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Very Important Question!!

8,810 Verterium  7.4 years ago

I feel almost like a noob for not knowing this, because everybody else seems to talk about it and know what it is, yet I have no clue.

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What is the difference between using Flat Bottomed, Semi Symmetrical, and Symmetrical airfoils?

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I think they generate different amounts of lift, but I have no clue when to use them or where. I think it is like this from the least to the most lift: Symmetric, Semi-Symmetric, and the most lift is Flat Bottomed.

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So somebody please help and tell me where and when to use these!!

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    8,810 Verterium

    @Lahoski107 They produce some lift, just very little.

    7.4 years ago
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    6,005 Lahoski107

    Symmetric airfoil doesn't produce lift at all

    7.4 years ago
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    6,005 Lahoski107

    @SlowJet primary wings use semi or flat bottom

    7.4 years ago
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    8,810 Verterium

    @randomusername I know what it is, but I didn't know how they worked in SP. But now I got help so I'm good.

    7.4 years ago
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    2,394 ThiccBloke

    Thanks for asking this question, I was wondering what the airfoils did too.

    7.4 years ago
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    104k Dllama4

    Np! :)

    7.4 years ago
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    8,810 Verterium

    @Dllama4 It helped, thank you!

    7.4 years ago
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    104k Dllama4

    Sorry if that did not answer your question. :)

    7.4 years ago
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    104k Dllama4

    "In real world, there are thousands of different airfoils. SP offers a few of the basic ones. Symmetric airfoil provides minimal lift with minimal difference between low-speed and high-speed performance. It's good for fast planes, like jet fighters, and for horizontal stabilizers. Semi-symmetric provides a balance of lift and speed, being good for planes that go at subsonic speeds, but are not too slow. Flat bottom airfoil provides maximum lift. It's good for STOL aircraft and gliders."
    -EternalDarkness

    7.4 years ago
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    8,281 12ocketguy

    You can see what the semi symmetric and symmetric airfoil do in the fight school section of simpleplanes. However it doesn't talk about flatbottom airfoils.

    7.4 years ago
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    8,810 Verterium

    @Yellow Doesn't really help, none of them say flat-bottomed, symmetric, or semi-symmetric. It's all different/

    7.4 years ago
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    49.1k Flightsonic

    Use Semi or Flat for main airfoils, and Symmetric for stabilizers (or is it Semi?)

    7.4 years ago
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    47.8k FlyingThings

    To be honest. I dont know.

    7.4 years ago