58177 V0206

Contents
About the Test Flight Wing Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Test Flight Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Tools You Will Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Installing Software and Connecting the Test Flight Components . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Installing Test Flight on the Wind Tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Testing a Wing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Making Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Mounting a Wing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sample Airfoil Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Airfoil Data Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

About the Test Flight Wing Analyzer

Test Flight enables students to test their airfoil designs before putting them into production just like real aerospace engineers! After designing airfoil shapes and building the designs into Styrofoam wings, students use Test Flight to analyze performance. A wing is mounted to the wing analyzing device, which is fitted to the X-Stream or AirTech 40 wind tunnel testing chamber. The motorized mechanism moves the wing through a range of attack angles while measuring lift and drag forces. The mechanism sends this data to a PC, where the Windows Test Flight software program graphs the data in real time. Students see the airfoils lift steadily building with the increasing angle of attack. As the drag reaches critical value, the lift curve suddenly drops, indicating a stall. Maximum lift and maximum drag are indicated in the on-screen data window. Test Flights software also enables students to control the test parameters such as beginning and ending test angles. Now, the Wing Analyzer features a USB port just plug and play! And, it no longer requires an external battery pack.

Test Flight Wing Analyzer for the X-Stream Users Guide 58177 V0206

Test Flight Components

The Test Flight package should include the following components (images are not shown at scale). If anything is missing, call Pitsco customer service at 800-358-4983. Test Flight panel Test Flight access panel DIN/serial cable USB cable Interface box CD-ROM Power pack Allen wrench Epoxy syringe Drilling rod (has pointed end) 5 mounting rods Mounted sample wing Users Guide

Test Flight access panel (for Airtech X-Stream wind tunnel)

Test Flight panel (for Airtech 40 wind tunnel) DIN/serial cable

USB cable

Interface box

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Tools You will need

Electric drill Masking tape Ruler Marking pen

System Requirements
To run the Test Flight software, you will need a PC with the following minimum requirements: Windows XP Available USB port Minimum screen resolution 800 x 600

Power pack

CD-ROM

Mounted sample wing Epoxy syringe Drilling rod Mounting rods (5)

Allen wrench

Test Flight Wing Analyzer for the X-Stream Users Guide 58177 V0206

Installing Software and Connecting the Test Flight Components

1. Plug the cable into your PCs USB port. 2. Install the Test Flight software: Insert the CD-ROM it will autorun. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete installation. The software will place a Test Flight icon in your Programs menu. 3. Connect the system as shown in Figure 1.
Mechanism

Interface box USB cable On/Off To wing tester Power supply cable

To servo motor

Figure 1 Connecting components

Installing Test Flight on the Wind Tunnel

For the X-Stream Wind Tunnel 1. Face the X-Stream wind tunnel so the intake bell is on your left. Remove the testing chamber panel directly in front of you and replace it with the Test Flight panel. 2. Remove the opposite window of the X-Stream wind tunnel and replace it with the Test Flight access panel. For the Airtech 40 Wind Tunnel 1. Remove the existing front panel from the Airtech 40 wind tunnel. 2. Replace the front panel with the Test Flight panel.

Testing a Wing
To test a wing on the Test Flight, a mounting rod must be inserted into the wings edge and glued in place. A premounted sample wing is included in the Test Flight package. For instructions on making and mounting your own wings, see pages 6 and 7. 1. Locate the mounted sample wing or a wing you have designed and mounted yourself. Open the window in the access panel by removing its two thumb nuts. Slide the rod on which the wing is mounted all the way into the sleeve of the Test Flight mechanism on the opposite window (Figure 2). Then, back the rod out about 1/16". Do not tighten the set screw yet. Replace the access window.

Figure 2 Installing mounted wing

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2. Open the Test Flight application by selecting the Test Flight icon in your Programs menu. The Test Flight data window will open (Figure 3). Make sure the Test Flight Wing Analyzer is plugged in and the power switch is in the On position; otherwise, the computer will not recognize it 3. Set the airfoil angle: On the Test Flight data screen, move the Manual Wing Control slider all the way left, to the 0 position. 4. Align the airfoil with the horizontal mark on the Test Flight panel (Figure 4). Then, tighten the set screw using the Allen wrench (Figure 5). 5. Set the Test Angle Limit: Move the slider bar to the angle at which you wish the airfoil motion to stop. The default angle is 45 degrees; so unless you adjust the angle, the program will stop graphing when the airfoil reaches a 45-degree angle of attack. With this setting, the test will start at the 0-degree position and gradually move to the 45-degree position. The lift and drag numbers will be plotted to the data table and displayed graphically in real time throughout the range of motion of the airfoil angle.

Figure 3 Test Flight data window

Figure 4 Aligning airfoil

Figure 5 Tightening set screw

Test Flight Wing Analyzer for the X-Stream Users Guide 58177 V0206

6. Click the Start button and follow the on-screen instructions. The airfoil in the tunnel will slowly begin to move. The data table will begin to fill and lines for lift and drag will be traced across the graphing window (Figure 6). The blue horizontal line charts lift measurements, while the red horizontal line charts drag. Changing values for lift, drag, and attack angle will also display on-screen as the test progresses. When the airfoil reaches the test angle limit, it will stop moving and the test will terminate. You will then be prompted to turn off the wind tunnel. 7. At the end of the test, the Peak Lift and Peak Drag will display on-screen (bottom right). These values will also appear in the last row of the data table. To determine the stall angle, simply find the point of maximum lift. 8. To analyze graphical values, single-click anywhere inside the graph window. There should be a vertical red line, called the cursor. Drag it to any position on the graph. Lift and drag values for that position will display in the Lift and Drag boxes when using the cursor. 9. After the test is completed, you may save or print your data by clicking the appropriate button on your screen:

Save by clicking the Save Data button on the right side of the graph. Type a name for your file and click the Save button in the pop-up window. Print by clicking the appropriate button (either Print Graph or Print Table).

10. To begin a new test, click Start and follow the onscreen instructions.

Figure 6 A lift/drag graph

Making wings
Wings can be made on the Pitsco Wing Cutter (Figure 7). You cand design your own airfoil or use the Wingmaster software package (Figure 8) available from Pitsco, which can print hundreds of airfoil designs to use as templates. After the airfoil is made, insert the test rod for mounting to the Test Flight mechanism. The ideal length of wing for use
Figure 7 Pitsco Wing Cutter

with the Test Flight Wing Analyzer is 8" to 9". Shorter wings, because they dont adequately span the X-Stream testing chamber, may not yield accurate test results. Wing chord should be no greater than 3". See Figure 9 for an example of chord. Excessive chord length can cause air compression in the X-Stream testing chamber, resulting in an inaccurate test.

Figure 8 Wingmaster software

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Mounting a Wing
To mount a wing on the Test Flight Wing Analyzer, a mounting rod must be inserted into the wings edge and glued in place. Note: The maximum wing dimensions accommodated by the Test Flight are: Chord 3"; Length 8" to 9". 1. Gather your wing, an electric drill, masking tape, ruler, marking pen, epoxy syringe, the drill rod, and one of the mounting rods. 2. With the ruler, measure the length of your wing (Figure 9). Then, divide it by two. 3. Mark the resulting distance from the pointed end of the drill rod. Wrap a short piece of masking tape around the rod so that its edge is aligned with the mark (Figure 10). This will serve as a depth guide for drilling. 4. Chuck the rod into the drill. 5. Using the pen, mark the drill point on your wing at 25 percent of the chord (Figure 11).
Figure 10 Drill rod
Chord

length

Figure 12 Drilling into the wing edge

6. Very carefully drill into the wing edge (Figure 12). Drill slowly and straight so that the drill rod does not exit the wing surface. When the masking tape contacts the wing edge, stop drilling. 7. Measure and mark half the wing length from one end of the mounting rod. Put a few drops of epoxy on the end of the rod and insert it into the drilled hole. 8. Push the rod until the mark is aligned with Leading edge the wing edge. Set the mounted wing aside and allow the epoxy to dry for 10 minutes. An example of a finished mounted wing is shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13 Mounted wing

Figure 9 Wing

Recommended depth: 1/2 length of wing Mark Masking tape wrapped just below mark

25% of chord chord

Figure 11 Make a drill-insertion mark at 25 percent of the wings chord.

Test Flight Wing Analyzer for the X-Stream Users Guide 58177 V0206

Sample Airfoil Templates

The sample airfoil templates below can be used as patterns to produce your own airfoil sections. The templates were designed for use on a hot-wire foam cutter, such as the Pitsco Wing Cutter (item 17080). Feel free to reproduce both these patterns and the Airfoil Data Chart inside the back cover for use in your classes.

Top

Clark Y E-214 E-205

Bottom

Top

Bottom

Top

Bottom

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Airfoil Data Chart

Test Data Airfoil Name Length Chord Max Lift Max Drag Stall Angle Max Lift Angle

Test Flight Wing Analyzer for the X-Stream Users Guide 58177 V0206

58177 V0206