Radical wing concept..."Non-Planar Wings"???

This is referring to radical wing/lift designs!

I have seen and read of some amazing wing systems, (yet I cannot remember the name associated with them) than have artisits composite drawings. Anyway, one of them was a circular wing that has what appears to be a 747 fuselage in the middle. The wing is actually a ring that can move forward and aft the fuselage length to adjust lift....this ring any bells with anybody yet???
I want to say that the system is called, "non-linear wings", but I am not sure and it is driving me mad to remember.
There are a number of design concepts.....wait I just think I remembered, "Non-Planar Wings" some are square, others rounded, parallelogram in nature even.

If you have any links or thoughts to this phenomena...would you please add to this thread???
Thanks for your time, Mondo

Morph-able Wings maybe? I dunno what the name is either...

I don't really see how effective this technology would be with current technology as any system with more moving parts will add weight and maintenance to the craft.

Grabbed from aerodyn.org


The efficency factor k for subsonic wings (k is a theoretical efficiency factor involving the induced drag and aspect ratio larger is better):

Elliptically loaded flat wing 1.00
Closed Semi-Circle 1.50
Semi-Circle 1.50
Full Circle 2.00
Full Ellipse , a/b=0.5 1.50
Wing w/ tip tanks, b=0.7, r=0.15 1.31
Wing w/ upper endplates, h/b=0.15 1.22


The induced drag coefficient is given by

Cdi = (CL^2)/(pi* AR * k)


For the majority of wings, k is around 0.7



edit: Non planar wing concepts for increased aircraft efficiency - Kroo is probably what you are looking for. *warning pdf*


[edit on 19/1/07 by kilcoo316]

I don't know if this is the sort of thing you are talking about, its is one of a few scary Lockheed concepts from the early 80's . Its is based on a Tristar fuselage and was referred to in Flight as the 'Flying Bog Seat'.

i9.photobucket.com...

Another scary Lockheed concept was an otherwise completely conventional looking heavy freighter which carried stuff like Tanks, JCB's, Dumper trucks etc on the OUTSIDE.:

i9.photobucket.com...
[edit on 19-1-2007 by waynos]

Mod Edit: Image Size – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 21/1/2007 by Mirthful Me]

[edit on 21/1/2007 by Mirthful Me]

150 tonn dump truck falling from an altitude of 30,000 ft... I can see how that could ruin someones day.
Now why they hell did the cancel that?

[edit on 20-1-2007 by Polskoo24]

Now why they hell did the cancel that?

Probably for aerodynamic reasons.

[edit on 21-1-2007 by sardion2000]

Agreed. I dont see any advantage in having the vehicles on the outside of the craft. Surely any weight loss would be exceeded by the enormous increase in drag!

If you want to see some crazy wing designs check out the planes below:
Vought V-173


Avro Omega


Avro W-9


BTZ Hanneton III


[edit on 21/1/07 by gfad]

Love the pictures gfad! Dis you know that the wing design in your final picture was actually built and flown in France almost half a century ago in the SNECMA Coleoptere?

Well, 'flown' isn't really the right word as it ended up in bits all over the airfield but at least they tried

Regarding to ring-wing, some of the designs were already flight tested:

www.hitechweb2.szm.sk...
www.hitechweb2.szm.sk...

There were also other circular wing desingns such as SNECMA Coléoptére, Convair Model 49 AAFSS, etc...

[edit on 22-1-2007 by matej]

This might interest people with an eye for ring-wing aerofoils. www.dailymotion.com...


[edit on 24-1-2007 by planeman]