Barnaby Wainfan
Barnaby is a Technical Fellow for Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Design organization. A private pilot with single-engine and glider ratings, Barnaby has been involved in the design of unconventional airplanes including canards, joined wings, flying wings and some too strange to fall into any known category.
Wind Tunnel
When unexpected drag is an issue, the cause could be gaps in the skin of your airplane. A simple seal might solve the problem.
Wind Tunnel
One effect of a rotating propellor: It acts as a gyroscope. What does this mean for the pilot?
Wind Tunnel
Thrust-line adjustment is a powerful tool for tailoring flying qualities, but it’s complicated.
Wind Tunnel
Once designers had addressed every other drag-producing aspect of the biplane, they decided to get rid of the struts and wires bracing the wings—and the switch to the monoplane was made.
Wind Tunnel
Today, monoplanes dominate, but biplanes came first. They had their advantages—and for some of today’s missions, they still do.
Wind Tunnel
Nine simple rules, distilled from years of experience (making—and fixing—assorted mistakes), can help any aircraft designer avoid disaster.
Wind Tunnel
It’s all about lift, and knowing your airplane’s lift margin at a given airspeed tells you what the airplane is capable of.
Wind Tunnel
Contrary to popular belief, the frontal area of an airplane is not the most important determinant of drag.
Vortex Generators and STOL Performance
One way to solve the problem of flow separation—and stall—is by installing vortex generators on your kit aircraft.
In Case You Missed It
Modern Exterior Aircraft Lighting
It’s your best way of letting other making your presence known to other pilots, so your exterior lighting system deserves careful thought and planning early on in the build process. Fortunately, there are choices for every plane and budget.
Build a Bear: Put the Fabric in Fabrication
Dave Prizio evaluates the two major fabric covering systems – PolyFiber and Air-Tech – and sets to work, patiently covering his Texas Sport Cub airframe.
Worktable Suggestions
I like to use white melamine-faced particle board for my worktables. The tabletops are...