Re: Why don't wings have dimples?

In article <1150069926.345327.79420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"Dancing Fingers" <bcl122@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi all,
I always wanted to build my own airplane but the time and money has
eluded me. So I've decided to design and build my own recumbent trike,
with farings. This brings me to my question, if golf balls have
dimples, to help them sail further, why don't wings -- especially for
STOL aircraft? Would putting dimples in my faring reduce my wind
resistance?
Just curious.
Chris

First of all, golf balls have dimples because in order to create lift
they need to influence the air passing by them with the golf ball's
spin. The dimples help to make the air slow down beneath the ball and
speed up above it; creating downward flow.

Wings produce that downward flow with their shape.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Why dont wings have dimples?
    ... Would putting dimples in my faring reduce my wind ... golf balls have dimples because in order to create lift ... they need to influence the air passing by them with the golf ball's ... Wings produce that downward flow with their shape. ...
    (rec.aviation.homebuilt)
  • Re: Buddy golf balls
    ... Presumably golf balls have dimples rather than grooves because golf balls turn in the air and they don't know which way the air is going to come from, so round dimples will take the air from any direction. ... The longer answer is the issue of dimples is to do with boundary layer separation, and along the side of a railway vehicle there should be no separation with or without surface features of this kind. ...
    (uk.railway)
  • Re: Why dont wings have dimples?
    ... Would putting dimples in my faring reduce my wind ... golf balls have dimples because in order to create lift ... The spin, which should ... moving forward and the top is moving rearward. ...
    (rec.aviation.homebuilt)
  • Re: Adapting to a New Board
    ... Golf balls have dimples to help them spin faster, not fly futher. ...
    (rec.windsurfing)