Calculating Wing Lift with a DIY Scale and Air Supply

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on calculating wing lift using a DIY setup involving a scale and an air supply. The user constructed a wooden platform attached to a scale to measure lift generated by airflow over a wing. Key considerations include ensuring that the wind is perpendicular to the scale's measurement axis and accounting for any turbulence that may affect lift measurements. Understanding these factors is crucial for accurate lift calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of aerodynamics, particularly lift generation.
  • Familiarity with scales and their measurement principles.
  • Knowledge of airflow dynamics and turbulence effects.
  • Experience with DIY experimental setups for physics measurements.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of lift and how it is calculated in aerodynamics.
  • Learn about the effects of turbulence on lift measurements.
  • Explore methods for ensuring parallel wind streamlines in experimental setups.
  • Investigate advanced measurement techniques for aerodynamic forces, such as using wind tunnels.
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, physics students, hobbyists conducting aerodynamic experiments, and anyone interested in understanding lift dynamics in a practical context.

Ignacio12
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Hi!
I have attached a small sheet of wood to a stand and then all of it to a scale. After that with a air supply I've made wind go through the "wing". Due to lift, the scale showed up a negative value. Knowing that value, is it possible to calculate the lift of the wing?
Thank you
 
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How would you define lift? And how does what you are measuring differ from that?
 
The wind must be perpendicular to the scale's measurement axis, and any wind impinging on the weighing platform must be subtracted out. The trick is getting parallel wind streamlines. Also, lift will vary with the amount of turbulence.
 

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