Definition
A wing design in which a section of the wing is formed into a half-cylindrical channel with a propeller mounted at the trailing edge of the channel. The propeller draws air through the channel, producing a high-velocity airflow over the curved upper surface that generates large amounts of lift at very low forward airspeeds.
Plain English
A wing built with a half-pipe shaped scoop in it. A propeller at the back of the scoop pulls air through it, which creates strong lift even when the aircraft is barely moving forward.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft design discussions, especially when describing experimental or short-field aircraft that use propeller airflow to improve low-speed lift.
Derivation
Channel here means a curved trough or half-pipe shape, from the same root as the channel that carries water. The wing is named for the channel-shaped cutout built into it.
Why Pilots Care
Provides significantly better lift at low speeds, allowing shorter takeoff and landing distances.
Analogy
Picture a fan blowing through a curved half-pipe. The shape guides the air and helps create a stronger lifting effect than a flat surface would.
Intuition Check
Do not read “channel” as a radio channel or a route. Here it means a physical curved passage built into the wing for propeller air to flow through.
Example Sentence 1
The Custer Channel Wing was designed to take off and land in very short distances by using its propellers to pull air through the channel-shaped wing sections.
Example Sentence 2
Channel wing designs were explored to improve slow-flight performance for utility operations.