General
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Cross-section airfoil of a glider of the first generations |
In the following, we will deal with the wing airfoil in general. It is not the only and perhaps not even the most important factor influencing flight performance, but it is so important that it deserves special attention.
Modelairplane builders have the freedom to experiment with individual components of the overall airplane or with partial aspects such as the wing profile. If the desired goal is not achieved, this is not a catastrophe. The situation is different in man-carrying aircraft construction. The effort involved is enormous, the the approval hurdles are high, the development times are long and the overall risk is therefore enormous - both economically and in terms of safety - after all, human lives are at stake.
The development of airfoils was geared towards the requirements of the time. Both in terms of performance (e.g. speed range, maximum lift...) as well as the structural possibilities. These have changed over the course of time. High-strength materials, modern plastics and the drive for higher speeds have replaced high-lift airfoils. Flap systems make profiles more universally applicable.
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