Quote:
Originally Posted by orbywan
OK, I'll buy that, so can anyone tell me the radius for such a bend? If it's bent too tight the air will separate from the bend surface and negate the results, right?
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Zenith Aircraft Co. STOL CH 750 - Prototype Photos
The above is a link to a proven and popular kitplane. Note the fuselage. It is flat. I am not saying that the Zenithair is optimum.
Here is how I will create the bend for my boattail for my motorhome. Put one end of a eightfoot piece of 1/2 inch pvc pipe in a vise. (this is for about a six foot boattail) Go the the other end and bend it such that it would close the boat tail to a single point. That shape would be close to ideal.
There is a way to calculate the ideal shape based on the length of the boattail and the other dimensions. But it requires the use of calculus. I had that class 15 years ago and I remember an example in class that dealt with a similar problem.
Randy