Angle Lab Release Notes

Angle Lab v1.33.2 — Release Notes

Released: July 2026 · Previous public version: 1.32.0.6

This release bundles three internal versions (1.33.0, 1.33.1, 1.33.2) into one update — the largest improvement to Angle Lab since its introduction, centered on a complete rework of the joiner-angle optimizer.

The Optimization Priority slider now does what it says (v1.33.0)

The biggest change in this release is under the Suggest Optimal Angles assistant.

Before: moving the priority slider between Max Penetration and Max Thermal Stability usually changed nothing — and when it did, it jumped abruptly to a very different wing (near-flat center with extreme tip angles) rather than making a gradual trade.

Now: a single optimization builds a trade path of candidate configurations from your wing's geometry, and the slider's nine positions select stations along that path:

  • Balanced (center detent) remains the reference recommendation — and it returns exactly the same angles as v1.32 for any given wing. If you built to a previous Balanced suggestion, this update does not second-guess it.
  • Moving left toward Max Penetration progressively trades a little thermal-turn stability for lower drag.
  • Moving right toward Max Thermal Stability does the reverse.
  • Each step melds gradually into its neighbors — no more sudden jumps between unrelated solutions.

Two design principles are built into the new recommendations:

  1. Center dihedral is preferred over tip angle. When your center joiner is adjustable, suggestions keep tip angles within the preferred 2–8° range and put the needed dihedral into the center joiner instead. Field experience shows steep tip joints cost more penetration than simplified models capture, and on aileron-equipped ships they also lean the lift of exactly the panels your ailerons live on.
  2. High tip angles are flagged, never silent. If a recommendation's tip angle exceeds 8° — for example when your center joiner is fixed at a low angle — the assistant now shows a clear caution explaining why, including the estimated drag penalty. Previous versions could suggest these angles without comment.

Sometimes several slider positions in the same direction return identical angles. That's the optimizer being honest: within safe stability limits, there is genuinely nothing more to gain in that direction for your wing.

The in-app help text for the optimizer has been rewritten to describe the new behavior.

Display and input refinements (v1.33.1)

  • Per-panel center angles on the wing diagram now show two decimal places. The diagram labels each center panel with half the total center V angle, so a 4.5° total previously displayed as a rounded "2.3°" per panel — it now correctly reads 2.25°, matching what you'd actually set at the building board.
  • The total center angle is now shown on the diagram as well, beside the fuselage (e.g., "4.50° total"), in each wing's color — so the per-panel and total figures are both visible at a glance.
  • The experimental wing's Center Joiner Angle now carries the same explanatory note as the baseline wing: (0=flat, 4=2°/panel).
  • Minimum wingspan is now 2 meters (2000 mm), reflecting the F5J-class focus of the model's calibration. Saved experiments with smaller spans still load, with the wingspan raised to the new minimum.

Feedback button and usage counting (v1.33.2)

  • New "Contact WingBones" button at the bottom of the app, alongside the Purpose and Copyright sections. Found an issue, have a feature idea, or want to share how a suggested setup flew? That feedback directly shapes future versions — several improvements in this release trace back to real flying experience.
  • Anonymous visit counting (Google Analytics) is included on the hosted version so we can see whether the tool is being used. It counts visits only — no personal data, no tracking of your designs, model names, or notes, and nothing advertising-related. Copies of the app run locally on your own computer contact no external services at all.

Compatibility

  • Saved experiment files and browser-stored sessions from v1.31–v1.32 load normally in v1.33.2.
  • Balanced optimizer recommendations are unchanged from v1.32 — verified against a frozen regression suite covering multiple geometries, optimization scopes, and molded-tip configurations.

Angle Lab is provided for educational and illustrative purposes. As always, validate any setup change with careful test flying.