In order to measure performance of aircraft wings it is necessary to have both a physical model of the wing and the experimental results showing wing performance. Vensim’s optimization and data handling capabilities were used to measure the lift to drag ratio as a function of velocity. The control line airplane’s movement is determined by the rotating velocity w and the inclination angle a. Thrust (equals drag) is measured at the engine of the airplane using Hooke’s law. A Vensim model was used to estimate the underlying parameters, quickly and efficiently, in order to explore design alternatives.
For more on the results of this work see http://www.winggrid.ch.