Lift

Introduction to Aeronautical Engineering

Ir. Jos Sinke

Cyron - CC - BY
Lift equation
Lift is given by:
L

J. Scavini - CC - BY - SA
Lift equation
Lift is given by:
L

What is the unit of CL?

J. Scavini - CC - BY - SA
Lift coefficient
- The efficiency of the airfoil in generating lift
- Depends on airfoil & angle of attack
Airfoils
NACA airfoil notation
Mean camber line

Thickness Camber Trailing edge (TE)

Leading edge (LE)
Chord c Chord line
NACA 2412 means:
- 2% camber (of chord length)
- At 0.4 of the chord (from LE)
- And 12% thickness/chord ratio
Other lift parameters

Wing surface area S - A design parameter

Velocity V - A design parameter
Air density - Depends on
altitude & temperature

Revedavion.com - CC - BY - NC - SA
Where does lift come from?

Bernoullis law:
Sum of static and dynamic pressure is constant

V V V

Higher velocity mean lower pressure!

p p p
So lift by pressure difference
Airfoil lift
Velocity change Pressure distribution Lift & Drag

Low pressure
L
D
High pressure

Try yourself: NASA Foilsim

Velocity measurement

Question: Can we use Bernoullis

law to measure speed?

ps Pitot tube
ptot
ps ptot - ps

We measure airspeed
Lift curve
CL [-]

CLmax

[]
Take-off and landing

- What to do if we want to fly at low speeds?

- W does not change

- If V should decrease,
CL and/or S should increase
- Devices to do both!
Y. Yosiaki - CC - BY - SA
High lift devices

Slats

Flaps

Dmitry Terekhov CC - BY - SA
 Flaps Slats
High lift devices CL [-]

Purpose: Fly at low speeds

By: Increasing critical
Increasing
Increasing wing area S []

Slats: Flaps:
NiD.29 - CC - BY - SA
 Wing geometry
ct

Wing span cr
Wing surface area
Root chord S
Tip chord
Taper (=ct/cr)
b
Sweep angle
D. Busiak - CC - BY - NC - ND
Lift

M. Visser - CC - BY - SA