No Perfect Wing

A Comparative Study of Wing Planform Geometry and Its Effect on Aerodynamic Performance

Abstract

The shape of an aircraft wing is perhaps the single most important consideration in the field of aerospace design, as it controls the lift, drag and aerodynamic efficiency of an aircraft during different phases of flight.  This paper compares six main types of wing planforms: straight, swept, delta, forward-swept, variable geometry, and blended wing body. The research paper further discusses how the shape of the wing influences the lift, drag, and lift-to-drag ratio of an aircraft when traveling at subsonic speed, transonic speed, and supersonic speed. The study makes use of well-established theories, published research studies, and original simulation data generated with XFLR5 v6.62, using the Vortex Lattice Method (VLM2), to examine lift, drag, and lift-to-drag ratio of the three principal planform configurations by changing their angles of attack. Results confirm the swept wing achieved a peak CL/CD of 121.9 compared to 99.6 for the straight wing and 67.8 for the delta wing. The paper ultimately shows that no single shape will be the best choice in all aspects; rather, the different planform shapes are compromises between the performance, speed regime, structural suitability, and the mission requirements which each design was made for. In future, it is expected that morphing wing systems, biomimetic design strategies, and AI-driven geometries will become viable ways to develop planform geometries that can operate beyond the conventional limitations without sacrificing aerodynamic efficiency, which will open up a whole new era in wing design.