Figure 5.12.

Stall characteristics
ClD dCl dD 1.8S (1  0.8 t max ) c

(5.7)

where tmax/c is the maximum thickness to chord ratio of the airfoil. h. Another airfoil characteristic is the shape of the lift curve at and beyond the stall angle of attack (stall behavior). An airfoil with a gentle drop in lift after the stall, rather than an abrupt or sharp rapid lift loss, leads to a safer stall from which the pilot can more easily recover (see figure 5.12). Although the sudden airfoil stall behavior does not necessarily imply sudden wing stall behavior, a careful wing design can significantly modify the airfoil tendency to rapid stall. In general, airfoils with thickness or camber, in which the separation is associated with the adverse gradient on the aft portion rather than the nose pressure peak, have a more gradual loss of lift. Unfortunately, the best airfoils in this regard tend to have lower maximum lift coefficient. As it is observed, there are several parameters to judge about the acceptability of an airfoil. In the next section, the technique to select the best airfoil based on these performance characteristics will be introduced.
Cm

D (deg)

Figure 5.13. The variations of pitching moment coefficient versus angle of attack
Cm

Cl

Figure 5.14. The variations of pitching moment coefficient versus lift coefficient
Wing Design 20