Low Speed Airfoil: Info & Resources for Students

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around low speed airfoils, focusing on information resources, aerodynamic principles, and specific applications such as the Coanda effect in aircraft design. Participants share insights on theoretical and practical aspects relevant to aeronautical engineering students.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks information on low speed airfoils for a project, indicating a need for resources.
  • Another participant suggests the NASA site and the Eppler airfoils as valuable resources for low Reynolds number applications, along with the xfoil program for lift and drag calculations.
  • It is mentioned that the Coanda effect plays a significant role in maintaining lift at low speeds, particularly in the context of blown flaps.
  • A participant references the Antonov An-72 as an example of the Coanda effect in action, while also noting that it is not the sole factor influencing lift.
  • Discussion includes the interaction between exhaust gas and the wing surface, emphasizing boundary layer effects and their role in aerodynamic lift.
  • There is curiosity expressed about the limited use of the Coanda effect in other aircraft designs despite its advantages.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of various aerodynamic principles, such as the Coanda effect and boundary layer interactions, but there is no consensus on the extent of their application or the reasons for their limited use in aircraft design.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the effectiveness of specific airfoil designs and the Coanda effect remain unaddressed, and the discussion does not resolve the complexities of aerodynamic interactions at low speeds.

Who May Find This Useful

Aeronautical engineering students, researchers in fluid dynamics, and individuals interested in aircraft design and aerodynamics may find this discussion beneficial.

giber
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hello people.

i´m a aeronautical engineer student and i need to do a work about low speed airfoil.. can anyone tell me where i can get information about this subject.. thanks
 
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The NASA site http://www.nasg.com/afdb/insert-category-e.phtml has a lot of info on all airfoils including low speed ones. The Eppler airfoils are good at low reynold numbers.

Check out the xfoil program for lift and drag calculation too. It is good atleast for learning. You might also search scholar.google.com for papers and thesis on low speed airfoils.
This (http://www.nd.edu/~mav/belgium.pdf ) thesis for eg. contains information on Eppler low reynolds airfoils for MAVs.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
At low speed, the Coanda effect is very useful to maintain lift. This is how blown flaps work. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-72 . It isn't just the airfoil itself but how the flow is managed.
 
The An-72 used the Coanda effect to keep the exhaust gas attached to the wing surface. However, the Coanda effect is far from the whole story here.

Check out the book "Theory of Wing Sections" for a good reference and any low speed aerodynamics book.
 
Last edited:
You are right. Aerodynamic lift is caused by several factors. The attachment of the exhaust gas is the effect of the lowered pressure. The cause of the lowered is the boundary layer interaction between the high-speed exhaust and the wing surface. This use is similar to the blown flaps used on carrier aircraft. The Coanda effect allows the An-72 to take off and land on very short runways. Antonov still makes this aircraft. I wonder why this effect has not been used more widely.
 

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