ABSTRACT
The induced drag in an aircraft be reduced through modifications of the wing tip. Some models displace wingtips vortices outwards diminishing the induced drag. Concerning agricultural airplanes, wing tip vortex position is really important while spreading products over a plantation. In this work, wind tunnel tests were made in order to study the influence in aerodynamic characteristics and vortex position over Brazilian agricultural aircraft, by the following types of wing tips: delta tip, winglet and down curved. The down curved tip was better for total drag reduction but not good with reference to vortex position. The delta tip gave moderate improvement on aerodynamic characteristic but a good vortex position. The winglet had a better vortex position but caused an undesirable result with reference to the wing root bending moment. Therefore, delta tip is more promising for agricultural aircraft.
Key words:
induced drag; wing tips; aerial spray