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This is a neat idea, but it's super confusing without the concept of the sail's curvature. AFAIK, sails work like airplane wings (not like socks), creating lif
by pkghost 12y ago
This is a neat idea, but it's super confusing without the concept of the sail's curvature.
AFAIK, sails work like airplane wings (not like socks), creating lift on the convex surface by virtue of faster moving air and lower pressure. Perhaps your model assumes the same, but it's not clear from the way the sail is drawn, and it looks like sailing down wind is just as fast as sailing somewhat across the wind, which is in fact the fastest way to sail.
- Sharlin 12y agoAirplane wings don't work like that; it's a common myth and does not really make sense. Wings generate lift by a rather straightforward utilization of Newton's third law of motion: they deflect air downward. Sails work the same way: they deflect air sideways. http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/how-wings-really-work http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/how-wings-really-work
- Anderkent 12y agoVideo that (i think) explains it better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFO4PBolwFg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFO4PBolwFg