Research on effective aerodynamic configuration of row inflatable wings

Airfoils of larger thickness are needed to improve the rigidity of the inflatable wing, while their aerodynamic efficiency is generally not great. A new aerodynamic configuration of double row wings applied to low-speed aircraft is discussed in this paper, and based on this, a new configuration which adds proper installation angle to the posterior wing is discussed. Moreover, the effect of the relative location of the double wings as well as the airfoil thickness on the row double-wing configuration is also studied. Numerical simulation result indicates that high-pressure zone around stagnation point at the leading edge of the posterior wing increases the pressure under the anterior wing, which will improve the lift and lift-drag ratio of aircraft obviously at a range of small and middle angles of attack. At a 4° angle of attack, the lift-drag ratio is improved by an extent of 62.8%, while 2° installation angle to the posterior wing is able to further improves the lift-drag ratio of the wing-body by 70.5%. Meanwhile, aerodynamic performance of the double-wing configuration is sensitive to the relative location of the double wings. The thicker is the airfoil, the smaller is the camber, and the more efficient is the row wing configuration studied. The overall effect shows that the aerodynamic configuration researched provides a new approach to the design of inflatable aircrafts.