The wierd, wild and wacky properties of wings

[flaillomanz]

As a budding Mad Scientist (Rocketry division), I have gone about the task of experimenting with wings with considerable gusto. Today I will share my experiments with wings - and their apparent unconcern for the laws of physics.

Wings generate lift.

Well, yes, that\'s obvious - but the thing is, they appear to constantly generate lift while moving, which becomes apparent in large catastrophic failures or when observing wings which have splashed down.

With this in mind, I sought out the mad projects I could use wings in - and today, I have achieved my goal.

Take a look at this ungainly craft.

Ugly, isn\'t it?

But, the special thing about this particular craft is that it does not require engines.

By simply elevating the flaps, I can cause this craft, while on the ground, to accelerate up to 80m/s. Turning the rudder yields another 20m/s, until it flips from the centrifugal force.

This is very good news for you explorers out there - fuel is now easily conservable. You only need the engines for ocean-hopping or mountain-climbing, as most of the smaller hills and plains are readily traversable in my magnificent machine.

move wings = more lift. more wings also = more lift. Please don\'t nerf this, harv. :<

Now take a look at this compact and ungainly craft.

Again, quite ugly. But this craft is special. It can take off at around 20m/s, and glides 50 meters for every one it drops.

I\'ll leave judgement of these things to you.

Now, if you would be so kind, please share your own knowledge and experiences with wings below. Screenshots and videos welcomed, just remember those [ spoiler ] tags.

[flaillomanz]

Why does nobody but me find this fascinating? Stop studying kerbal anatomy and get over here!

[cardgame]

Ornithopters have been known of for a while now, but thanks for sharing.

P.S. any possibility you can attach the .craft for that second glider?

[softweir]

It is fascinating, and if you do a search for 'wings' you will find a lot of threads discussing these issues and more. For instance, put a few too many flaps on a craft and spam <W> and <S> and your craft will take off with no other power source required.

It is to be hoped that a new aerodynamic system will appear before too long and we can get down to building real spaceplanes!

[Ted]

By simply elevating the flaps, I can cause this craft, while on the ground, to accelerate up to 80m/s. Turning the rudder yields another 20m/s, until it flips from the centrifugal force.

I think you mean from a lack of centripetal force. Centrifugal force is a pseudo-scientific term and the force itself does not truly exist, it is merely the inertia of the object.

As for your spaceplanes, they are pretty awesome! I have made similar ones that abuse the bugged aerodynamics and even made a glider that doesn\'t lose height, well for as long as I was testing it, it does make it a pain to land though.

[semininja]

I think you mean from a lack of centripetal force. Centrifugal force is a pseudo-scientific term and the force itself does not truly exist, it is merely the inertia of the object.

While I understand the argument and mostly agree, I think it\'s not unreasonable to describe it that way; it\'s easier than talking about \'the lack of centripetal force on [whatever] to counteract the off-center force on the wheels\'.

[flaillomanz]

Ornithopters have been known of for a while now, but thanks for sharing.

P.S. any possibility you can attach the .craft for that second glider?

One .craft file coming right up! I\'ll attach the first one too.

[samstarman5]

Following this thread, I am reminded back in the good old days of innovation and experimentation, when many people attempted their own ideas of flight. I\'m sure most of you have seen the stock footage of all the black and white or even amber tinted videos of all those devices, most which give you a massive ache in the neck just watching. Wilbur and Orville Wright showed us how to do it, but those failed pioneers deserve so much accolade themselves putting their imaginations at work and their reputations and health on the line in the attempt to create a flying machine.

These days you don\'t see so much of that unless it is funded by the government or a corporation, and not even much of that gets the public eye. I find that to be rather tragic. Where are the pioneers? Where are the people willing to risk humiliation at the chance to see if by some chance the numbers happen to add up and a new way to achieve flight or even space happens?

SpaceX is an awesome example of the pioneer spirit being revived. Begun by a billionaire or two to inspire minds, it is now in all practicality a business upon itself to bring commerce to space. Seeing the SpaceX competitions was awesome. But now SpaceX has found its people, and is now looking for its foundation.

I think KSP is an excellent footstone to find more pioneers. And the examples shown in this thread prove that imagination should have no limit when it comes to finding any possible way to achieve flight or space. When someone tells you that your design is very kerbal, that is quite possibly the best compliment a person here can receive.

Don\'t let anything or anyone suppress the chance to question, 'Yes, this works fine this way, but what if we add more wings or boosters? Why can\'t we use jets to get into space? Why do SRB\'s have to be secondary or support lifting systems? Why does the Command Module have to be at the top of the rocket? Why can\'t we launch the entire ISS from the pad?'

Oh, and before I forget: flaillomanz, your designs are very kerbal. Keep it up.

[avan]

Apparently the glitch dated all the way back to... early C7 releases (the stock winglettes didn\'t have enough lift/mass I think to invoke the glitch, but when C7 made higher-lift components, it became possible to create SSTO turbine ships which only needed a small boost to get off the pad and then could spin up to ludicrous speeds in the lower atmosphere; enough to reach orbit, or even the mun)

I also made a number of glitch gliders (horizontal takeoff) to try to glide my way up to the highest altitude possible. Based on my extrapolations, the theoretical maximum height for that tactic is around 17km. (The 'Magical Turbine' uses a completely different strategy and application of the glitch, which is to spin up and increase the force-lift which in turn increases its forward velocity which in turn increases the force-lift, and so on, allowing it to shoot straight up off the launchpad)

[flaillomanz]

Following this thread, I am reminded back in the good old days of innovation and experimentation, when many people attempted their own ideas of flight. I\'m sure most of you have seen the stock footage of all the black and white or even amber tinted videos of all those devices, most which give you a massive ache in the neck just watching. Wilbur and Orville Wright showed us how to do it, but those failed pioneers deserve so much accolade themselves putting their imaginations at work and their reputations and health on the line in the attempt to create a flying machine.

These days you don\'t see so much of that unless it is funded by the government or a corporation, and not even much of that gets the public eye. I find that to be rather tragic. Where are the pioneers? Where are the people willing to risk humiliation at the chance to see if by some chance the numbers happen to add up and a new way to achieve flight or even space happens?

SpaceX is an awesome example of the pioneer spirit being revived. Begun by a billionaire or two to inspire minds, it is now in all practicality a business upon itself to bring commerce to space. Seeing the SpaceX competitions was awesome. But now SpaceX has found its people, and is now looking for its foundation.

I think KSP is an excellent footstone to find more pioneers. And the examples shown in this thread prove that imagination should have no limit when it comes to finding any possible way to achieve flight or space. When someone tells you that your design is very kerbal, that is quite possibly the best compliment a person here can receive.

Don\'t let anything or anyone suppress the chance to question, 'Yes, this works fine this way, but what if we add more wings or boosters? Why can\'t we use jets to get into space? Why do SRB\'s have to be secondary or support lifting systems? Why does the Command Module have to be at the top of the rocket? Why can\'t we launch the entire ISS from the pad?'

Oh, and before I forget: flaillomanz, your designs are very kerbal. Keep it up.

Wow, thanks! I find it fun and relaxing to make things larger, faster, or more strange than one would normally.

My next experiment will be to try create a craft that goes faster the more you spin it. Gonna need me some wings.