![]() ![]() That means the fin is tilted in the wind as it flies forward. Lift is only created when the symmetrical airfoil is oriented at an angle-of-attack to the wind. The Lift force on the fin is causing A drag force increase on the fin. That means that two things are going on at the same time, and that the first thing causes the second thing to happen. Induced drag is a fancy aeronautical engineering term that means that the drag force produced is actually a result of something else happening. Why is the Elliptical Fin the Best Shape? The reason the elliptical fin shape is best is that it produces the least amount of induced drag. So that is why I m writing this article, to try to clarify what was in the Technical Publication #16 report in simpler language. Otherwise they wouldn t have to ask me what the answer was when it was already answered. It is obvious that they must not have understood the technical jargon in the report. The reason I m writing this article is that grade school students come to the Apogee web site and download Apogee Technical Publication #16 What is the Optimum Fin Shape for Altitude? ( Videos/Pamphlets_Reports/Tech_Pub_16), and then send me an asking that exact same question: which shape is it? I m left shaking my head, wondering where the disconnect was, because they did download the report (I assumed About this Newsletter You can subscribe to receive this e-zine FREE at the Apogee Components website or by clicking the link here Newsletter Sign-Up they looked at it) which did tell them what shape was most likely the best. But sometimes, theory runs into practicality, and that might not be the best answer if you are building a model rocket for an altitude competition. In this article, I ll explain why it is the right theoretical answer. Elliptical (Theoretical Best!) Trapezoidal Square Rectangular Clipped Delta Figure 1: The elliptical fin (far left) is the best from a theoretical point of view. And now you can go play, your homework is done. ![]() Please, write that down! It is an acceptable answer to the question. You came to the Apogee web site looking for information on What is the optimum fin shape for a model rocket?, and if you want an answer, then write this statement down on your paper: the elliptical shape is the optimum shape for a model rocket (Figure 1). Did you get that young student? I m writing this for you. I wanted to get that conclusion stated right here at the start. 2 By Tim Van Milligan Theoretically, the best fin shape for a rocket is an elliptical fin shape. ![]()
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