Downwash

Data taken from NACA TR 648.

70

e per unit Cl = Delta e / AR

e is downwash in degrees
AR is aspect ratio

1:5

1:3

60

1:2

Sail or fin characteristics

Taper (1:t)
7
AR
6.8
tr
0.14
e/Cl
10.03

Taper ratio
1
0.7
0.5
0.3

Predicted
Delta e
38.0
46.7
53.5
61.3

Delta e

50

Extracted & extrapolated from NACA TR 648:

Taper (1:t) Taper ratio
Delta e
1
1
38
2
0.5
54
3 0.333333
59
5
0.2
66
?
?
47 Elliptical
1.45
0.69
46.98 Estimate
from graph
Coef
75.147 From
Exp
-0.6807 graph

1:1

Elliptical

40
Theoretical
2.Cl / (pi.AR)

30

Delta e = 75.147e-0.6807(taper ratio)

Goodness of fit, R2 = 0.9979

20
10
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Taper ratio

Predicted downwash (degrees), at TE, "middle" of fin or sail

Coefficient of lift
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
(If a fin, divide downwash by 1.8 to estimate effect at rudder according to TN124.)

1
38.0
46.7
53.5
61.3

Table of downwash (degrees) per unit Cl, for given taper and aspect ratios,
measured at trailing edge in the "middle" of the fin or sail
Aspect ratio
2
3
4
6
8
12
18
19.0
12.7
9.5
6.3
4.8
3.2
2.1
23.3
15.6
11.7
7.8
5.8
3.9
2.6
26.7
17.8
13.4
8.9
6.7
4.5
3.0
30.6
20.4
15.3
10.2
7.7
5.1
3.4

1.8
18.0

2
20.1

28
1.4
1.7
1.9
2.2

40
1.0
1.2
1.3
1.5

0.2
0.15
0.1
0

65.6
67.9
70.2
75.1

65.6
67.9
70.2
75.1

32.8
33.9
35.1
37.6

21.9
22.6
23.4
25.0

16.4
17.0
17.6
18.8

10.9
11.3
11.7
12.5

8.2
8.5
8.8
9.4

5.5
5.7
5.9
6.3

3.6
3.8
3.9
4.2

Example: Sail with taper of 1:7 (tr approx 0.15), aspect ratio 5. Downwash = 13.6 degrees per unit coefficient of lift.
Example: Fin with taper of 1:1.4 (tr approx 0.7), aspect ratio 30. Downwash = 1.6 degrees per unit coefficient of lift.
Other results
NACA TN42
NACA TN124
NACA TN651
NACA RM A7L05
NACA TN1703
NACA TN2528

e/Cl approx 28 behind TE, AR =6, unknown Rn (early biplane study)

e/Cl approx 6 behind TE, AR=6, unknown Rn. e/Cl diminished by 1.8 at tail unit.
e/Cl approx 7 at 1.8c behind TE, AR=6, unknown Rn
e/Cl approx 7 at 2.8c behind TE, AR unknown, Rn 5.5(10)6
e/Cl approx 7 at TE with AR=6, approx 14 with AR=3, Rn 6.2(10)5, symmetrical section
Upwash approx 5 for alpha = 10, AR approx 3, unknown Cl, unknown Rn

These other results in good agreement with TR648 assuming taper is near 1:1 or near elliptical.

2.3
2.4
2.5
2.7

1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9