Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Indoor Flying Models

Summary

The development of a special model aeroplane technique is reviewed which renders possible easy and illustrative experimenting In the Reynolds number regime from 1 to 5000. The models are built in extremely light-weight construction; with wing span from 0·1 to 1 metre and all-up weights from 0·01 to 2 grammes, flight velocities between 0·1 and 1 m/ sec are reached. The requirement of extremely low wing loading, together with the special air flow characteristics in this region, leads to rather unconventional construction principles with the materials balsa wood, nichrome wire and cellulose film. These principles are reviewed briefly. The problem of optimum propulsion for such model aeroplanes is treated analytically. Some results are given for flight performance optimisation. By combining theory and experiment there has been evolved, e.g. the Schwebeleistungs method (power required for horizontal flight) for optimising the duration of indoor model aeroplanes without exact knowledge of their aerodynamic characteristics. Flight characteristics with some elasticity of the structure present formidable problems and are reviewed in some examples. Finally, some problems of hangar meteorology are mentioned.