Re:Launch HN: Radical (YC W23) – Autonomous high-altitude so...
by actinium226 on Monday October 16, 2023 @01:13PM
(#37902995)
To be fair, the Wright Flyer used twisting wings. Ailerons took over, but it's not like twisting wings are some low TRL thing.
Re:Launch HN: Radical (YC W23) – Autonomous high-altitude so...
by BWStearns on Monday October 16, 2023 @01:39PM
(#37903389)
Also the Wright bros’ litigiousness over their IP was a main driver of the effective extinction of wing warping and the rise of ailerons rather than strictly engineering concerns. I imagine with newer materials wing warping could be pretty effective.
Re:Launch HN: Radical (YC W23) – Autonomous high-altitude so...
by creyes12345 on Monday October 16, 2023 @01:36PM
(#37903348)
The Wright brothers were incredible engineers, and a twisting wing made sense for their design. For high efficiency, a stiff wing is a must. Nowadays active stability systems make more designs practical. But the mission goals here favor low weight and reliability.
Re:Launch HN: Radical (YC W23) – Autonomous high-altitude so...
by cyrieln on Monday October 16, 2023 @04:50PM
(#37906414)
Low weight and high aerodynamic efficiency are crucial. You naturally end up with high aspect-ratio wings which tend to be more flexible than conventional aircraft wings. In order to keep aero-elastic effects under control, multiple tailplanes can help to stabilize the structure, and provide roll control at the same time - we’re not set on this technology though, ultimately our analysis tooling will drive this design decision.
Batteries are heavy, but if you want to conduct long endurance flights - greater than a few days, then realistically they are the best option.
There’s a good reason why most airplanes look and behave alike: because it works. Technology choices like flying wings (not used here) or twisting wings (used here) are a “code smell” to my computer programmer nose. To me, nothing is sexier than good reliable technology that works. Smart investors will know that. The other ones will do you a favor by staying away.
The use of batteries to maintain altitude at night is a big concern. Batteries are heavy and will dramatically cut down on the usable payload. They need to be maintained warm (but not too warm!), which is a challenge at the low ambient temperatures the aircraft will experience while flying.
Most airplane accidents happen during take-off and landing. Please do not shortchange these phases of flight, and good luck.