9/2/2014 Aerodynamic force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Forces on an aerofoil.
Aerodynamic force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aerodynamic force is exerted on a body by the air (or some other
gas) in which the body is immersed, and is due to the relative motion
between the body and the gas. Aerodynamic force arises from two
causes:
[1][2][3]
the normal force due to the pressure on the surface of the
body, and
the shear force due to the viscosity of the gas, also known as
skin friction.
Pressure acts locally, normal to the surface, and shear force acts locally, parallel to the surface. The net
aerodynamic force over the body is due to the pressure and shear forces integrated over the total exposed area
of the body.
[4]
When an airfoil (or a wing) is moving relative to the air it generates an aerodynamic force, in a rearward
direction at an angle with the direction of relative motion. This aerodynamic force is commonly resolved into two
components:
[5][6]
drag is the force component parallel to the direction of relative motion,
lift is the force component perpendicular to the direction of relative motion.
In addition to these two forces, the body may experience an aerodynamic moment also, the value of which
depends on the point chosen for calculation.
The force created by a propeller or a jet engine is called thrust and it is also an aerodynamic force (since it also
acts on the surrounding air). The aerodynamic force on a powered airplane is commonly represented by three
vectors: thrust, lift and drag.
[7][8]
The other force acting on a glider or powered airplane during flight is its weight. Weight is a body force and is
not an aerodynamic force.
See also
Optical lift
References
Hurt, H.H.Jr. Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. A National Flightshop Reprint, Clearwater, Florida
(1979)
Clancy, L.J. (1975). Aerodynamics. Pitman Publishing Limited, London. ISBN 0-273-01120-0
Massey, B.S. Mechanics of Fluids, 2nd Edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., London (1970) Library
of Congress Catalog Card No. 67-25005
9/2/2014 Aerodynamic force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerodynamic_force 2/2
Anderson, J.D.Jr. Aircraft performance and designTata McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-070245-5
Notes
1. ^ Hurt, H.H.Jr. Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. p.29
2. ^ Clancy, L.J. Aerodynamics. Section 4.10
3. ^ Massey, B.S. Mechanics of Fluids, section 10.8.2
4. ^ Anderson,J.D.Jr Aircraft performance and design. Section 2.2
5. ^ Hurt, H.H.Jr. Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. p.14
6. ^ Clancy, L.J. Aerodynamics. Section 5.3
7. ^ Hurt, H.H.Jr. Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. Fig 2.20
8. ^ Clancy, L.J. Aerodynamics. Section 14.2
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