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Note: The Eppler 387 coordinates are not smooth, so the Cp plots will
appear "noisy". Xfoil's results will not be affected noticably
by such cosmetic defects, unless they are very severe.
PPAX
<return> (default alpha axis OK)
<return> (default CL axis OK)
0.0 0.04 0.02 (better CD axis)
<return> (default CM axis OK)
PPLOT
INIT
ALFA -2.5
PACC (set up for new polar 2)
<return> (decline writing to polar save file)
<return> (decline writing to polar dump file)
ASEQ -2.5 -2.0 0.05 (small steps when bottom transition is moving fast)
ASEQ -1.5 8.0 0.5 (bigger steps OK over most of polar)
ASEQ 8.2 9.0 0.2 (small steps when close to stall is more reliable)
PPLOT (both polars compared to experimental polar)
PACC
VISC
MDES
AQ 0.0 4.0 8.0
RESE
BLOW (zoom in on region of interest, undo with RESE)
MODI (modify some segment of one of the q(s) curves with cursor)
MODI (repeat if necessary to modify further...)
MODI
.
.
EXEC
<return>
PANEL
OPER
CL 0.5
etc....
<return>
GDES
GSET
CAMB
INPC
0.0 0.0
0.5 0.03
1.0 0.0
ADD
<return>
PLOT
TCPL (turn off camber/thickness plotting activated in CAMB)
FLAP 0.70 0.04 -5.0
PLOT
EXEC
<return>
OPER
ALFA 5.0
etc....
=========================================================================
Typical XFOIL session to generate and plot two polars.
All commands can be in lowercase.
Blank lines below are only for easier reading -- they are not Return's!
A command with its argument(s) ommitted will result in an input prompt.
LOAD airfoil_file.dat
ALFA -2 (specify minimum alpha (must give CL>0 for Type 2 polar))
PACC (toggle auto accumulation on for new polar 1)
polar1_file (choose polar save filename, or <return> for no file writing)
<return> (decline dump file writing)
ASEQ -2 8 0.2 (compute alpha sequence to generate polar)
PPLO (optional: plot the polar we have so far)
ASEQ 8.2 9 0.2 (compute additional points if needed)
PPLO
PACC (toggle auto accumulation off)
ALFA -2
PACC (toggle auto accumulation on for new polar 2)
polar2_file (choose polar save filename, or <return> for no file writing)
<return> (decline dump file writing)
ASEQ -2 9 0.2 (compute alpha sequence to generate polar)
PACC (toggle auto accumulation off)
<return>
QUIT
Notes:
1) Sometimes you may not want to automatically write the polar to a file.
In this case the PACC command is followed by a <return> rather than a filename:
PACC
<return>
You can later use PWRT if you decide to write out the polar after all:
ALFA 90
2) Saved polar files can be plotted with the separate PPLOT program.
Or you can use XFOIL itself, by reading in each polar file via PGET,
and then plotting them via PPLO. PDEL, PSUM, etc. can also be used
to set up a list of polars that you want to plot. PPAX can be used
to change the polar plot axis limits.
3) It is sometimes necessary to change the airfoil name in the polar save file.
This can be easily done with a text editor. But do not change the other
information headers, since this might confuse the polar file read routine.