As I posted a month or so ago I'm working on my solar powered plane. http://www.rasdoc.com/splinter/solar2004.htm
In the past I was restricted to a Hershey Bar wing shape to keep the number of cells in each row the same. Now I am running the individual rows of solar cells into separate power point trackers, thus I can vary the wing shape.
Several rules....
I need to keep the wing area the same
I'd prefer not to change the root chord very much, but I could add some taper at the tips...
something like going from three rows of cells to two rows to one.... tapering either the leading or trailing edge.
Realize that the cells have to stay square, I can't taper them so
the transitions will need to some what abrupt, I also can't waste much
wing area for unused space with no cells as I'm right up on the FAI area limit and
every square cm without cell is wasted power.
I'm not out to maximize L/D, but minimum sink( Actually maximum climb, but close enough to min sink).
In the past I've also used an airfoil with a low pitching moment to minimize structural mass.
Any thoughts or suggestions as I start to prepare for next springs effort.
Paul
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