Magnus Effect

At 20:12 21 October 2004, Denis wrote:
COLIN LAMB a écrit :
If a wing is replaced by a rotating cylinder, with
the forward surface
rotating upward, lift will be produced. The local
air velocity is high on
top and low on the bottom. This upward force is known
as magnus effect.

The information above comes from my helicopter handbook.
The theory is used
to explain some helicopter principles, but caused
me to wonder more about
it. Has anyone every produced an airplane using the
magnus effect? If the
cylinder is rotating faster, I would expect that lift
would be increased.
Does anyone know if there have been any writings and/or
test aircraft? Not
much use with a glider, for obvious reasons - but
the answer would make me a
bit smarter. I was not able to find much on the internet.

No sailplanes, but a sailboat did navigate using rotary
masts.

The boat sailed around a triangular course in a completely
upright position - no heeling.

It was designed by Flettner -- the same one who gave
us the Flettner (anti-servo) Tab.

"COLIN LAMB" wrote in message ink.net...
If a wing is replaced by a rotating cylinder, with the forward surface
rotating upward, lift will be produced. The local air velocity is high on
top and low on the bottom. This upward force is known as magnus effect.

The information above comes from my helicopter handbook. The theory is used
to explain some helicopter principles, but caused me to wonder more about
it. Has anyone every produced an airplane using the magnus effect? If the
cylinder is rotating faster, I would expect that lift would be increased.
Does anyone know if there have been any writings and/or test aircraft? Not
much use with a glider, for obvious reasons - but the answer would make me a
bit smarter. I was not able to find much on the internet.

Thanks, Colin N12HS

Colin,

I have to find an old book of mine. It has a picture of a boat that
was steam powered but featured no side-wheels, propellers ot masts.
Instead it had two large vertical cylinders which were spun at
different speed or even in opposite directions. The force vectors
created by these cylinders and the fact that there were two of them
made the boat very manouverable; it would even go sideways. Sounds
like what you are describing , just turned by 90°.

Uli Neumann

"Joe D." wrote:
About 20 yrs ago, something similar was marketed as
a flying tube. It was essentially a 1/2 height aluminum soda can,
open on both ends. The lip on one end was slightly weighted.
You threw it like a football, overhand with a side spin. The
tube's open axis was the flight path. It flew very well,
would go 200 feet. It was amazing to see such a low mass object
cut through the air so far. Don't remember the name.
-- Joe D.

There are similar things available now. But those fly along the axis
of the cylinder. The tube I am flying flies (sort of) perpendicular
to the axis of the cylinder.

Steve L.

Denis writes:

No sailplanes, but a sailboat did navigate using rotary masts.

Calypso.

A similar effect is used on an helicopter instead of tail rotor (the
tail is not rotating but side lift is created from main rotor flow
by blowing air through on side or another )

Called a Notar I think.

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