Joel Price wrote:

Dear Group,

Dear Group,

I am developing a light weight product that will be hanging outside
and wanted to ask your collective wisdom about wind effects on it's
shape. It is approximately 30 (28 on shorter surface) x 40 x 2
inches. It has a symmetrical shape (with respect to leading and
trailing edges), basically a trapezoid (kind of like a stackable bin).
It will look something like this character picture if it comes out
correctly on your browser and font.

_________________________ / ^
/ \ /______wind |
/___________________________\ \ | lift?
\

I am trying to anticipate or design how this thing will move in the
wind. The wind would be coming perpendicular to the 2 inch width,
that is, parallel to the flat top and bottom of the trapezoid. I want
it to not flap around so I am trying to create a shape that will force
it to flap backward (in the direction of the shorter surface) in a
wind and more or less stay there.

Any opinions?

Thanks in advance.

Well, dog gone it. No, it probably will just blow around in the breeze.

When the wind hits the sloping side, the thingie will probably pitch
some. All bets off then.

There is nothing there to hold the thingie in pitch...

Just my opinion, could be wrong.

Richard