As gliders must cover long distances without any propulsion, they rank among the most highly developed and fascinating aircraft. Even after over 100 years of aircraft development, aerodynamic optimisation continues to evolve. In an era focused on reducing fuel consumption in aviation, these aerodynamic refinements are of particular significance.
A number of universities and engineering firms were involved in the development of this glider. The selection of the suitable wing profile was undertaken by the DLR in Braunschweig and the TU Delft. The development of the fuselage-wing transition was carried out by FlowMotion.
The aerodynamic development of a glider undergoes numerous iteration steps. Following the aforementioned selection of the wing profile, the profiles are optimised in 2D on a computer for specific flight conditions, which can involve several hundred runs. For the best profile, lift and drag are subsequently measured in a wind tunnel.
In the next step, the aim is to design the transition between the fuselage and the wing to ensure that no vortices or other flow effects occur that would adversely affect the glider’s performance. Here, too, initial computer simulations of the flow are performed on a 3D model of the aircraft. With the help of computer-based flow simulations, a wide variety of geometric variants can be investigated in detail much more quickly and cost-effectively than through wind tunnel testing. The streamlines and static pressure distributions visualised from the simulation results provide insight into potential optimisation. Only the best geometry developed through these flow simulations is then verified in a wind tunnel.
Through increasingly accurate flow simulations, new approaches to aerodynamic optimisation will continue to be found, allowing the gliders of tomorrow to fly towards new horizons.
