/sci/ - Science & Math

>>3886926
>Ah. I see. Is there an optimal aspect ratio that should be achieved for most efficient flight, or are there many factors that go into determining that?
There are various factors...
What I've found is, for reducing induced drag, more wing is always better. Span is best, chord is good, it all helps. Parasitic drag matters as well of course, though, and thus for aircraft designed for low-altitude, high-speed, straight-line cruising (where parasitic drag is most significant), using less wing CAN help make it faster or more efficient. I guess it just sort of depends on what you're trying to do.

But yeah, if what you're trying to do is just improve the peak sustained turn rate of an airplane, more thrust, more wing, less weight is what you're looking for. Just don't be surprised if you ultimately wind up with something like a Super Cub doing 60 degrees per second at 40 knots, though. =P