Aircraft

NASA

SP-367

INTRODUCtiON
TO THE AERODYNAMICS
OF FLIGHT

Theodore
Langley

A. Talay

Research

Center

Prepared at Langley Research Center

Scientific and Technical Information
NATIONAL
AERONAUTICS

O_ce
AND

1975
SPACE

ADMINISTRATION
Washington,

D.C.

For sale by the National Technical
Springfield, Virginia 22161
Price - $7.00

Information

ServiceCONTENTS

FOREWORD

......................................

I. A SHORT

HISTORY

II. BACKGROUND
The

The

OF FLIGHT

1

..........................

5

..................................

and Turbulence

Airplane

III. FLUID

..........................

INFORMATION

Atmosphere

Winds

lit

5

...............................

10....................................

FLOW

13

...................................

25

The

Fluid

......................................

9.5

The

Flow

......................................

9.5

Ideal

Fluid

Flow

..................................

31

Real

Fluid

Flow

..................................

39

IV. SUBSONIC
Airfoils

FLOW

EFFECTS

and WingsAerodynamic

...........................

.................................

59

...............................

84

of Airplane

...............................

91

Propellers

and Rotors

...............................

96

V. TRANSONIC

FLOW

Total

Drag

Devices

59

VI. SUPERSONIC
The

FLOW

103

...............................

119

SST.......................................

Sonic

Boom

VII. BEYOND
Hypersonic
Lifting
Space
VIII.

................................

.....................................
THE
Flight

Bodies
Shuttle

127

SUPERSONIC

...........................

.................................

131

....................................

133

................................

ofan Airplane

131
131

...................................

PERFORMANCE

Motions

123

137

...............................

137

Class

1 Motion

...................................

137

Class

2 Motion

...................................

149

Class

3 Motion-Hovering

IX. STABILITY

Flight

AND CONTROL

.....................................................

147
151

Stability

.......................................

151

Control

.......................................

169

V

APPENDIX

A-

APPENDIX

B - DIMENSIONS

APPENDIX

C - COORDINATE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOMENCLATURE

AERONAUTICAL
AND

UNITS

SYSTEMS

................

.....................
.........................................................

vi

181
187
193
197

FOREWORD

The
but,

nings

science

remarkably,

powered

airplane

decades

have

of aerodynamics

and no letup
passing

ductory

the

various

The

result

is a highly
was

modified

A thorough

the

reader's

interest

of these

as presented
to pursue

herein.
more

to its

begin-heavier-than-air

landing.

science

the task

The

and technology

last

of aerodynamics

of education

Specialization

of the author's

encom-

is indicated

more

teaching

of an intro-

at the NASA

Langley

a layman's

treatment

than

individual

courses

set of notes

which,

on the

college

through

level.

the teaching

better.

withconsiderable
It is hoped

specialized

aerodynamics.

°°.

111

few

education.

to provide

objectives

first

moon

and technicians

in many

notes

the

is staggering.

illustrated
the

of years

separated
manned

semesters

was

as taught

to fulfill

revision

in the text

faced

thousands

an interest,

of any

to apprentices...