> You probably have thought of this already but my
> understanding is
> that, to "first order", a flat plate is just an "airflow
> deflector",
> so that it gets maximum L/D at 45 deg AOA, and at that
> point, L=D.
> Furthermore, a stalled airfoil approximates a flat plate.

45 degrees AOA as max lift is as per sites quoted BUT
stalling usually occurs well below that. Maybe not for flat
plates. NASA sim I quoted allows you to model a flat plate 
well. Doesn't allow my "bent plate" rotors and it's not 
obvious how to handle them analytically and easily.

With the flat-bent plate rotor machines the plate goes
through 0-180 degrees of aoa and back again so analysis may
be "difficult".

I'm contemplating just measuring torque for a locked rotor
at various aoa's and air speeds which should give me easy 
empirical
results and then vary variables (blade to bent section
ratio and bend angle) and see where that takes me.


        Russell

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