Experimental Study of the Influence of Flap Angle Configuration on the Drag Coefficient of Airfoil Model of Homebuilt Aircraft

Abstract

Homebuilt aircraft are experimental aircraft, of which at least 51% of the aircraft parts are self-supporting and not factory-made. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of the flap angle configuration of a homebuilt aircraft airfoil and determine the drag coefficient (CD) of the airfoil on the flap angle configuration. This research method uses an experimental approach, which is carried out in a wind tunnel at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University Gowa. The homebuilt aircraft wing model uses the NACA 23012 airfoil model, by treating the main airfoil flap angle configuration (Fu) with the same control airfoil or aileron (Fk) flap angle at 5 (five) levels of flap angle variations, namely -150, 00, 150, 300, and 450. Furthermore, each configuration of the airfoil flap is flowed with air at the same speed of 22 m/s or at Reynolds number Re = 270,886 at 6 (six) levels of angle of attack (α), namely at angles of -150, -100, 00, 50, 100 and 150. The results of this study indicate that the maximum value of CD always occurs at 150 and angle Fk = 450 for all variations of the Fu angle. The maximum value of CD = 2.8656 occurs at the same angle Fu and angle Fk, namely at angles of 450 and α = 150, while the minimum value of CD = 0.3144 occurs at the same angle Fu and Fk, namely at angles 00 and α = -100.