How Winglets Work

timetraveller

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They also use the same type of structure on the base of the keels on some monohull racing yachts for the same reason, to increase the effective length of the keel.
 

Gene Nehring

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Induced Drag David! What the video failed to mention is that induced drag is highest at slow airspeeds, high angles of attack and high power settings.

Most pronounced on take off and greatly reduced in cruise.
 

davidd

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Taking Wing by Kevin Cameron

David
 

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highbury731

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Taking Wing by Kevin Cameron

David
"what is downforce while a bike is upright on a straight becomes push-you-off-the-corner force when the bike is leaned over at 58 degrees. Not good"

The writer forgets to go back to this problem in the article. Has it been resolved?

When John Britten was experimenting with aerodynamics, he had the idea of short wings front and back. I think that the early Britten at 0:38 looks to have downforce in mind with the low nose and wind deflectors over the handgrips:
 

davidd

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I think that all Kevin was saying is that the downforce cannot be like Formula 1 downforce, that is a force that is applied in corners and straights because on a bike downforce is only useful on the straights. I can see the ambiguity you are referring to. I took the solution to be that the design only promotes downforce when the bike is upright.

David
 

bmetcalf

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I'm not sure how the design prevents air flowing over the winglets while leaned over in a flat corner doesn't generate some horizontal force.
 

vibrac

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As my gran would say 'dina fret yerslf' they will be banned next season, it would seem that "racing improves the breed" is no longer the concern of moto GP racer organisers
 

highbury731

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I'm not sure how the design prevents air flowing over the winglets while leaned over in a flat corner doesn't generate some horizontal force.
Likewise.

If adjustable winglets are permitted, I can imagine a way they would work. Angle them downwards at 45 degees, so that when banked over, the outer one is roughly horizontal, the inner winglet is vertical.

An on-board sensor detects that the bike is cornering, so adjusts the inner winglet so that it develops lift instead of downforce. and pulls the bike towards the centre of the turn. The outer (upper) winglet is now roughly horizontal, so develops downforce, helping to increase adhesion. During straight line running the winglets could be adjusted for minimum drag unless the front end is beginning to lift, in which case both winglets get adjusted for downforce.
 

highbury731

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As my gran would say 'dina fret yerslf' they will be banned next season, it would seem that "racing improves the breed" is no longer the concern of moto GP racer organisers
A bit like UK manufacturers getting supercharging banned post WW2 so that their old single engines could do a few more years. Moto Guzzi, Gilera and Mondial made good dustbin fairings but quit GP after 1957, so the remaining makers got them banned. Like MV Agusta whose bikes did not work well with dustbins.

Now imagine if GP had stayed with dustbins, bikes (aerodynamically) like the Royal Enfield Dreamliner might have made it into production
 
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