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The primary objective of this project is to produce a UAV with a wing span of
108" that uses the (Internal Wing Aircraft) concept.
We just completed writing a program that calculates the Aerodynamic Center
for this unusual configuration which has a total of 7 variables for each wing
panel.
Recent Press
Above is a early CFD run on the IWA wing prior to refinement.
Early concept drawing of the IWA to be built by Precision Design.
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IWA Technology Corner
The Internal Wing Aircraft (IWA) technology, is a design that
generates extraordinary lift and thrust by the action of air
moving through a shaped duct. The technology and multiple
applications related to aerospace designs are covered under U.S.
Patents 4,568,042 and 4,579,300 as well as other current patent
pending.
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The extraordinary lift and thrust characteristics of the IWA
design are a result of the duct, the bottom of which
serves as the internal wing, and the coanda, which
is the leading surface that extends toward the nose on each side
and looks like a wing. As the glider is moving through a flowing
medium (air or water), or as that medium is being pushed through
the system in powered versions, the air or water comes off the
upper trailing edge of the coanda in a downward direction toward
the internal wing.
The downward direction of the air or water has two effects on
the flow through the system. First, it separates the flow from
the top of the duct. This separation is what inhibits the
pressure under the top of the duct from decreasing. If the
pressure under the top of the duct were allowed to decrease too
much then the positive lift generated from the bottom of the
duct, the internal wing, would be negated by the negative lift
generated by the top of the duct.
Second, the downward direction of the flow off the back of
the coanda laminates this air or water to the flow that has come
into the system and onto the internal wing from under the
coanda. Therefore, the IWA design doubles the mass of the air or
water that is flowing over and operating on the internal wing.
The lift produced increases exponentially with the mass of the
medium operating on the wing. Also, the lamination process
combined with the confining effect of the sides of the duct
squeezes the flow in much the same fashion as your thumb
squeezes the flow of water when you place it over the end of a
running garden hose. This squeezing action produces a venturi
effect that results in an increase in velocity of the flow
through the internal wing system. Lift also increases
exponentially with the velocity of the flow through the system.
In addition, the increase in velocity produces thrust. We call
this thrust producing effect Dynamic Natural Propulsion.
The venturi effect is the same phenomenon utilized by
designers of jet engines. So, in essence the IWA system becomes
its own engine. The bottom line is the mass of the flow
operating on the wing is doubled and the velocity of the flow
through the system is dramatically increased. All of this adds
up to a design that, amazingly, creates its own lift and thrust.
The applications for the Internal Wing Aircraft are endless.
With a 29.6 pound lift per horsepower (compare to a typical
helicopter with a 5 - 12 pound lift per horsepower), the IWA can
vertically lift heavy loads and transport great distances. Due
to the increased lift generated by the wing design, up to 75%
less fuel will be consumed, a great boon to our environment.
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