Integral Analysis of Boundary Layers - Lesson 2

Can you fly without an engine? Yes! Just a hang glider and enough elevation and you are set. (Go with a trainer if you have never done it before.)

The glider must be as efficient as possible to limit drag and fly longer. A laminar boundary layer is important to reduce the drag on the glider wing. As a first approximation, we can assume the glider to be a flat plate to get a first estimate of the drag acting on it.

In this lesson we will explore how to estimate the drag generated by a laminar boundary layer, as well as different characteristic aspects of the boundary layer.

Alternate video link.

Here are the accompanying hand-out slides for this lesson.