Aerodynamic Characteristics Near the Tip of a Finite Wing by a Panel Method

The aerodynamic characteristics around a wing tip are investigated with a first order panel method. The geometry chosen for the study is a rectangular wing of aspect ratio 8.43,with RAF6 airfoil of 10% thickness ratio. The panel method gives similar aerodynamic characteristics to experimental ones even near the tip, such as a dominant suction pressure distribution present near the trailing edge around the tip, and the increase in the local lift and drag at the very narrow region of the tip. These properties are caused by the strong spanwise velocity component around the wing tip, the inviscid effects of which are described in detail, with respect to pressure coefficient, local lift and drag coefficients, downwash, and vorticity on the wing.