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Aerodynamics Topics

Absolute Ceiling: The maximum altitude above sea level at which a heavier-than-air craft can be maintained in level flight.
Aerodynamic Diameter: The diameter of a sphere with unit density that has aerodynamic behavior identical to that of the particle in question; an expression of aerodynamic behavior of an irregularly shaped particle in terms of the diameter of an idealized particle. Particles having the same aerodynamic diameter may have different dimensions and shapes.
Aerodynamic Drag: Resistance of a vehicle body to motion through the air. A smooth surface has less drag than a rough one.
Aerodynamic Noise: Sound generated by turbulent flow is just as if the field were generated by a distribution of quadrupole sources.
Aerofoil: An aerofoil is shaped so that air flows faster over the top than under the bottom. There is, therefore, a greater pressure below the aerofoil than above it. This difference in pressure produces the lift.
Aeronautics: The term "aeronautics" originated in France, and was derived from the Greek words for "air" and "to sail".
Aerostat: Denotes a lighter than air craft.
Aerothermodynamic: A branch of thermodynamics relating to the heating effects associated with the dynamics of a gas.
Aileron: These are situated on the trailing (back) edge of the wing and are used to make the aircraft roll.
Airbrake: An aerodynamic control which can be extended to increase drag and slow down an aircraft.
Aircraft: Any structure, machine, or contrivance, especially a vehicle, designed to be supported by the air.
Airflow: A flow or stream of air.
Airframe: The structure of an aircraft, without power plant and systems.
Airship: A powered lighter-than-air craft.
Airspeed: The speed of something relative to a mass of air or the speed of air relative to a fixed object.
Angle of Attack: The angle at which a wing strikes the air stream.
Atmospheric Boundary Layer: The atmospheric layer adjacent to the surface of the Earth that is affected by friction against the surface boundary.
Autogyro: An aeroplane that flies by virtue of the lift generated by freewheeling rotating wings set windmill fashion above the fuselage.
Balloon: A lighter than air craft. The Montgolfier brothers made the first flight in a hot air balloon in 1783.
Biplane: An airplane with two sets of wings, one on top of the other.
Boost Pressure: The increase above atmospheric pressure produced inside the intake manifold by a forced-induction system such as a turbocharger or supercharger.
Canard: A horizontal pitch control surface on an aircraft that is forward of the main wing.
Centre of Pressure: The point at which the aerodynamic forces on a body appear to act, and at which there is no aerodynamic movement.
Chord: A line segment that connects two points of a curve or circle.
Compressible Fluids: Compressible flow requires the integration of the equations of conservation of mass and momentum with that of energy conservation.
Crosswind: Any wind that is blowing perpendicular to a line of travel.
Drag: Resistance of a vehicle body to motion through the air. A smooth surface has less drag than a rough one.
Drag Coefficient: A dimensionless value that allows the comparison of drag incurred by different sized and different shaped bodies.
Dynamic Sealing: Vehicle door seals must function when the aerodynamic load on the door pulls the door away from the seals.
Elevator: Movable control surface, attached to the trailing edge of an aircraft tailplane to control pitching movements.
Elevon: Movable control surfaces which act collectively as elevators, but differentially as ailerons.
Flow Noise: A term generally used to describe aerodynamic noise produced when a gas flows within a duct or when the gas exits the duct.
Flow Rate: Volume per unit of time.
Fuselage: The main body of the aircraft.
Glider: A highly efficient engineless aeroplane. Capable of flying for long periods in gently rising air currents.
Helicopter: An aircraft that produces lift using airfoils that are driven and rotate about a vertical axis.
Kinematic Viscosity: The dynamic viscosity of a fluid divided by the fluid density.
Kinetic Heating: Heating as a result of air friction.
Leading Edge: The edge of an airfoil which first meets the airstream in normal flight.
Lift: The lifting force on a flying object.
Lift Coefficient: A dimensionless value that allows the comparison of lift incurred by different sized and different shaped bodies. A positive lift coefficient represents lift, whilst a negative lift coefficient represents downforce.
Lifting Body: An aircraft that uses the shape of its body to generate lift instead of using wings.
Mass Flow Rate: Defines the volumetric rate with which fluids flow, maintaining the equation of continuity.
Monoplane: An aircraft with one set of wings.
Poiseuilles Equation: Gives the volume flow rate of an incompressible fluid in a round pipe.
Pressure: Defined as the force exerted per unit area.
Pressure Coefficient: A dimensionless value which acts as a means of indicating the local pressure at some point of interest around a body, and which is independent of velocity.
Profile Drag: This is drag from the three-dimensional shape of the aircraft or vehicle.
Reyn: British unit of dynamic viscosity.
Rudder: The moving part of the vertical tail surface of an aeroplane which provides yaw control or the device in the water on a boat that provides directional control.
Service Drag: This is drag from air ducted to cooling components.
Triplane: A fixed wing aeroplane with 3 wings arranged one above the other.
Velocity Pressure: The difference between dynamic pressure and static pressure.
Viscosity: A measure of the internal friction within a fluid.
Viscous Flow: The flow of fluid through a duct under conditions such that the mean free path is very small in comparison with the smallest dimension of a transverse section of the duct.
Wing Warping: The earliest form of roll control was produced by warping the whole wing.
Zero-Lift Chord: A chord taken through the trailing edge of an airfoil in the direction of the relative wind when the airfoil is at a zero-lift angle of attack.