Aerodynamic force

In fluid mechanics, an aerodynamic force is a force exerted on a body by the air (or other gas) in which the body is immersed, and is due to the relative motion between the body and the gas.

Force

There are two causes of aerodynamic force: ^[1]^: §4.10^[2]^[3]^: 29

the normal force due to the pressure on the surface of the body
the shear force due to the viscosity of the gas, also known as skin friction.

Pressure acts normal to the surface, and shear force acts parallel to the surface. Both forces act locally. The net aerodynamic force on the body is equal to the pressure and shear forces integrated over the body's total exposed area.^[4]

When an airfoil moves relative to the air, it generates an aerodynamic force determined by the velocity of relative motion, and the angle of attack. This aerodynamic force is commonly resolved into two components, both acting through the center of pressure:^[3]^: 14^[1]^{: § 5.3}

drag is the force component parallel to the direction of relative motion,
lift is the force component perpendicular to the direction of relative motion.

In addition to these two forces, the body may experience an aerodynamic moment.

The force created by propellers and jet engines is called thrust, and is also an aerodynamic force (since it acts on the surrounding air). The aerodynamic force on a powered airplane is commonly represented by three vectors: thrust, lift and drag.^[3]^: 151^[1]^{: § 14.2}

The other force acting on an aircraft during flight is its weight, which is a body force and not an aerodynamic force.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Clancy, L.J. (1978). Aerodynamics. New York: Wiley. ISBN 0-273-01120-0. OCLC 16420565.
^ Massey, B. S. (Bernard Stanford) (1998). "10.8.2". Mechanics of fluids. Vol. 2. Ward-Smith, A. J. (Alfred John) (7th ed.). Cheltenham, England: S. Thornes. ISBN 0-7487-4043-0. OCLC 40928151.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hurt, H.H. Jr. (1965). Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators NAVAIR 00-80T-80 (PDF). U.S. Navy. pp. 14, 29, 151.
^ Anderson, John D. Jr. (1999). "2.2". Aircraft performance and design. Boston: WCB/McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-001971-1. OCLC 40076736.

[:0-1] Clancy, L.J. (1978). Aerodynamics. New York: Wiley. ISBN 0-273-01120-0. OCLC 16420565.

[2] Massey, B. S. (Bernard Stanford) (1998). "10.8.2". Mechanics of fluids. Vol. 2. Ward-Smith, A. J. (Alfred John) (7th ed.). Cheltenham, England: S. Thornes. ISBN 0-7487-4043-0. OCLC 40928151.

[:1-3] Hurt, H.H. Jr. (1965). Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators NAVAIR 00-80T-80 (PDF). U.S. Navy. pp. 14, 29, 151.

[4] Anderson, John D. Jr. (1999). "2.2". Aircraft performance and design. Boston: WCB/McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-001971-1. OCLC 40076736.

[1]

[2]

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v t e Fluid mechanics
Fluid statics	Hydraulics Archimedes' principle
Fluid dynamics	Computational fluid dynamics Aerodynamics Navier–Stokes equations Boundary layer Entrance length
Dimensionless numbers	Archimedes Atwood Bagnold Bejan Biot Bond Brinkman Capillary Cauchy Chandrasekhar Damköhler Darcy Dean Deborah Dukhin Eckert Ekman Eötvös Euler Froude Galilei Graetz Grashof Görtler Hagen Iribarren Kapitza Keulegan–Carpenter Knudsen Laplace Lewis Mach Marangoni Morton Nusselt Ohnesorge Péclet Prandtl magnetic turbulent Rayleigh Reynolds magnetic Richardson Roshko Rossby Rouse Schmidt Scruton Sherwood Shields Stanton Stokes Strouhal Stuart Suratman Taylor Ursell Weber Weissenberg Womersley

Force

See also

References