Flutter - Reducing The Risk
Flutter - Reducing The Risk
Flutter - Reducing The Risk
58 DECEMBER 2003
FLUTTER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JIM KOEPNICK
FLUTTER
L
FLUTTER
egend has it that the famed Wisconsin air racer Steve Wittman
used to check his racing airplanes for flutter by making high-
speed passes just above frozen Lake Winnebago. His reasoning was
that if he experienced flutter, he could quickly land and slide to a
stop on the lake.
You won’t find any flight-test manual recommending this proce-
dure, but in the 1930s, as racers pushed the performance envelope,
Sport Aviation 59
Whether you’re building your own design or someone
else’s, you need to do what you can to ensure that
your airplane will never experience this destructive
phenomenon.
dynamic effects are the final ingre- Money back guarantee. Visa, MasterCard and US Government IMPAC cards accepted.