
The second digit is twice the longitudinal location of the maximum camber location (in 10ths). The first digit is 2/3 of the design lift coefficient (in 10ths). For a 230 camber-line profile (the first 3 numbers in the 5 digit series), is used.Ĭamber line profiles 3 digit camber lines ģ digit camber lines provide a very far forward location for the maximum camber. Finally, constant is determined to give the desired lift coefficient. The constant is chosen so that the maximum camber occurs at for example, for the 230 camber-line, and. Where the chordwise location and the ordinate have been normalized by the chord. The camber-line is defined in two sections:
Airfoil cross section series#
The NACA five-digit series describes more complex airfoil shapes: įor example, the NACA 23112 profile describes an airfoil with design lift coefficient of 0.3 (0.15*2), the point of maximum camber located at 15% chord (5*3), reflex camber (1), and maximum thickness of 12% of chord length (12). p is the location of maximum camber (10 p is the second digit in the NACA xxxx description).įor this cambered airfoil, because the thickness needs to be applied perpendicular to the camber line, the coordinates and, of respectively the upper and lower airfoil surface, become:.m is the maximum camber (100 m is the first of the four digits),.The formula used to calculate the mean camber line is: The simplest asymmetric foils are the NACA 4-digit series foils, which use the same formula as that used to generate the 00xx symmetric foils, but with the line of mean camber bent. The camber line is shown in red, and the thickness – or the symmetrical airfoil 0012 – is shown in purple. The equation for a cambered 4-digit NACA airfoil The leading edge approximates a cylinder with a radius of: to −0.1036) will result in the smallest change to the overall shape of the airfoil. If a zero-thickness trailing edge is required, for example for computational work, one of the coefficients should be modified such that they sum to zero. Note that in this equation, at ( x/ c) = 1 (the trailing edge of the airfoil), the thickness is not quite zero. t is the maximum thickness as a fraction of the chord (so 100 t gives the last two digits in the NACA 4-digit denomination).is the half thickness at a given value of x (centerline to surface), and.x is the position along the chord from 0 to c,.The formula for the shape of a NACA 00xx foil, with "xx" being replaced by the percentage of thickness to chord, is: Plot of a NACA 0015 foil, generated from formula The 15 indicates that the airfoil has a 15% thickness to chord length ratio: it is 15% as thick as it is long.Įquation for a symmetrical 4-digit NACA airfoil The NACA 0015 airfoil is symmetrical, the 00 indicating that it has no camber. Four-digit series airfoils by default have maximum thickness at 30% of the chord (0.3 chords) from the leading edge. The NACA four-digit wing sections define the profile by: įor example, the NACA 2412 airfoil has a maximum camber of 2% located 40% (0.4 chords) from the leading edge with a maximum thickness of 12% of the chord. 1.2 The equation for a cambered 4-digit NACA airfoil.1.1 Equation for a symmetrical 4-digit NACA airfoil.At another point in the tube (station 2) the cross sectional area is 0.5 m², and the air density has decreased to 1. At a point in the tube (station 1) where the cross-sectional area is 1m? the air density is 1.2 kg/m, and the flow velocity is 120 m/s. Air flows through the tube, which changes cross-sectional area similar to the one illustrated in the above figure.This is the continuity equation: If we assume that the flow is incompressible (density is constant everywhere), then the continuity equation makes it obvious that the reduction in stream-tube area at station 2 will produce an increase in the velocity relative to the velocity at station 1: If we assume that the flow is incompressible (density is constant everywhere), then the continuity equation makes it obvious that the reduction in stream-tube area at station 2 will produce an increase in the velocity relative to the velocity at station 1: Tood Vare all content in this plane all content in this plone Star Station 2 If the flow is a steady flow, then the rate at this mass is flowing into the tube at station 1 must just equal the rate at which mass is flowing out of the system at station 2. Streamlines Airfoil The rate at which the mass is flowing through a tube is given by: With the density of the fluid, Vthe velocity and A the cross sectional area, with p the density of the fluid, Vthe velocity and the cross sectional area, P. Lines called streamlines drawn above and below the airfoil indicate how the air flows around it. Transcribed image text: A wing cross section is called an airfoil.
