Introduction

why-airplanes-flyaerodynamics
Dr. Hamdy A. Kandil

Preface

Objectives
The course aims to providing the students with fundamental knowledge of
aerodynamics. As a core course, it will focus on the basic understanding and
engineering approaches to aerodynamics. The students will be introduced to
a number of methods, which are routinely used as part of the aircraft
design process
Learning Outcome
Upon successful completion of the course, the students will:
appreciate governing equations of aerodynamic flows.
have a basic understanding of inviscid incompressible flow and basic
airfoil/wing theory
have a basic understanding of compressible flows and understanding in
the application to transonic/supersonic flows.
appreciate aerodynamic design considerations.
Activities
Apply simple superposition of elementary flow solutions to study the flow
around circular cylinders, Joukowski airfoil and general airfoils
Compute aerodynamic forces on streamlined bodies, in particular airfoils and
wings in incompressible, subsonic and supersonic flow
Introduce students to experimental methods

Textbook & References

Text Book
Aerodynamics for Engineers, John J. Bertin & Russell M. Cummings,
Pearson, 2014, (6th edition), ISBN 978-0-273-79327-4
References
Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, John Anderson, McGraw-Hill, 2011, (5th
edition), ISBN 978-0-07-339810-5.
Aerodynamics for Engineering Students, E.L. Houghton, P.W. Carpenter,
Steven H. Collicott, Daniel T. Valentine (6th edition), Elsevier, 2013,
ISBN: 978-0-08-096632-8
Foundations of Aerodynamics, Arnold M. Kuethe & Chuen-Yen Chow, John
Wiley, 1998, 5th edition, ISBN 0-471-12919-4
Basic Aerodynamics Incompressible Flow, Gary A. Flandro, Howard M.
McMahon, Robert L. Roach, Cambridge, 2012, ISBN 978-0-521-80582-7
Web

Some excellent fluid dynamics movieshttp://web.mit.edu/hml/ncfmf.html )

NASA Aeronautics (http://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/index.html )

UIUC Applied Aerodynamics Group (http://mselig.ae.illinois.edu/index.html )

Course Contents
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
8.

Introduction
Role of aerodynamics in aerospace engineering, revision of fluid mechanical
principles, fundamental principles
Potential Flows

Circulation, stream function, potential function, elementary flows, flow

around a cylinder, generation of lift
Incompressible Flow over Airfoils

Airfoil nomenclature and characteristics, Kutta-condition, thin airfoil

theory, airfoil drag, high-lift devices
Incompressible Flow over Finite Wings

Downwash and induced drag, Biot-Savart law and Helmholtz theorems,

lifting line theory, delta wings
Compressible Flows

Thermodynamic properties, energy equation, speed of sound, stagnation

point properties, sonic conditions, normal shocks, oblique shocks
Subsonic and Transonic Flows

Linear theory, Prandtl-Glauert factor, critical Mach number, area rule,

supercritical airfoil design
Supersonic Flows

Principles, shock, expansion theory, linear theory

Experimental Aerodynamics

The Four Forces of Flight

The forces acting on an airplane in flight are lift, weight, thrust,

and drag. These forces are in equilibrium during straight-andlevel, unaccelerated flight.
LIFT

DRAG

THRUST
WEIGHT

FORCES ACTING ON AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT

THRUST
LIFT
The aircrafts propelling force
Acts at right angle to the
Arranged symmetrically to the center line
line of flight & through the
Acts parallel to the line of flight
Centre of Pressure of the
wings

WEIGHT@ GRAVITY
Acts vertically downwards
through the Centre of
Gravity
FORCES ACTING ON AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT

DRAG
Opposes the forward
motion
Regarded as a rearward
acting force

PRODUCTION OF LIFT

To keep flying
aircraft must produce a
force equal to its own
weight

Greater force to lift

the aircraft from the
ground

Force (lift) is provided

by the wing
PRODUCTION OF LIFT

Lift
Lift is the force created by the interaction between the wings and
the airflow. It always act upwards. It is considered to be the
'most important force' as without it, an aircraft cannot ascend
from ground and maintain altitude.
Lift is an aerodynamic force

Lift must exceed weight for flight

Generated by motion of aircraft through air

Created by the effects of airflow past wing

Aircraft lift acts through a single point called the center of

pressure.

Lift: Wing Section

Lift Equation: L=CL A V2

Angle of Attack

The angle of attack is the angle between the chord

line and the average relative wind.

Greater angle of attack creates more lift (up to a

point).

Pressure Field
high

low

Result of the accelerated flow on top and decelerated

flow on bottom.

Angle of Attack and Lift Force

High velocity

Low pressure

Low velocity
High pressure

Flow structure on an airfoil

Attached flow

AIRFOIL STALL

Lift Relates to AOA

Force

Zero Lift at Zero AOA

Lift

Thats Why Airplanes Fly.

DO YOU NEED WINGS TO FLY?

One Wing Landing

Weight
This force acts on an aircraft due to the aircraft's body weight
and Earth's gravity. Weight is a downward force.

Weight is not constant

Varies with passengers, cargo, fuel load

Decreases as fuel is consumed or payload off-loaded

Direction is constant toward earths center

Acts through a single point called the center of gravity (the CG)

Thrust

This force is created by an aircraft's engine and is

required for forward motion.
Forward-acting force opposes drag
Direction of thrust depends on design
Propulsion systems produce thrust
Equal to drag in straight, constant speed flight

Drag
This force acts in reverse direction to motion and hinders forward
motion. Drag is considered as a negative force and all engineers
try their best to reduce drag.

An aerodynamic force.

Resists forward motion.

Increases with the square of speed.

Two broad drag classifications.

Friction drag: drag created by airplane surface.

A result of air viscosity.

Pressure (Form) drag: drag created by pressure difference.

Caused by the airplane geometry.

Drag Equation: D=CD A V2

Three Axes of Movement

Axis of Yaw (Vertical Axis)

Axis of Roll (Longitudinal Axis)

Axis of Pitch (Lateral Axis)

Flight Control Surfaces

Spoiler
Spoiler
Flap

Flap

Pitch Around the Lateral Axis

Elevator Controls Pitch

The ELEVATOR controls PITCH.
On the horizontal tail surface, the
elevator tilts up or down,
decreasing or increasing lift on
the tail. This tilts the nose of the
airplane up and down.

Roll Around Longitudinal Axis

Ailerons Control Roll

The AILERONS control ROLL. On
the outer rear edge of each wing,
the two ailerons move in opposite
directions, up and down,
decreasing lift on one wing while
increasing it on the other. This
causes the airplane to roll to the
left or right.

Yaw Around the vertical Axis

Rudder Controls Yaw

The RUDDER controls YAW. On
the vertical tail fin, the rudder
swivels from side to side, pushing
the tail in a left or right
direction. A pilot usually uses the
rudder along with the ailerons to
turn the airplane.

Some of the people youll get to know

Leonhard Euler

U of Basel
1694

U of Knigsberg 1885

U of Basel
1726

U of Gttingen 1905

Free U of Berlin
1921

Ph.D. Tree of
Hamdy Kandil

U of Basel
1676

U of Erlangen-Nuremberg 1873

1756

U of Gttingen
1786

Princeton 1942
cole Normale Suprieure Paris
1800

U of Helmstedt
1799

Cal Tech 1949

Stanford 1964

VPI 1974

U of Bonn
1827

U of Gttingen
1812

U of Marburg 1823

U of Bonn
1853

U of Bonn
1868
University of Leipzig
1886

ODU 1993

U of Gttingen
U of Munich 1899

Source: \\www.phdtree.org