Project Conclusions

Taking into account the time frame, there's a wide array of factors that went unnoticed. This factors increase the room for systematical error which in return might have compromised our data. The most remarkable sources of error were mostly on the electric motor since we were not convinced how much power exactly the motor delivered. Also the rpm's might not have been exact since there was slippage between the shaft and the belt, which translates in inconsistent fan speeds. Sensors were also a big question mark because at times, the force sensors threw out numbers that did not change, giving a chance to equipment malfunction.

The construction of a wind tunnel came together as a somewhat ambitious project. The wind velocities achieved in the wind tunnel were not excessively high (less than 20 mph). The forces registered by the force sensors for lift came to be quite consistent with each other with magnitudes raging from 0.12 - 0.28N for the thick wing and 0.006 - 0.077N for the wing of thinner profile. In terms of drag force, results yielded uniform results of 0.18 - 0.19N for both wings.The wind tunnel gave us a better idea on how fluid dynamics work, giving us the big picture about principles of continuity and drag/lift forces.