Experimental Study of Wingsuit Surface on Aerodynamic Performance

Due to the high importance of maneuverability in wingsuit flight, the design and geometry of wingsuits have an important role in improving maneuverability in the flight, therefore active and passive flow control can improve wingsuit performance and maneuverability. One of the ways to improve wingsuit performance is to make geometrical changes such as the structure of the wing surface. In this article, the effects of creating a wave-shaped protrusion on the aerodynamic performance of a wingsuit compared to a smooth wing have been investigated experimentally. By tests in the wind tunnel at different angles of attack for the wingsuit model and measuring the lift and drag coefficients of the model, changing the geometry of the wing surface has improved the performance (L/D) on average by about 20% at angles of attack above 10⸰. Also, by tufts on the surface of the models, the areas of separation were also examined from the perspective of visibility. Experimental observations show that the separation area on the surface of the wavy wing is reduced compared to the smooth wing.