Aerodynamics Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Aerodynamics.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
The branch of fluid dynamics dealing with the study of air and its interaction with solid bodies in motion.
A cross-sectional shape designed to produce an aerodynamic force (lift) when moving through air.
The angle between the chord line of an airfoil and the direction of the oncoming undisturbed airflow.
The ratio of wingspan to mean chord, indicating how long and narrow or short and wide a wing is.
A statement that in steady, incompressible, inviscid flow, increases in velocity correspond to decreases in static pressure.
The thin region of fluid adjacent to a surface where the flow velocity varies from zero at the wall to the free-stream value.
The curvature or asymmetry between the upper and lower surfaces of an airfoil.
The straight line connecting the leading edge to the trailing edge of an airfoil.
The line integral of velocity around a closed curve enclosing a body; directly related to lift via the Kutta-Joukowski theorem.
The use of numerical methods and algorithms to simulate fluid flow by solving discretized governing equations on computational grids.
The downward component of airflow deflected by a lifting wing, which reduces the effective angle of attack and creates induced drag.
The aerodynamic force acting opposite to the direction of motion, resisting an object's movement through air.
The detachment of the boundary layer from a surface due to an adverse pressure gradient, creating a recirculating wake region.
Drag that is a byproduct of lift generation on a finite wing, caused by wingtip vortices and downwash.
Smooth, orderly fluid motion in which adjacent layers slide past one another without mixing.
The aerodynamic force perpendicular to the oncoming airflow, typically directed upward on a wing to oppose gravity.
The ratio of the speed of an object or flow to the local speed of sound in the surrounding medium.
Drag resulting from the pressure difference between the front (high pressure) and rear (low pressure) of a body.
A dimensionless number representing the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces, used to predict flow regime (laminar vs. turbulent).
A thin region of abrupt change in pressure, temperature, and density formed in supersonic flow.
The sudden loss of lift and increase in drag occurring when a wing exceeds its critical angle of attack, causing flow separation.
Chaotic, irregular fluid motion characterized by fluctuations in velocity and pressure and significant mixing between fluid layers.
An experimental facility that generates controlled airflow to test and measure aerodynamic properties of models and prototypes.
Circular air patterns formed at the tips of finite wings where high-pressure air from below spills over to the low-pressure region above.