>Graham,
>if sailplane people use a trip there are two possibilites:
>* to "correct" a behaviour not intended/expected at construction time,
>what _may_bring the thing up to the design L/D
It's very difficult/impossible? to maintain laminar flow beyond 50% chord.
My hazy memory suggests that the trip was put there to remove a "bubble"
of spanwise flow along the trailing edge. Another technique with the same
end in view is the swept leading edge that's very fashionable (/ effective)
on the best modern sailplanes. I still wish the Europa had a swept LE and a
more effective aspect ratio. I vividly remember the way the Glasair II
improved rate of climb AND top speed by increasing AR. (They stuck an extra
couple of feet on the wingspan, more or less. Then put fuel in the same two
feet )
Just my limited two cent observations.
Graham
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