Airfoil Geometry and Aerodynamics

This course covers the fundamental aspects of airfoil geometry and aerodynamics. It starts with the basics of airfoil geometry, including the leading edge, trailing edge, chord line, and camber line. It then delves into the forces and moments acting on an airfoil, such as pressure, shear stress, and the resultant force and moment. The course also explores the pressure distribution on symmetric and cambered airfoils, the NACA series of airfoils, and the development of high-speed airfoils. It further discusses the characteristics of airfoil aerodynamics, including lift coefficient, drag coefficient, and moment coefficient variations with the angle of attack. The course concludes with the principles of Kutta condition, Kelvin circulation theorem, thin airfoil theory, and the aerodynamics of multi-element airfoils. For instance, it's like understanding how the wings of an airplane, which are airfoils, interact with the air around them to create lift and drag.