The Effect of Dimples on Aerofoil Performance

Overview

This project is an investigation of how lift is affected by the addition of dimples in various locations on an aerofoil. These dimples were inspired by those found on golf balls, which are known for the drag-reducing effects. I predicted that these dimples would increase lift enough to offset the technical difficulties of dimpling an aerofoil. The aforementioned drag-reducing effects that some studies have found would benefit fuel costs and range, while increasing stability, which typically comes at a fuel cost. If effective enough, total costs to operate could be reduced for the aircraft that utilize dimpled wings, to the benefit of those reliant on these aircraft. The dimples are envisioned for smaller, non-laminar flow winged aircraft, however investigation in the future may widen that range to larger aircraft as well.

Awards (1)

• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Aerospace

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