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.
- The lift generated by a wing is based on the principle that the pressure in a fluid decreases as its velocity increases (Bernoulli′s Principle):
- Aileron
- Movable control surfaces, usually mounted in the trailing edge of a wing adjacent to the wingtips, to control an aircraft′s rolling movements.
- Chord
- The distance measured from the leading-to trailing-edge of an airfoil.
- Leading Edge
- The edge of an airfoil which first meets the airstream in normal flight.
- Trailing Edge
- The rear edge of an aerofoil.
See also: Aileron, Airbrake, Aircraft, Airflow, Angle of Attack, Chord, Chord Line, Wing, Zero-Lift Chord.
Subjects: Aerodynamics
- Further reading:
- Mechanics of Flight, , Prentice-Hall