LESSON 1

Subsonic, Airfoils, Bernoulli

Aircraft Maintenance Chapter 4

 WHAT MAKES A PLANE FLY?
Ask if anyone has NOT been in an airplane
Any pilots? What have you flown.

Aerodynamics: science of the action of air

on an object.
Atmosphere
Relative wind
aircraft
Have you ever watched an airplane take off and wonder
how such a large heavy object is able to get airborne?
The answer is a matter of force balance. If the upward
force is greater than the gravitational force or lets say
the lift is greater than the weight imposed on an object,
said object will go up. If the weight or gravitational force
is greater, then the object will drop or remain on the
ground or just basically not fly.
 AIRFOIL
Defined as any surface designed to obtain
a reaction from the air through which it
moves, that is to obtain LIFT.
It has been determined the best shape for
producing lift is a curved or cambered
shape.
The wing generates a lifting force only
when air is in motion around it. Meaning
the airplane is flying.
Pg 4-5
Example 2: Demonstration Video
 LIFT
1. Upward force created by the effect of
airflow as it passes over and under the
wings.
2. Supports the airplane in flight.
3. Lift is equal to and directly opposite
weight.
4. Lift is: KEY AERODYNAMIC FORCE
 LIFT
In straight and level, unaccelerated flight, when
weight and lift are equal an airplane is in a state
of equilibrium.
If other aerodynamic factors remain constant the
airplane neither gains nor losses altitude.
The shape of the wing is the principle factor in
determining lift. Pressure differential is primary
source of lift.
The other 3 forces: Weight, Thrust and Drag
along with lift will be covered later on during this
class.
Who is this famous person?
 NEWTONS LAW OF MOTION
First law: A body at rest tends to remain
at rest and a body in motion tends to
remain in uniform motion unless acted on
by some outside force.
Second law: Force = Mass x Acceleration
(F=ma)
Third law: For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction.
 AIRFOIL
Leading edge
Trailing edge
Chord line
Camber
Relative wind
Angle of Attack
 TERMINOLOGY
Leading edge meets the airflow first
Trailing edge where the airflow from the
upper surface meets the lower surface
airflow
Chord line an imaginary straight line
drawn through an airfoil from leading edge
to trailing edge
Camber curve of upper & lower surfaces
 TERMINOLOGY
Relative wind direction of airflow with
respect to the wing. It is parallel to and
opposite the flight path of the airplane

Angle of attack angle between the chord

line of airfoil and direction of the relative
wind
 AIRFOIL
Airfoils are numbered. Various systems
have been devised to describe and
characterize airfoils.
The most common is the NACA system.
National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics
NACA 0015 - 00 indicating no camber,
symmetrical, - 15 indicates the airfoil has a
15% thickness to chord length ratio. It is
15% as thick as it is long.
 Clark Y airfoil

Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk X

 CLARK Y AIRFOIL
Particular airfoil profile widely used in
general purpose aircraft designs
Designed in 1922 by Virginius E. Clark.
Has good overall performance in respect
of its lift to drag ratio
Lockheed Vega
Hawker Hurricane (Clark YH)
Greater camber across the wings upper surface than the lower surface.

Has identical upper and lower cambers.

 SYMMETRICAL AIRFOIL
Has zero camber
Relies on positive angle of attack to create
lift
Used on high performance, aerobatic
aircraft
C of P remains near the center, does not
move as much
Pitts special
 ASYMMETRICAL AIRFOIL
Greater camber across the upper surface

Most aircraft have 1 or 2% camber

Will produce some lift as more of the airfoil

is above the chord line
Low Pressure and High Pressure

Different angle of attack produces different

lift characteristics. Greater the angle the
greater the lift up to a point.

Also the center of pressure moves forward

and aft on the top surface of the wing.
Most airplanes are designed so that the wing's
center of lift (CL) is to the rear of the center of
gravity. This makes the airplane "nose heavy" and
requires that there be a slight downward force on
the horizontal stabilizer in order to balance the
airplane and keep the nose from continually
pitching downward. Compensation for this nose
heaviness is provided by setting the horizontal
stabilizer at a slight negative angle of attack. The
downward force thus produced, holds the tail down,
counterbalancing the "heavy" nose.

http://avstop.com/ac/flighttrainghandbook/longitudin
alstability.html
 Why is CofL aft of CofG
Nose Heavy Provides Sability