Visions of a Flying Machine by Peter L. Jakab

Author:Peter L. Jakab [Jakab, Peter L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-58834-438-0
Publisher: Smithsonian
Published: 2014-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

36. The cleverly designed lift balance used to collect accurate coefficients of lift. The model-wing surface was mounted to the top crossmember. With the fan turned on, the total aerodynamic force generated by the wing (lift and drag) was balanced against the drag of the four resistance fingers attached to the lower crossmember. Readjusting the top tier carrying the airfoil after the initial reading was taken factored out the drag due to the model wing, thereby giving the Wrights a measurement of the lift force alone. (photo credit 36)

Constructing the balance in such a way as to factor out the effect of drag mechanically was one of the most remarkable features of the instrument’s design. Even from a modern perspective, this aspect of the balance was an incredibly impressive piece of engineering.

The next step involved the most ingenious aspect of the balance. To analyze what was happening in terms of the aerodynamic forces acting on the balance and the surface, as represented by the movement of the pointer, the Wrights drew diagrams illustrating the various individual components of lift and drag generated by the model wing and by the four resistance strips. Using basic geometry, the Wrights were then able to conclude from their schematic drawings of the force components that the coefficient of lift of the test surface could be obtained by merely taking the sine of the angle indicated by the pointer.31

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