can someone explain why an elliptic lift distribution is optimal, or natural? i realize that there are many elliptic planforms, and that such planforms also have small wing-tips which minimize induced drag. in martin simons' nov/dec '94 rcsd article on elementary stress, he said to more accurately approximate that actual wingloading at each chord, the chord length should be adjusted by taking the average of it value and the corresponding chord length for a comparable elliptical planform (presumably one with the same area). this leads to the result that rectangular wings, for example, do not have a constant wing loading, and are more heavily loaded at the root, and more lightly loaded at the tips. the root section of rectangular wings therefore stall earlier than the tips. so it seems that all wings tend to want(!?) an elliptical lift distribution, and i'd like to better understand the aerodynamic principles behind this. thanks -- Gregory Ciurpita Lucent Technologies - Bell Laboratories Room 1E-434A, Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel NJ 07733-3030 732-949-5771, fax 732-949-0272, [EMAIL PROTECTED] RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
