Problem Trigger:

Geometry of aerofoil
There is no such thing as a one size fit all aerofoil for aircrafts. A slight change in
aerofoil shape can severely alter its properties and usefulness. Different service
requirements of aircraft requires the use of different type of aerofoils to suit their
needs. So what are the different type of aerofoil geometries and how are they
different in properties?

What we already know:

A basic aerofoil (side view)

The front of the wing (at the bottom) is called the leading edge, it is where air
first meets the aerofoil. The back of the wing (at the top) is called the trailing
edge, it is where air leaves the aerofoil.
The distance from the leading to trailing edges is called the chord.
The straight line drawn from the leading to trailing edges of the airfoil is called the chord
line.
The points that lie halfway between the upper and lower surfaces is called the mean
camber line.
For a symmetric airfoil the upper surface is a reflection of the lower surface
and the mean camber line will fall on top of the chord line

The maximum distance between the the chord and the mean camber line is called
the camber, which is a measure of the curvature of the airfoil (high camber means high
curvature).
The maximum distance between the upper and lower surfaces is called the thickness.

The distance from one wing tip to the other is called the span.
Aerofoil properties:
The dimension of the aerofoil will adversely affect its properties and its range of
operation.
Aspect ratio is a measure of how long and slender a wing is from tip to tip. The Aspect
Ratio of a wing is defined to be the square of the span divided by the wing area and is given
the symbol AR. (ratio of its length to its breadth)
High aspect ratio wings have long spans (like high performance gliders), while low aspect
ratio wings have either short spans (like the F-16 fighter). There is a component of the drag
of an aircraft called induced drag which depends inversely on the aspect ratio. A higher
aspect ratio wing has a lower drag and a slightly higher lift than a lower aspect ratio wing. A
glider is usually fitted with a high aspect ratio aerofoil
High aspect ratio
1: Lower induced drag
2:Higher lift
3:More stability > Lower manoeuvrability
4:Higher bending stress. More stress on
structure.
5: More wing area >Higher parasitic drag
6: Normally thinner, need to be reinforced
internally, not useful functionally.
7: Airfield and hanger limitation, Too wide
wing will have problem entering hanger and
airfield.

Low aspect ratio

1: Higher induced drag
2: Lower lift
3:Less stability > Higher manoeuvrability
4: Lower bending stress. Less stress on
structure
5: Lesser wing area >Lower parasitic drag
6: Normally thicker, no need to be
reinforced, can be used as fuel tanks,
retractable landing gear, and house other
system.
7: Easy to enter and exit airfield and
hanger.

From this comparison, you can tell that normally gliders and long distance flights will utilize a
high aspect ratio wing for its lower induced drag and higher lift. They do not need to

manoeuver much gliders do not need a fuel tank. Stress is not much of a problem because
they are mostly in straight and level flight.
However, fighters and stunt aircraft will require a low aspect ratio wing for their
manoeuvrability. Also, because of the G they are required to pull, they need to be compact
and have a strong and stable structure. It is also an additional bonus that the wings can be
used as fuel tanks and load (bomb) carrying structural members. Versatile landing and takeoff location is also required for fighters.
Dihedral angle is the upward angle from horizontal of the wings

Dihedral means that the angle the wings make with the horizontal is a positive angle. While
anhedral means that the angle is negative.
Dihedral angle (or anhedral angle) has a strong influence on the dihedral effect. Dihedral effect
is the amount of roll moment produced per degree of sideslip. The purpose of dihedral effect is to
contribute to stability in the roll axis.

The sideslip conditions produce greater angle of attack on the forward-yawed wing and smaller
angle of attack on the rearward-yawed wing. As greater angle of attack produces more lift (when
the wing is not near stalling), the forward wing will have more lift and the rearward wing will have
less lift. This difference in lift between the wings is a rolling moment (labelled p), thus returning
the aircraft to straight and level flight.
A side effect of too much dihedral effect, caused by excessive dihedral angle among other things,
can be yaw-roll coupling (a tendency for an aircraft to Dutch roll).
Dihedral angle may be included to provide greater clearance between the wing tips and the
runway. This is of particular concern with swept-wing aircraft, whose wingtips could hit the
runway on rotation/touchdown. In military aircraft dihedral angle space may be used for
mounting materiel and drop-tanks on wing hard points, especially in aircraft with low wings.
Otherwise armaments might touch the runway during touchdown and take-off.
Some Military fighter aircraft often have near zero or even anhedral angle reducing dihedral
effect and hence reducing the stability of the spiral mode. This increases manoeuvrability which

is desirable in fighter-type aircraft. Anhedral angles are also seen on aircraft with a high mounted
wing, such as the very large Antonov An-124. In such designs, the high mounted wing is above
the aircraft's center of gravity which adds extra dihedral effect due to the pendulum effect (also
called the keel effect) and so additional dihedral angle is often not required. Such designs can
have too much dihedral effect and so be too stable in the spiral mode, so anhedral angle on the
wing is added to cancel out some of the dihedral effect so that the aircraft can be more easily
maneuverd.

Wet wing area is just the area of the wing that has contact with incoming airflow. A higher wet
wing area will mean higher amount of parasitic drag. It also means more surface of the wing
being utilised.

Examples of aerofoil shapes