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Inverted gull wing

Why did the Corsair have an inverted gull wing? · Standard part · basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio

Also called: corsair wing, f4u corsair wing, bent wing, inverted gull wing rc, stuka wing, w wing aircraft, why corsair bent wing, inverted gull wing advantages

Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.

sizes
4 in table

Notes

  • An inverted gull wing dips down from the fuselage then rises outboard. On the F4U Corsair it gave ground clearance for a 13 ft propeller and reduced drag at the wing-fuselage joint (Smithsonian NASM).
  • Wind-tunnel data favoured a wing meeting the fuselage at right angles; the bent wing let a low wing do that while allowing an even shorter landing gear than a low wing, avoiding a long, heavy gear (US Naval Institute).
  • Used on: Vought F4U Corsair.
  • The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.

Inverted gull wing size chart

parametervalue or rangesource
Corsair propeller diameter13 ft 1 in (NASM); 13 ft 3 in (USNI)Smithsonian NASM; USNI
EngineR-2800, 1,850 hpSmithsonian NASM
Wing-fuselage junctionright angle for low interference dragUSNI
Reference build anglesillustrative (no published angle fetched)illustrative

Where the files are

Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.

Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumVought F4U-1D CorsairwebPublisher's page; dimensions are facts
US Naval Institute, Naval History MagazineDesigning the Bent-Wing Bird (Feb 1995)webPublisher's page; dimensions are facts

Free files

★ Free files 1 parts. Xem Studio design: free to use, print and sell things from; not to be republished as files. Xem Studio Design License. index.json

inverted-gull-wing-winggull planform: span 1000, root 200, tip 120 mm, LE sweep 0°, dihedral -5°, NACA 2412STEP · STL
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Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=inverted-gull-wing

Inverted gull wing, isometric render of a generated part
Render of inverted-gull-wing-wing from the free STEP; not to scale.

Fits with

Rectangular (constant-chord) wing, isometric render of a generated part
Rectangular (constant-chord) wing6 sizes★ 1 file
Tapered wing (taper ratio for minimum induced drag), isometric render of a generated part
Tapered wing (taper ratio for minimum induced drag)6 sizes★ 1 file
Elliptical wing, isometric render of a generated part
Elliptical wing5 sizes★ 1 file
Swept-back wing, isometric render of a generated part
Swept-back wing4 sizes★ 1 file
Forward-swept wing, isometric render of a generated part
Forward-swept wing4 sizes★ 1 file
Delta wing, isometric render of a generated part
Delta wing5 sizes★ 1 file

Questions

Why the bent wing on the Corsair?

Prop clearance for a large propeller, shorter gear, and a low-drag right-angle wing root (NASM; USNI).