Modeling Spoilerons

[Ben Hogin]

Good morning all, 

I am cautiously optimistic that MachUpX may have a feature that allows for modeling of spoilerons as a control surface. I understand that this is a lifting line solver, and that may be out of the scope, but does anyone have any recommendations on how to implement this? I have a peer working in tandem on a CFD analysis of a spoileron, but this would be a much quicker first pass at a model. Thanks!

Ben  

[Cory]

Hey Ben

MachUpX can easily handle flaperons, i.e. assymetrical aileron deflections resulting from 2 independent control inputs. You would just need to mix the controls for the main wing control surfaces with an aileron control and a flap control. The corrections to section properties due to flap deflection come from thin airfoil theory, and so don't model separated flow, which is what spoilers are meant to generate.

We're currently working to integrate nonlinear airfoil section property databases with MachUp, which may allow for modelling of spoilers.

Cory

[doug.hunsaker]

Ben,

You could somewhat model a spoiler with the current version of MachUp by simply making the "spoiler" spanwise section a different airfoil that has no lift (or a very low lift slope) and high drag. That could give you a pretty solid first pass.

Cory - that should be possible now, right?

-DH

[Cory]

Yep that should also be possible.