Inventors:
Richard R. Tracy - Carson City NV
International Classification:
B64C 138
Abstract:
A wing in combination with a fuselage having a body which is elongated in the direction of flight, the wing having physical parameters [comprising a wing having a relatively unswept and sharp leading edge, smooth convex chordwise contour over a majority of its surface from the leading edge, and a thickness to chord ratio of about 2% or less as a spanwise average, beyond a spanwise distance from the fuselage centerline of not more than about C/2. beta. on each side of the body, where. beta. =. sqroot. M. sup. 2 -1, M=cruise Mach number, C=wing chord at centerline, and wherein the thickness to chord ratio over the above referenced spanwise distance is increased substantially over 2%,] to benefit strength, stiffness, weight, interior volume, and laminar boundary layer stability, and limited only by the extent to which the increase in volume drag which would otherwise occur is substantially eliminated by the body having indentation proximate the wing, the wing thickening and body indentation being characterized by one of the following:
a) selection of a wing planform airfoil and thickness distribution, the fuselage then indented to minimize or reduce the combined volume wave drag, or optimize a design figure of merit,
b) selection of a fuselage longitudinal distribution of cross section areas, the wing thickness then distributed spanwise so as to reduce the combined volume wave drag, or optimize a design figure of merit,
c) reduction of drag, or optimization of other figure of merit such as weight or cost, in accordance with variation in both the fuselage longitudinal distribution of cross section area and wing planform airfoil and spanwise thickness distribution.