"Sikorsky somehow knew intuitively that high-aspect-ratio wings (i.e., long and slender) were more efficient than shorter span wings of the same area. How did he know this"
Have you ever seen the wings on a seagull or an albatross?
michael salkind, e-mail, 28.06.2011 18:52
When I worked with Igor Sikorsky at Sikorsky Aircraft in 1968, he told me that the reason this aircraft looks more like a boat than an airplane in front is that the Director of the Russo-Baltic Wagon Works was a former Navy Captain and he designed it that way to get his boss's acceptance.
choqing, 20.06.2011 05:23
Sikorsky somehow knew intuitively that high-aspect-ratio wings (i.e., long and slender) were more efficient than shorter span wings of the same area. How did he know this
John W Juechter, e-mail, 08.01.2009 00:12
I've been building a model of the Sikorsky Grand for some 6 years now. The original plane went through 3 main configurations: 2 engines; 4 engines, 2 tractor, 2 pusher; and 4 tractor engines. In its last configuration, it also had 4 rudders and 16 wheels. Most artist's paintings do not show the plane correctly, presenting a combination of the various configurations. In fact, the model of the Grand at Sikorsky Headquarters in Stratford is wrong, purporting to show the 4-engine configuration, but with only 2 rudders.
Jay Spenser, e-mail, 28.07.2007 23:33
The Grande, and the Ilya Muromets bombers it inspired, were far beyond the rest of the world in terms of size and capability. One of the most remarkable features of this airplane is its very long wings. Before wing theory was generally understood, Sikorsky somehow knew intuitively that high-aspect-ratio wings (i.e., long and slender) were more efficient than shorter span wings of the same area. How did he know this?
Luis M- Moreno, e-mail, 18.02.2007 13:24
Es importante dar a conocer los avances que la aviciуn tuvo gracias a Igor Sikorsky en sus primeros tiempos. El S-21 Russki Vityaz fuй una muestra de lo avanzada que estaba Rusia en el campo de la aeronбutica ya entonces, demostrando que los grandes aparatos "mбs pesados que el aire" serian imprescindibles para el desarroyo de la humanidad.
