In an effort to reduce loss of control because of stalling during flight, modern wing design incorporates an effect known as washout. This effect is accomplished by building the wing with a natural twist. This allows angle of incidence and therefore the angle of attack in stable flight to be far greater near the fuselage than near the wingtip. The advantage of this is it allows the stalling speed at the wingtip to be slower, thus, the wingtips and ailerons which primarily stabilize the plane continue to retain lift and predictable dynamics at a greater range of speed. This gives two benefits. Firstly it allows more lift to be generated than a straight wing since the center can have a higher angle of incidence while remaining safe. Secondly the wing will stall slowly, from the inside outwards, allowing the pilot time to intuitively become aware of this problem and correct it.
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Last updated: 08-21-2005 22:34:29
