Aerodynamics 6 min read
High-speed Flight
Compressibility High-speed flight is flight near, but below the speed of sound. Below high-speed—what is regarded as slow-speed flight—the movement of…
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Dutch Roll
The term Dutch roll refers to a tendency for an aircraft to roll whenever there is yaw. Swept wing aircraft are…
Aerodynamics 5 min read
Wing Design
Laminar and conventional airfoils Two types of airfoils commonly used are the laminar and conventional airfoils; as a rule, the laminar foil…
Aerodynamics 3 min read
Lift and Drag Concepts
Factors that affect lift and drag can be expressed in the following formulas: Lift = CL × ½ pV2 ×…
Aerodynamics 7 min read
Generating Lift
Airfoils As viewed as a cross-section, the upper surface of an airfoil has more camber (curve) than lower surface. A straight…
Aerodynamics 1 min read
Forces of Flight
Lift Lift is an artificial force manipulated by pilot; it is generated through the wings, acts perpendicular to the relative…
Aerodynamics 6 min read
Many Mysteries of Flight Remain
As anyone with a fear of flying will tell you, flight is a mystery. The fact that heavy planes full…
Aerodynamics 1 min read
Effect of Hypersonic Speeds
Recently, intense research has gone into the development of planes that can fly at hypersonic speeds, approximately five times or…
Aerodynamics 3 min read
A brief history of aerodynamics
Photo: Record breaker! Whether you’re on land, air, or water, you can’t break speed records unless you understand aerodynamics. This…
Aerodynamics 2 min read
Shock Waves
WHAT IS A SHOCK WAVE? When an airplane travels less than the speed of sound, the air ahead of it…
Aerodynamics 3 min read
Waves in the Air
WHAT HAPPENS AS AN AIRPLANE NEARS THE SPEED OF SOUND? As an airplane approaches the speed of sound, conditions around…
Aerodynamics 2 min read
Vortex Drag
WHAT ARE THOSE WHIRLS OFF THE WING TIPS? The spirals of air that trail off the tips of an airplane’s…