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The magical Jodel wing
If there is one thing that distinguishes a Jodel from any of its contemporaries, it is its 'cranked' wing. This wing gives any fuselage attached to it seemingly remarkable performance characteristics. Why is this? It would seem that the flat, parallel corded centre section with tapered outer panels (the crank), with their pronounced dihedral angle, produce a near elliptical lift envelope similar to that of a spitfire's wing. The outer panels have a considerable amount of washout, along with a reduced angle of incidence. When the aircraft is cruising, most of its weight is supported by the wider center section of the wing. The tapered outer portions, being at a lesser angle of attack, offer little drag and only start to work in earnest at lower airspeeds. The reduced angle of attack at the wingtips also prevents a wingtip-first stall to develop, contributing to the Jodels pleasant stall characteristics.
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Author Hans Teijgeler |