Inventor Says Wind Tunnel Test Shows Double The Lifting Ability
Of Airfoil Wing Designs
We have to approach this with a journalists skepticism, but then
the Wright brothers were just a couple of bicycle mechanics in
Dayton, Ohio, right?
In a wind tunnel set of experiments searching for a way to
provide more lift to a new fire fighting aircraft, inventor Michael
C. Longo says he has discovered a new way to create more lift in a
typical airfoil design.
"I ran my thought experiment, then built my system for wind
tunnel testing and it works far better than I expected," said Mr.
Longo. "I was hoping for a 30% improvement in lift but got over
100% improvement. Even more than 100% improvement in lift is
achievable," he says, "It all depends of what you want."
Longo claims there are five main benefits to using this new
system on current and new aircraft. It increases lift, it decreases
drag, it increases speed, it increases fuel economy, and increases
the structural integrity in the wing where it is installed. The
wind tunnel experiments use a 2-foot by 2-foot fan for the wind
tunnel, blowing air at 15 mph, a 16 inch wing span scale wing using
the PBY-5a airfoil lifts 40 grams at a 3 degrees angle of attack.
Then when the new lifting system was turned on the test wing lifts
90 grams, doubling its lifting ability. Other tests were run to
insure the base number and lift numbers remain the same under other
conditions and all results say the same thing, a doubling of lift
is working with this new invention.
"In the course of designing a new fire-fighting airplane I knew
I needed more lift to carry heavy loads of water, so just like
Howard Hughes was forced to invent a new use of hydraulics to
control the heavy control surfaces on the Spruce Goose, I was
forced to figure out a way to increase lift in a conventional
airfoil. I say forced due to the requirements I gave myself to
design a shortened wingspan plane that can get in and out of small
rivers and lakes for its amphibious water pickups, while carrying
18 tons of water," Longo explains.
The inventor says this new lifting system can be fitted to most
any airplane for said enhanced flight characteristics. he has
fitted it to a radio controlled scale model (pictured above) of his
new fire-fighting airplane design.
Longo says the new wing lifting system could be designed into
new airplane designs, or retrofitted on existing aircraft.