The animation shows the forces acting on an air-streamed wing profile. In the upper left area of the animation, an aircraft with a so-called Clark-Y airfoil is shown. The magnitudes of the lift and drag forces are displayed using vector arrows. The angle of attack of the wing can be changed. The lengths of the vector arrows adjust accordingly.
Instructions for Use
The windows can be enlarged or reduced with a click, as with all animations.
After starting the application, you can watch the animation in full-screen mode. To do so, click on “View” and then on “Full Screen”:
To exit full-screen mode, press the Esc key.
Description of the Animation
When clicking on the large content window of the animation, additional layers become visible. The polar diagram shows how the lift and drag coefficients of the wing relate to each other. As an alternative to the polar diagram, an analytical diagram is also displayed.
The magnitude of the lift force can be calculated using the following formula:
\[ F_a = C_a \cdot \frac{\rho}{2} \cdot v^2 \cdot A \]
- Cₐ: Lift coefficient. The lift coefficient depends on the shape of the wing. The value is determined through measurements in a wind tunnel or by simulations.
- ρ (Rho): Density of the air through which the wing moves. It is given in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³) and can vary depending on altitude, temperature, and humidity.
- v: Speed of the object through the air in meters per second (m/s).
- A: Reference area. This is the area on which the air pressure acts to generate lift. It includes both the upper and lower surfaces of the wing.
Even outside aviation, the principle of dynamic lift plays an important role: The rotor blades of modern wind turbines generate aerodynamic forces similar to aircraft wings to rotate efficiently. Even race cars use “inverted airfoils” to generate downforce – a force that presses the vehicle onto the road at high speed. In nature, birds use finely tuned wing geometries to glide for hours with minimal energy expenditure.
Overview and Download
| Title | Dynamic Lift on an Airfoil |
| Target Group | Teachers and Presenters |
| Platforms | Microsoft® Windows® Apple® Macintosh® (version-dependent) |
| Features | Full-screen mode lossless enlargement supports large screens and projectors |
| License | Freeware |
| Download | Contact |
Background Information
The animation shows a real Clark-Y airfoil. Actual measured coefficients for lift and drag are used.
Note 1: The drag coefficients were multiplied by a factor of 10 so that the polar diagram and the force vectors are easier to see.
Note 2: The mass of the aircraft influences how it behaves in reality. This behavior is not realistically represented in the animation because many additional aspects would need to be considered. One can also imagine the aircraft or wing standing in a wind tunnel. The moving clouds indicate the movement of the wind.
The Clark-Y airfoil was one of the first systematically measured wing profiles in the 1920s. It became so popular that it was used in over 20 aircraft types — from gliders to light motor aircraft. The straight underside simplifies both construction and assembly, while the curved upper surface generates stable lift. Even today, the profile is still used in drones and model aircraft.
Contributors
C. Hein, S. Rikowski
Sources
- Idea and first concept: Tamara Riehle
- Clark-Y airfoil: http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/coord_database.html
- Authoring tool: Adobe Animate CC
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Es wird einem nicht verraten, mit welcher Applikation man die .exe öffnen soll…?? android will das aber wissen. oder kann man auf android nicht öffnen?
Guten Tag, leider kann man die exe-Dateien nur auf Windows-Systemen öffnen. Eine apk-Datei für Android gibt es derzeit nicht.