Kenneth F. Ridley
This paper describes an investigation on airplane landing speeds which was made to determine the applicability of accepted aerodynamic theory to the prediction of this particular performance characteristic. The experimental work consisted in measuring the landing speed of several monoplanes by a new photographic method. The results of these tests supplemented by available information regarding biplanes were compared with predictions made with basic aerodynamic theory. The prediction makes use of the fundamental relation between wing loading, lift coefficient, and speed of level flight, and the effects of aspect ratio and proximity to the ground on lift curve slope.
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