Best Invention of the …………

I’m sure I’ve read in several different places that’s what happens. What actually happens then? I’m always willing to learn (or be corrected).

I am not learned regarding the physics of aerodynamics, but just a stab in the dark, I have seen jet fighters do a very quick turn and climb, and seen “Con” trails leaving the very end of the wing tips, is this/could this be the result of both surface air meeting at the trailing edge of the wing and working their way along the wing, to give us what we have seen?.

Lincoln .7

Yes, it’s working the same as a Winglet. Even more important with qa Rotary wing, as the blade behind is going to chop into disturbed air, so the less you can disturb it, the better.
It also gives a tiny bit more aerodynamic surface for a little increase in rotational diameter. That is important because the 100% nono on a rotating blade (In an engine too) is to allow the tip to go supersonic. So, more surface area within a given maximum diameter at performance RPM.
Oh (Edit) and the winglet on a blade stops some of the “whip” noise too.

I’m sure I’ve read in several different places that’s what happens. What actually happens then? I’m always willing to learn (or be corrected).

Whilst I can understand the aerodynamics of a wing, and the airflow below and above both surfaces, why do some helos have conventional rotors, and then I see that at the end of some rotors there appears to be an added “Square” bit attacched to the very end, is it something to do with the voitices (Spelling?).

Lincoln .7

Ah, funny you should say that as they’re actually very different in principle. We’re still studying how dragonflies and other insects actually fly with a view to improving our own flying machines, but the principle that gives a helicopter its lift is exactly the same as the one that allows fixed wing aircraft to fly.

On a conventional wing an air molecules hitting the leading edge have two choices of where they can go, either over or under the wing. The wing is shaped so those going over the upper surface have a longer path to travel before they arrive at the trailing edge than those going underneath it, but they both actually arrive at the trailing edge at the same time. This creates an area of low pressure over the top of the wing that effectively sucks it upwards. The principle of how a helicopter rotor works is exactly the same, it’s just that rather than relying on the forward motion of the aircraft to get enough air flowing over the wings to produce lift, they’re driven in a circular motion so the aircraft itself can be stationary. I think that may be something we actually did invent! da Vinci’s concept was something more like a ship’s propeller or ‘aerial screw’, an interesting idea for the late 1400’s!

it’s also worth noting that the only creatures in nature to truly conquer the air are insects. Even birds don’t come close to flying as perfectly as insects. 🙂

I know what you are saying, but the bolded bit is actually a myth. Bernoulli’s Law is in force, but the top air doesn’t meet up with it’s previously parted bottom buddy from the Leading edge.

PMN.
Paul, the one thing I could never figure out, was, why is it a fly takes off backwards, when it flys away?.

Lincoln .7

Ah, funny you should say that as they’re actually very different in principle. We’re still studying how dragonflies and other insects actually fly with a view to improving our own flying machines, but the principle that gives a helicopter its lift is exactly the same as the one that allows fixed wing aircraft to fly.

On a conventional wing an air molecules hitting the leading edge have two choices of where they can go, either over or under the wing. The wing is shaped so those going over the upper surface have a longer path to travel before they arrive at the trailing edge than those going underneath it, but they both actually arrive at the trailing edge at the same time. This creates an area of low pressure over the top of the wing that effectively sucks it upwards. The principle of how a helicopter rotor works is exactly the same, it’s just that rather than relying on the forward motion of the aircraft to get enough air flowing over the wings to produce lift, they’re driven in a circular motion so the aircraft itself can be stationary. I think that may be something we actually did invent! da Vinci’s concept was something more like a ship’s propeller or ‘aerial screw’, an interesting idea for the late 1400’s!

it’s also worth noting that the only creatures in nature to truly conquer the air are insects. Even birds don’t come close to flying as perfectly as insects. 🙂

Absolutely, although drifting off thread, we must not forget the Dragon fly and the helo, the only difference is the D/Fs wings go up and down, but the helos rotors go round, not an awful lot of thinking needed to translate one to the other, wasn’t it Leonardo Davinci who first though(Of his version) of a helecopter?.

Lincoln .7

Yeah nature really is incredible. We think of jet propulsion as being such a smart creation – and it is, at least how we’ve learned to use it – but exactly the same principle of movement has allowed octopus and squid to move through the oceans for many millions of years. It’s something that again we haven’t invented; nature, in its sheer brilliance did the clever bit for us, we just discovered a way to use that principle effectively. It’s quite incredible to board something like a 777 on stairs and stand next to that insanely huge engine, thinking that’s the human take on something that’s been in nature for so long. 🙂

It goes way further back than that, Pagen01. Spiders only have muscles to flex the joints in their legs but none to extend them, which they do by pumping fluid into them. Hydraulic principles for producing movement have been around in nature for many thousands of years so we didn’t invent them, we merely discovered them. 🙂

Paul, Thats one of the most interesting things I have learned in ages, Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me, just when we think we know it all, along comes……….

Lincoln. 7

Hydraulics, and the theory of, have been around for hundreds of years, as has the basic ideas of computors (aforementioned Chinese, and Babbage).

Hi James, Hope your fit and well. This is during the last 100 yrs bud.;)

Lincoln .7

It goes way further back than that, Pagen01. Spiders only have muscles to flex the joints in their legs but none to extend them, which they do by pumping fluid into them. Hydraulic principles for producing movement have been around in nature for many thousands of years so we didn’t invent them, we merely discovered them. 🙂

Hydraulics, and the theory of, have been around for hundreds of years, as has the basic ideas of computors (aforementioned Chinese, and Babbage).

Hydraulics.

Naturally I think the electric bass is a pretty wonderful invention! The electric bass as we know it has been around since 1951 and it allowed bassists to make the transition from playing fretless instruments to playing fretted instruments with precision (which is why Leo Fender named his first ever electric bass the Fender Precision). Naturally, as you say there wasn’t a computer in sight at this point and there wasn’t for decades later, although many modern instruments are now manufactured by automated means so it’s become very much something where computers are important. My main bass (a G&L – Leo Fender’s final creation before he died) was hand-made in the States but it’s not a cheap instrument and you get what you pay for, but essentially yeah, the invention itself came around without the aid of computers. Electric guitars began their lives in the 1930’s so definitely no computers around then!

PMN. Looking at your Avatar, What about the guitar, hand made, hand tuned, and not a computer in sight.
Lincoln .7

I think the abacus is quite widely regarded as the first ever computer, yeah. Probably runs better than most Microsoft machines these days as well! 😀

The Chinese had the abacus, hundreds of years ago, could that possibly be construed as our modern day version, of the computer?.

Lincoln .7

OOOOOOps, Guess that’s plastic out of the window, thanks Anne.
Seems we are stuck 😉 on superglue.

Lincoln .7

Source, please. 🙂

Invented in the 19th century by Alexander Parkes,who doesn’t exactly look a barrel of laughs judging by this photo –

http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp?image=10219301&screenwidth=1345

Entertaining and educational :p