Humanities Homework Help

Take a look at the wing design of this C-17. Based on what you know about aerodynamic terminology and the term “moment”, explain why you think the wing was designed the way it is. How does this compare to similar size commercial air carrier aircraft. Is there another design that you think might be better, since this aircraft was designed in 1970? Explain. In order to complete this question thoroughly, you will need to research anhedral/dihedral. Don’t forget the rubric.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factshee…

https://www.boeing.com/defense/c-17-globemaster-ii…

this is post no.1 to write a 75 words reply for:

Hello everyone,

C-17 is a great aircraft with a unique and distinctive design. As for the definition of moment, it is the force that causes an object to rotate (Deener, 2018). As for the giant C-17 aircraft, it is the first heavy air transport aircraft in the military sector. As for the wing design of the C-17, these wings greatly reduce the drag and help the aircraft absorb turbulence. The wing of the C-17 is considered an anhedral wing and has many advantages specifically for aircraft used in the military sector. Anhedral wing gives a high level of maneuverability, but the aircraft face some difficulties in flying. However, it makes the aircraft able to stabilize despite maneuvers and recover from them quickly compared to commercial transport aircraft (“NASA contributions to the C-17 Globemaster III,” 1996). As for commercial transport aircraft, close to the size of the C-17, they use a dihedral wing, and it has some drawbacks that are not suitable for large aircraft used in the military sector, such as increasing the drag and reducing the roll rate. In my opinion, the design of the dihedral wing is better for aircraft that are used for commercial air transport because it increases the stability of the roll rate and we do not need the high maneuverability for transport aircraft. Therefore, dihedral wing is much better for large commercial air carrier aircraft.

no.2 : The C-17 has outstanding aerodynamic efficiency, making quick and effective takeoffs and landings along the runways. The plane has a supercritical wing with advanced airfoil designs that allow a clear range view and faster-cruising speed. The wings also enable the plane to become fuel efficient through the production of weaker shocker waves which create less drag, thus developing high efficiency. Similar commercial aircraft have such wings only that they are not as wide as those of a C-17 (Kendall, 2018). The C-17 has a significant anhedral that reduces lift loss because each wing has a horizontal lift vector. Similar commercial aircraft also have these anhedral wings that help the planes navigate the vital force of opposition.

Various aircraft might be better than the C-17 since it dates back to the 1970s, and many technological revolutions have occurred since then. A plane like Antonov An-225 is the largest plane globally carrying heavy supplies and was mainly used in delivering them during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a plane owned by the United States military, and it is tasked with the role of carrying tanks, military choppers like the Black Hawk, and other vehicles (Rushing & Howard, 2017). The incorporation of more rapid and efficient engines would aid in speeding up takeoff and ease of landing, which are the most crucial stages of flight. I also think that engines should be developed so that they hold the plane air-borne before refueling to avoid making unnecessary stopovers that effectively save a lot of time.