lr64
Well-Known Member
Airplanes still have to take some load in the negative direction, but most airfoils will stall out at much lower lift coefficients, so they typically might be designed to take maybe a third to a half as many g's negative as positive. If a rocket had crooked fins, they could be designed the same way. ;-)
I'm sure you know for sure, but I imagine perpendicular grain might be very useful for preventing buckling in very thin skins. Does anyone ever show up with balsa cored fins made from beer cans? The really high tech free flight guys used to build that way, before carbon fiber was so available, though I think they used a higher and more consistent grade of material than beer cans. With the internet, maybe no one has time to build that way any more.
How do we get the lazier aeronautical engineers to avoid using Lehsse's circle?
I'm sure you know for sure, but I imagine perpendicular grain might be very useful for preventing buckling in very thin skins. Does anyone ever show up with balsa cored fins made from beer cans? The really high tech free flight guys used to build that way, before carbon fiber was so available, though I think they used a higher and more consistent grade of material than beer cans. With the internet, maybe no one has time to build that way any more.
How do we get the lazier aeronautical engineers to avoid using Lehsse's circle?