Aircraft Basic Science, Eighth Edition, 8th Edition

Airfoils and Their Applications

4

INTRODUCTION

A general knowledge of the nature of airfoils and the factors affecting their performance is of value to many technicians, particularly those involved in the structural repair of airfoils, and to others who may be interested in building their own airplanes. Chapter 3 discussed basic aerodynamic principles and their application to airfoils in producing lift.

Since the early days of aircraft research when the Wright brothers tested airfoil shapes in a small wind tunnel, literally thousands of different airfoil shapes have been developed and tested. These range from the types that operate at low subsonic speeds to those designed for supersonic and hypersonic speeds. In this chapter the basic elements ...