HD Animation: Dynamic lift on the wing profile

The animation illustrates the principle of dynamic lift. An aeroplane with a Clark-Y profile is shown. The angle of attack of the wing can be changed. The forces shown as vectors adapt accordingly.

Note on use

As with all animations, the windows can be enlarged or reduced by clicking on them.

After starting the application, you can view the animation in full-screen mode. To do this, click on “View” and then on “Full screen”:

To exit full screen mode, press the Esc key.

Description of the animation

If you click on the large content window of the animation, further levels become visible. The polar diagram shows how the lift and drag coefficients of the wing relate to each other. An analytical diagram is also shown as an alternative to the polar diagram.

The amount of lift can be calculated using the following formula:

• Cₐ: Coefficient of lift. The lift coefficient is different for each airfoil type and depends on the shape of the wing. The value is determined by 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 metre (kg/m³) and can vary depending on altitude, temperature and humidity.
• v: Speed of the object through the air in metres per second (m/s)
• A: Reference area. This is the surface on which the air pressure acts to generate the buoyancy. This is the upper and lower surface of the wing.

Overview and Download

Title	Buoyancy on the wing profile
target audience	Teachers and lecturers
Platforms	Microsoft® Windows® Apple® Macintosh® (version dependent)
Features	Full screen mode Lossless magnification Large screens supported
License	Freeware
Download	Contact us

Instructional idea

As a layman, you would not expect a wing with an angle of attack of 0 degrees to cause lift. The animation shows a real Clark-Y profile. It is based on actual measured coefficients for lift and drag. The animation shows how polar diagrams are read.

Note 1: The drag coefficients have been multiplied by a factor of 10 to make the polar diagram and the force vectors easier to recognise.

Note 2: The mass of the aircraft has an influence on how the aircraft behaves in reality. This behaviour is not shown realistically in the animation because many other aspects have to be taken into account. You can also imagine the aircraft or the wing as standing in a wind tunnel. The flying clouds indicate the wind speed.

Contributors

C. Hein, S. Rikowski

Sources

• Idea and first concept: Tamara Riehle
• Clark-Y profile: http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/coord_database.html
• Authoring tool: Adobe Animate CC