BUG WIPING DURING FLIGHT - How does it work?
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2021
- Laminar Aerotec: laminar-aerotec.com/
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Nice gadget and well explained, Stefan. 👍
Left-Bug-Wiper said to Right-Bug-Wiper; “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”
Right-Bug-Wiper replied; “True, but you can’t beat the View!” 😁
Nice one, Johan! May we quote your joke and give you a credit for it?
@@laminaraerotec6606 I’m glad you like it.
You’re welcome to use the joke.
Fantastic one, Johan!
@@Johan-ex5yj great, thanks!
Is there a pun I'm missing? I dont get it
I have no idea why I'm watching this at 4:35 a.m. LOL I don't have a glider or anything but I enjoy watching your videos!
✌️😊👍
That´s so cool. Thanks for watching!
It's hard to imagine those things sliding back and forth across the leading edge of the wings don't interrupt airflow more than a itty bitty mosquito.
Exactly I'm not sure it even is useful
I was just about to post similar. The weight of the wiper and the mechanical device to wind it in and out combined with the airflow disruption of the device. Surely takes out more that it puts in ? Id be interested in weighing a flight load of dead bugs and see what it is compared to the device and its associated switches and pulleys.
@@bonesshed. hey just to let you know;
I'm running a special on bugs right now, it's that time of year again.
FREE
(BUT YOU PAY THE SHIPPING)
I think its a total waste.
It moves for less than minute every few hours, it's irrelevant.
I know that a laminar flow airfoil can be quite critical of small disruptions of airflow caused by the small bump of a bug. Forty years ago we were doing glide tests by using small pieces of tape to represent a smashed bug. Our question then was how do we clean it in flight. Nice to see a system that works.
How much of a reduction did the "bugs" make to the Glide Ratio?
I like to learn something new every day. Today, this was it.
Many commentators are critical of the benefits from bug wipers. I'd like to argue why the device is beneficial.
Firstly, the reason for removing bugs is not because of their weight but because of the aerodynamic impact they have.
Glider aircraft are highly optimized vehicles. Often high-performance gliders have laminar flow wings. These wings are optimized for performance however more susceptible to flow separation even due to small amounts of surface contamination.
Finding numbers on this was really hard. Unfortunately Laminar Aerotec (the manufacturers of the device) aren't very transparent with the numbers. I asked a glider pilot from my local club on the benefit and he claimed up to 10% if the wing is very sensitive and the bugs are numerous but couldn't give me a source.
Upon longer research I found one source with the following data: The disturbance of the laminar airflow i.e. turbulent airflow caused by a single bug expands in a conical shape in an angle of 10 - 30 degrees behind said bug [1]. Therefore especially the leading edge is vulnerable to impurities. This leads to a performance reduction of 10% - 30% with a "bug density" of 20 bugs per meter [2]. Depending on the weather, season and location, this bug density can be 5 - 10 times as much [1]. The surface-contamination-susceptibility due to bugs of laminar flow wings has even concerned NASA who developed complex fluid discharge systems on wings to combat insect contamination [2].
Even the glider manufacturers have been building special "garages" for storing the bugwiper snugly outside of the airflow (little cavities in the fuselage) [3].
I see many other commentators regard this device as a mere gimmick. That was my first impression as well but I'd encourage you to take a closer look at the history, development and (aerodynamic) reasons for it being so widespread in high-performance gliding since the 1980s. I'd also encourage Laminar Aerotec to publish some data on the performance delta of their device with different aircraft and bug densities.
[1] see the website bugwiper . virtualave . net/ using the WayBack machine (second menu item "entwicklung") The original research was published in the soaring magazine by Dick Johnsson.
[2] NASA Document ID 19850067951
[3] search "bugwiper asw24" on youtube
I'd post direct links but yt hides my comments if I do.
Nice findings - thanks for taking the time to post this!
Good stuff! Also see : NASA's Bug Team >>
ruclips.net/video/_Mx9rD-lmvM/видео.html
i wish every youtube comment posted its sources like this
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As an engineer and airline pilot looking to take up soaring in retirement this was very interesting seeing this for the first time. My guess is that weeping lemon Pledge and turning on the bleeds for the leading edges during the launch isn't a good option ;)
Thank you for the video and the explanation. That is a very clever device, and an elegant design.
You are living a dream Stefan, enjoy every moment
Just watching the movement is already very soothing. Great video cheers
Sehr genial. Sowas hab ich noch nie gesehen 🤩
Nice 💗thanks for sharing this!
Never knew there was such a thing! Amazing!
You´ve talked about distraction (2:09). I once heard that the cause of fatal collision that killed former world champion Helmut Reichmann was probably due his attention deviation because he was trying a bugwiper and failed to see the other glider. Anyway it was very sad.
This is the coolest thing I've seen in a while! And simple! I thought it would have been driven by some sophisticated magnets on a track inside the wing or something!
The way you shoot is amazing
Great looking design!!
Good luck with it!
Simply put GENIUS!
Very important for laminar flow
That's very cool! Most gliders in NZ don't have them, so great to see them up close. Will you convert your manual wind up wipers to electric sometime?
I definitely prefer the electric ones because they don´t distract me from flying the glider. However there is a huge difference in the price, so I will keep the manual ones for a while.
Wow! New Zealand? I thought your "Leader" would ban anything remotely fun.
@@anjetabreymann7179 I know right? I thought NZ's fascist prime minister wouldn't even let him in the country.
@@SteFly pretty easy to do some diy and stick it on yourself
Amazing! I did not know that wings had problems with bugs, and just now that I learned it, there is already a solution to that problem. 😄
It's my frist time to know about this system. Thank you!
Awesome 🤩!
Awesome Stefan. Thanks for sharing this. It took some serious time and brain power to understand how those things were going out and back on the wing with nothing touching them. It always confused the heck out of me lol
It´s really a fantastic invention!
@@SteFly yes fancy stuff! Just yesterday I did only a 37 minute flight with my son onboard to get him used to the DG505MB operation and in 37 minutes of hanging out on the last of the day lift: we had probably 5-10% coverage already. Some really big ones too! They must've flown in from Texas. 😜 That's what we call a BUG strike. 😂
Very nice invention
This is my second post on this subject and I want to ask. How much parasitic drag is being cleaned off and how much parasitic drag is increased by having such a device on your wing does it not equal out or does it save?
Thanks again this is a good channel great content
Im sure if you're a glider pilot you'll want the most coefficient lift available while conserving momentum energy and anything on the edges stuck like that could cause microscopic eddies forming to the point if more and more bugs splatter on just the edge it could induce stalling at slower speeds ya kno?
I just asked the same question as this post essentially. HA ha... read it after the fact.
@@ryanlemons3255
There is no lift at the leading edge. It's pure drag there.
@@akulkis True but the leading edge is responsible for how smooth and effective the flow over the wing is.
That is awesome. A system like this might work for deicing as well.
Good innovation 👍
I'm German but live in USA, love hearing the accent!!! 😉
What a great system!
Didn't know that was a thing...knowledge is king 🙂
Yes indeed, keeping the leading edge clean and bug free is very important, and why I clean mine on my bush plane once a year, whether it needs it or not. Ha ha, if you saw the drag producing things on my plane, you'd hurl, nonetheless, I still have had 3 hours plus dead stick ridge soaring flights with it!
Hi Stefan, Never thought it was really useful system. Thanks for your explanations because I didn't understand how it works before.🤔🤔👍👍👍
Thank you! It is very useful at some days here in Germany.
Nice one
Amazing design, who ever made this well done.. wow
An ingenious invention. I had no idea! Next you'll need something to spray alcohol on the wiper to get the extra bits of guts that the threat misses!
fly safely❤❤
Great video .Does ceramic coating help?
I never would have thought that was a problem
Great Video! Still waiting for SteFly Merch to come up! ;-)
Very interesting video....I love science class....
So cool.
NICE VIEW
Wow! I didn’t know this was a thing
Very cool idea , lateral thinking. Ur glider, do u manufacturer them ? And do u have a hidden electric motor 2 get them sky ward.
How do you clean the bugs off of your bug wiper?
The drag from the bug wiper ? Hahaha.
As an aeronautical engineer, this is the firdt time i hear about the bug wiper. Intresting.
Amazing
Great!!
Ok no idea how I came across a video about bug wipers... But I have a question..
Wouldn't the drag of this contraption out weight the benefits of removing some dead bugs off the wing? I mean the wiper literally uses wind speed to move? Surly bugs won't effect the airfoil that much?
It's amazing how much better it flies after being wiped...
@@beanshark992 Before it goes down, but then after being wiped I goes up. It's obvious....
im so amaze
I had no idea bugs could fly that high
im very impresive
That's cool; I had no idea.. Would a ceramic coating like used on cars not help so the bugs couldn't stick. Just a random thought, but I'm sure the engineers have an answer lol thanks for sharing :)
Beautiful....
Could this be applied to wind mills.
Nice gadget and amasing
amazing
Es ist schwer zu glauben dass der von diesem Gerät erzeugter Luftwiderstand kleiner/lohnender ist als der Widerstand von Insekten an der Flügelkante. Ist das eine empirische Erfahrung, oder ist es errechnet worden?
It doesn't add much drag. How much drag does a mosquito add?
This thing must at least add the drag of 1000 bugs on the attack edge of the wing lol
@@oczhaal Exactly what I was thinking :)
Does the bug wiper cause more drag than the amount of drag caused by a single flight of bug collections on the wings? I feel that it does, looks like it's more harm than beneficial.
People just need to wipe their wings down.
Regards from Athens Greece..
I have a request for you, my friend, to take a trip over Switzerland or Italy or any natural place
Oh my gosh how I wish I had such a plane. This type of aircraft is not allowed by my country, but I find pleasure in your videos, God willing. We will continue to support you. God bless you and bless your planes...May God guide you and guide you, keep loving you Stephen Greetings from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 🇯🇴🇯🇴
❤
You can't have gliders in Jordan? Why not?
Thanks for the explanation. I had never heard that story before. I could not understand the reasoning other than the government just being dickish.
I'm from the States and have a private pilot's license. I have flown gliders as a student. I now fly small planes up and down the beaches on the west coast of Florida.
@@blaster-zy7xx Very cool. I wish you success and success in your life. I hope you always feel happy while you are driving the plane. God willing, I will go to the United States of America in the month of 9 next year to study
I am trying to get my private pilot license and experience flying over America. I will not miss this opportunity. Greetings to you💚
Someone got rich(er) off this idea. But now I'm wondering why a similar system doesn't exist for removing ice. Could you send a hardened version down a wing to break off any ice from the leading edge, and could it be extended to crack ice off from the upper and lower wing surfaces?
This is so bizzare it almost looks like an April fools prank 😀
Great idea , but seriously is it really it worth it ??? I fly rc gliders will i fit this to get better lift, and was a hang glider pilot in the 90,s a few bugs is not going to slow ya down
C'est pas pire la traînée de se bout de plastique et tout le matériel que sa implique comparé à 3-4 moustiques ?
thats neat
i need this for my car grille when driving down the highway
As you use the device during flight I am assuming the bugs sit on the wings while the plane is flying. That's a very scary tought
What are the numbers ?
How beneficial is this device ultimately?
Nice
not even a pilot; aspired to be a pilot, but, I chose engineering instead... nonetheless never knew that the accumulation of impacted bugs on the leading edge of an airfoil degraded the laminar flow ... intrigued by this system and watched the video until the end ...
How high up do insects fly?
To get a more complete picture, I searched for glider bug wiper retrieval winch.
I wonder if this could be useful for deicing ?
It would be interesting to see a typical wing with bugs to better understand the problem
I need this for my body
What is the car? Very nice.
But wouldn't the bug wipers create enough drag that negates any gain diminished by gains of removing bugs?
Can a 300lb man fly a glider or is there a weight limit? I really do not know.
Looks like fun if I can fit.
How many ?
The leading edge of feathered flights.
does it worth it...?
Good
I would love to see this on an airliner 🤣
Can you feel or measure the improvement of L/D after a round trip of the pair of bug wipers?
There were measurements done by Pirker&Storka, which show a decrease of L/D up to 15%.
Last year at one flight I flew the ASG29 without bug wipers and there were so many bugs on the wing, that I landed early in the afternoon. The glide performance can decreasy drastically, especially at higher speeds. Of course there are also other days with only a few bugs in the air.
@@laminaraerotec6606 would you mind posting a source? Id be curious to read more on this.
Need something like that for my car.
Do they ever fall off??
cool gadget Stefan. But you still haven't explained how this bug wiper moves from the start of wing to the wing tip ie how it traverses along the wing leading edge. You only show a (noisy) ratchet or electric motor. Does it work on a pulley system like, you know raising and lowering the flag. So is there a pulley near the wing tip and some nylon chord along the wing leading edge to traverse this gadget along?
That part you haven't explained I believe. Thank you.
It gets pushed out by the air flowing over it.
I always go through a car wash just before long milage trips. I calculate I am roughly adding .054 mpg to my overall gas milage, or adding .864 miles in range to my tank. Speed and acceleration has increased by same factor, but de-acceleration and braking distance have likely increased by same factor. Wife won't climb out on hood to clean the front of truck hole I drive down interstate so I am stuck with an unknown factor of deminishing return.
"Mowskeeters" lol
The boundary layer closest to the airfoil skin is stationary. A small bug won't do jack sh*t to the airflow. The same as when a 737 lands with a wing covered in fine dust. The air is stationary that close.
Depending on the glider, your glide ratio can decrease by 10km by joust 10% bug covering.
Interesting... a similar device could be designed to clean the canopy.
This guy is so German, and i like it.
I'm a german as well!
How many mosquitoes are present as you’re cruising altitude‘s?
Quite a lot of bugs are carried aloft by the same thermals the gliders use - my experience is that there are too many bugs. And gliders don't have a cruising altitude, they thermal to altitude, glide down for the next thermal, up again, down etc.
Na endlich erklärt mir das mal einer mit simplen Worten. Danke Stefan! Der Leistungsunterschied Mückenbefall - kein Mückenbefall muss markant sein, um diese Apparatur zu rechtfertigen. Woran erkennst Du, ob Du eine verschmutzte Eintrittskannte hast?
Rausschauen, das sieht man :-). Und wo bekommt man >2 Gleitzahlpunkte für 2000€??
@@ackerflieger6703 Korrekt, danke für die Antwort!
Seems like 100 feet of fishing line would create more drag than the bug splats. A nice wipe down with wax or teflon would reduce the bug good stickage during a flight.
The problem is to get out and wipe them off during the flight. And the string is stoved on reels between uses.
@@sablatnic8030 So during flight no string is exposed to the airflow other than when it's wiping?
@@avi8r66 That is correct, the string is used to pull the gizmo back to the fuselage.
I always wondered if bugs wiped their bugs.