This research explores how the wake changes when spanwise lift distribution moves away from the classical elliptical form toward bell-shaped and other non-elliptical loadings. The studies compare multiple wing configurations and show that changing the way circulation tapers near the tip can reshape the wake in fundamental ways, including weaker downwash concentration, delayed roll-up, and vorticity structures that remain flatter and more inboard than those associated with a conventional tip vortex. The emphasis is on the wake as a dynamic expression of loading choice, not merely as a downstream byproduct.
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Erasing the VortexNon Elliptical Wingtip Vortex Suppression
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Cain, Charles B., and Sidaard Gunasekaran. "Wake Characteristics of a Bell-Shaped Lift Distribution." In AIAA SciTech 2026 Forum, p. 2327. 2026. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-2327
Variations in the Wake Structure of Non-Elliptical Lift Distributions Near Wingtip
Schreyer, Grace A., Sidaard Gunasekaran, Julian A. Pabon, and Jielong Cai. "Variations in the Wake Structure of Non-Elliptical Lift Distributions Near Wingtip." In AIAA SCITECH 2025 Forum, p. 0253. 2025. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2025-0253
