Problem:
I wanted to test the aerodynamics of different wing shapes. Different aircraft have different wing shapes, and the shape of the wing affects the way an airplane can generate lift.
Hypothesis:
I created three different wing shapes for this test. The three wings were flat, arched, and half-arched. My hypothesis is that the arched wing will work the best. I made this prediction because one of the most popular airliners in the world actually use an arched wing. The Airbus A380 ( Also known as the " Super Jumbo" is a full double decked plane that carries a total of 850 passengers on board. A very aerodynamic wing is needed to generate enough lift to support the weight of 850 people, cargo, food, and 81,000 gallons of jet fuel.
Procedure:
Gather all of the styrofoam wings ( Flat, Curved, and Curved Upward)
Place the first wing on a pedestal inside of the wind tunnel. The pedestal should be on top of a scale ( Make sure to check weight before turning the fan on.
Turn the fan on
As the fan is on check the weight on the scale. While the fan is on, check the scale to see a decrease in weight. This shows that it is generating lift.
Turn the fan off
Repeat steps 2,3,4,and 5 with wings 2 and 3.
Data:
Conclusion:
This project taught me many things about how wings work. It sets a great example for the aviation industry and what they are doing today to help make newer wing shapes that will benefit future aircraft. This project proved my hypothesis correct. The arched wing would generate more lift because it is used on some of today’s most modern and largest aircraft. There were some sources of error in this experiment, such as getting the fan to blow on the wing correctly, or having a fan that doesn’t blow as much air, but I would say that this is an accurate experiment. The weight was measured on an electronic balance, and no two wings were the same.
Abstract:
For this year’s experiment, I decided to test the aerodynamics of different wing shapes. I decided to create three wing shapes. The first one was a flat wing, the second was a arch shape, and the third was sort of a half arch. My hypothesis was that the arched wing would generate more lift, because wings on a plane like the Airbus A380, the largest commercial jet in the world, have that wing shape, and it is able to carry tons of eight plus the weight of 850 passengers on board. I chose this topic because it is a good way to demonstrate what wing would help a plane generate more lift and handle more weight.
I needed, my three wings which I made from styrofoam. Next I needed a mount which was made using a long thin stick that is connected to a wooden block. I needed a fan to blow wind on the wing. I needed a scale to see the decrease in weight caused from lift. To make the wings work better I build a wind tunnel out of a long cardboard box, and then I cut a window in the side of the box to see the weight and the wing inside. The wind tunnel would help move air around the wing as well as over and under the wing.
I received my data based off of weight lost due to the amount of lift. I used Grams as my unit of measurement. According to my data, the first wing which was the flat wing, generated the least lift, and only produced about 2g of lift. The second wing which was the arch shaped one lost 5g of weight. This one appeared to be the most aerodynamic. Finally, the third wing which was a half arch, lost about about 3 or 4g. It came in second place for being aerodynamic.
This project taught me many things about how wings work. It sets a great example for the aviation industry and what they are doing today to help make newer wing shapes that will benefit future aircraft. This project proved my hypothesis correct. The arched wing would generate more lift because it is used on some of today’s most modern and largest aircraft. There were some sources of error in this experiment, such as getting the fan to blow on the wing correctly, or having a fan that doesn’t blow as much air, but I would say that this is an accurate experiment. The weight was measured on an electronic balance, and no two wings were the same.