Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/06

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Subject: Re: upside-down airplanes (was: [Leica] Optical Question)
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 11:56:12 -0800
References: <20020306191420.7847.qmail@earthlink.net>

> Ernest Nitka wrote:
>
> > why is that airplanes can fly upside down - if
> > flying upright caused a vacuum just above the wing
> > creating lift then flying upside down should cause
> > the wing to move down. This has bothered me for
> > near on 2 decades.  I get bothered easily<<<<<<

Doug Herr responded.
>>> The airplane's wing is designed to produce lift efficiently at it's
normal angle of attack but it can produce additional lift inefficiently by
increasing the angle of attack (until it stalls).  The upside-down airfoil
relies on a high angle of attack to produce lift but does so very
inefficiently.<<<<

Whie flying on a test flight in a 727 with an Air Canada crew and
instructor-testing pilot, they were having a great time doing all kinds of
things they'd never get away with passengers on board.

They had done everything but a victory roll or fly upside down which I
thought would be a cool experience in a 727. I know it's not like a
Spitfire, but what the heck it's an aeroplane isn't it? ;-)

Aaaaaaaaaaaah heck they turned out to be a bunch of gutless wonders even if
they were the best of the bunch, no imagination at all. :-) They'd get a way
up on one wing and then swing back and up on the other like they were about
to go right over, then chicken out and roll back to level flight.

Mean while I'm shooting with a 21 trying to capture the angles they were
going to in relation to the ground. Anyway I did get a few but it did take
some one handed hanging on and strapped into seats at the weirdest angles.

But we never did go upside down. Dang and we weren't flying anywhere near
humans on the ground to see the fooling around. Oh well maybe next time.:-)
ted

Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant


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In reply to: Message from "Douglas Herr" <telyt@earthlink.net> (RE: upside-down airplanes (was: [Leica] Optical Question))