Airfoil Terminology

Boundary Layer
Life/Drag

A330 JACKO CHENG

• The various terms related to airfoils are defined belo
w:
• The suction surface ( upper surface) is generally asso
ciated with higher velocity and thus lower static pres
sure.
• The pressure surface ( lower surface) has a comparati
vely higher static pressure than the suction surface. T
he pressure gradient between these two surfaces co
ntributes to the lift force generated for a given airfoil.
*Chord Line

*Camber
*Relative Wind
*Angle of Attack
• The geometry of the airfoil is described with a variety of terms.
• A key characteristic of an airfoil is its chord. We thus define the
following concepts:
• The leading edge is the point at the front of the airfoil that has
maximum curvature.
• The trailing edge is defined similarly as the point of maximum
curvature at the rear of the airfoil.
• The chord line is a straight line connecting the leading and traili
ng edges of the airfoil.
• The chord length, or simply chord, , is the length of the chord li
ne and is the characteristic dimension of the airfoil section.
• The shape of the airfoil is defined using the following conc
epts:
• The mean camber line is the locus of points midway betwe
en the upper and lower surfaces. Its exact shape depends
on how the thickness is defined;
The thickness of an airfoil varies along the chord. It may be
measured in either of two ways:
– Thickness measured perpendicular to the camber line. This is so
metimes described as the "American convention;
– Thickness measured perpendicular to the chord line. This is som
etimes described as the "British convention".
• Two key parameters to describe an airfoil’s shape are its maxi
mum thickness (expressed as a percentage of the chord), and
the location of the maximum thickness point (also expressed
as a percentage of the chord).
Finally, important concepts used to describe the airfoil’s
behavior when moving through a fluid are:
The aerodynamic center, which is the chord-wise length abou
t which the pitching moment is independent of the lift coeffici
ent and the angle of attack.
The center of pressure, which is the chord-wise location abou
t which the pitching moment is zero.
 Boundary Layer
This layer of air over the surface which slow local
retardation of airflow from viscosity. The boundary
layer is that thin layer of air adjacent to the surface
of a moving body. The velocity of the boundary
layer air varies in speed from zero at the surface to
the free stream velocity (TAS) at a certain distance
from the surface.
 BOUNDARY LAYER PROFILE

Low skin friction

(gradual velocity change)

High skin friction

(sharp velocity change)

WING SURFACE HAS FRICTION

 LIFT
Lift is the key aerodynamic force. It is the force
that opposes weight. In straight-and-level,
unaccelerated flight, when weight and lift are
equal, an airplane is in a state of equilibrium. If
the other aerodynamic factors remain
constant, the airplane neither gains nor loses
altitude.
When an airplane is stationary on the ramp, it is also in equilibrium. In
calm air, the atmosphere exerts equal pressure on the upper and lower
surfaces of the wing, and aerodynamic forces are not a factor. Movement
of air about the airplane, particularly the wing. is necessary before the
aerodynamic forces become effective.
Pressure distribution over wing surfaces
During flight, however, pressures on the upper
and lower surfaces of the wing are not the same.
Although several factors contribute to this
difference, the shape of the wing is the principal
one. The wing is designed to divide the airflow
into areas of high pressure below the wing and
areas of comparatively lower pressure above the
wing. This pressure differential, which is created
by movement of air about the wing.
DRAG CONSISTS OF:
*INDUCED DRAG
*PARASITE DRAG (not due to lift)
--Form Drag
--Skin friction drag
--Interference drag
 INDUCED DRAG
• Wing tip vortices cause the
airflow behind the wing to b
e pushed downward; this is
called downwash.

• The average relative airflow

over the wing is deflected d
ownward; this causes a tiltin
g backward of the lift vector.

• The rearward component of

the lift vector is induced dra
g.

Induced Drag-"Lift dependant" drag

Drag is associated with lift. It is caused by any
aircraft surface that deflects or interferes with the
smooth airflow around the airplane. A highly
cambered, large surface area wing creates more
drag (and lift) than a small, moderately cambered
wing. If you increase airspeed, or angle of attack,
you increase drag (and lift). Drag acts in
opposition to the direction of flight, opposes the
forward-acting force of thrust, and limits the
forward speed of the airplane. Drag is broadly
classified as either parasite or induced.
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