Welcome Back

Sign in to your PART66Online account

or use email
Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register here

Module 11. Aeroplane aerodynamics, structures and systems

Which part of the wing of a swept - wing aircraft stalls first?

  • Both stall together.
  • Root stalls first.
  • Tip stalls first.

Explanation

On a swept wing the spanwise boundary-layer drift toward the tips thickens the airflow outboard, so the tips reach separation first. A tip-first stall is undesirable because it can cause pitch-up and loss of aileron control, which is why swept wings use devices such as fences, vortex generators and wash-out to manage it.

lucdam56 asking:

why tip? In swept-wing aircraft, the airflow partially moves toward the wingtip (the "spanwise flow" effect), causing a different lift distribution compared to straight wings. To avoid stability and controllability issues during a stall, the aerodynamic design is often optimized so that the wing root stalls before the tip.

Community Comments (0)

No one has posted a comment here yet.

Please Sign In to post a comment.

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in, plus anonymous analytics to understand how the site is used. Cookie-based analytics is set only with your consent. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy.