The Derivation of Lift

Question 1

What contributes most to the creation of lift?

Answer 1

Wings, where the air traveling over the upper surface of the aerofoil creates the lowest pressure.

Question 2

What’s the angle of attack?

Answer 2

Angle between relative airflow and chord line

Question 3

What’s the stagnation point of the leading edge?

Answer 3

Point where air velocity = 0

Question 4

What’s the coefficient of lift?

Answer 4

It is a dimensionless ratio without units. Ratio of Lift per unit area (Lift/S) to the speed (1/2 pV^2)

Question 5

At what angle of attack will a cambered aerofoil need to be to stop producing positive lift?

Answer 5

Alpha will need to be negative, normally around - 4 degrees

Question 6

What’s the Aerodynamic Centre?

Answer 6

The point where there is no lift created towards the back or the leading edge of the aerofoil, therefore there are no moments created by lift.

The position where the pitching moment coefficient does not change with varying angle of attack, assuming no flow separation and no compressibility.

Question 7

What’s the angle of incidence?

Answer 7

Defined as the angle between the aircraft’s longitudinal axis and the wing root chord