horsshoe of donut wing

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Permalink Reply by Don Chennavasin on November 21, 2010 at 9:37am

Instead of thinking of horseshoe or donut, consider the shape of the wing and location of the dump valve.

A narrower wing will be easier to move air around since it doesn't require significant changes of body angle to move air around. All wings "taco". Overly wide wings taco too much, and require significant effort to migrate air and dump. Many people's complaints about horseshoe wings being difficult to use were either poor wing design or skill issues.

Shape is also important. The widest point of the wing is also were the lift will be most pronounced. There are wings that are wider at the shoulder, and these are quite nice for head heavy tanks. For example, the UTD horseshoe wing is nicely shaped if you need more lift up top.

Another considering is dump valve location. You want at the highest point of air, usually near the edge of a doubles wing. Note the location of the dump valve in the wing below. With a diver in trim, air will usually be in that spot. Very little change of angle to dump air.

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