Tail Types

[shrike]

Not to mention any number of aircraft that have been built with one wing longer than the other.

It's amazing what tiny changes can have huge aerodynamic effects. One Piper product was originally produced with flush riveted wings. It was found that replacing one line of rivets (D section to top skin) with button head rivets improved the stall characteristics immensely.

[Mechanic]

Originally Posted by Zathros

The torque was so great on the Corsair F4U . . .

I believe I've made a very poor choice in using the word "myth" regarding torque. Obviously torque is there and it going to have an effect. The more I try to recall the article (it has been YEARS since I read it), I think the subject was more along the lines that torque is regarded as the only cause and no one really considers propwash.

[Mechanic]

Originally Posted by shrike

Not to mention any number of aircraft that have been built with one wing longer than the other.

It's amazing what tiny changes can have huge aerodynamic effects. One Piper product was originally produced with flush riveted wings. It was found that replacing one line of rivets (D section to top skin) with button head rivets improved the stall characteristics immensely.

When I worked Debrief we had a pilot perform a funtional check flight, the plane would "depart controlled flight" after a little maneuver he would do (wasn't part of the checklist). It had a few people scratching their heads, looking at fuel imbalances and the like. After the third time it failed someone realized/found that sheetmetal had put a .020" patch on the left leading edge panel.

I wonder if the rivets have a benefit not unlike the vortex generators talked about here http://www.stolspeed.com/content.php?id=4 (interesting videos also).