Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-rainbo!savage From: savage@rainbo.DEC (Dennis DTN 282-2614) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: High lift vs. laminar air foils Message-ID: <3460@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 5-Aug-85 18:45:37 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.3460 Posted: Mon Aug 5 18:45:37 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 7-Aug-85 02:31:28 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 29 ================================================================================ First of all many thanks to those of you who sent me information concerning the flying characteristics of the Grumman AA1A. As always, learning something new raises a few new questions... One of the replies came from A. Gomez. He explained that the Yankee (and the Arrow) don't float like a C-172, that in comparison they drop like a rock, this being due to the fact that Cessna uses a high lift airfoil and the others use laminar airfoils. My question here is perhaps silly but I thought all airfoils had to rely on a laminar flow of air across the upper surface to fly. What is the difference here... and why would anyone want to have a wing that would let them drop like a rock? For those ho are interested the best quote re:the AA1A - "The Yankee is like a mid '50's Italian sports car. Very fast and nice, but you have to be an above average driver to handle it." /Dennis Savage Digital Equipment Corp. ================================================================================