriculum (http://Idaps.arc.nasa.gov/Curriculum/tunnel.html#test_section). Each airfoil was tested in the wind tunnel from a zero-degree to a twenty-degree angle of attack. Lift and drag were measured using two force probs from Vernier Instruments. Results At a zero degree angle of attack, the symmetrical airfoil, NACA airfoil 0019, was not able to lift at all, while the cambered airfoil, NACA airfoil 4219, was able to lift a little amount at a zero degree angle of attack. Finally, between a four-and-five-degree angle of attack, both airfoils lifted the same amounts. Finally, alhtough lift was the main measurement in this project, when both airfoil's drag were measured, the symmetrical airfoil had less drag than the cambered airfoil. Conclusions/Discussion Symmetrical airfoils are most commonly used with high-speed aircraft because they create less drag since they have equal surface area at their stagnation points at a zero-degree angle of attack. Although aifoils increase their surface areas, and therefore their lift, at higher angles of attack, too high an angle can cause the air on a wing to trail off and create drag. This is why some airplanes need to have cambered airfoils, so that they can create better lift at lower angles of attack. This is needed for short runways or carrying heavy loads. Because cambered (shaped) and non-cambered airfoils can fly, but better in different conditions, we should use this knowledge to our advantage by creating each for performing different tasks.

Awards (1)

• Category Award

Competition history

• CSEF 2002 Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics · Entry J0112

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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