AIRFOIL SELECTION

The airfoil is the main aspect and is the heart of the airplane. The airfoils
the cruise speed landing distance and take off, stall speed and handling
qualities and aerodynamic efficiency during the all phases of flight. Airfoil
selection is based on the factors of geometry and definitions, design/selection,
families/ types, design lift co-efficient, thickness/chord ratio, lift curve slope,
characteristics curves.
The following are the airfoil geometry and definition:

Chord line: It is the straight line connecting leading edge (LE) and
trailing edge (TE).
Chord (c): It is the length of chord line.
Thickness (t): measured perpendicular to chord line as a % of it
(subsonic typically 12%).
Camber (d): It is the curvature of section, perpendicular distance of
section mid-points from chord line as a % of it (sub sonically typically
3%).
Angle of attack (α): It is the angular difference between chord line
andairflow direction.
The following are airfoil categories:
Early it was based on trial & error.
NACA 4 digit is introduced during 1930’s.
NACA 5-digit is aimed at pushing position of max camber forwards for
increasedCLmax.
NACA 6-digit is designed for lower drag by increasing region of laminar
flow.
Modern it is mainly based upon need for improved
aerodynamiccharacteristics at speeds just below speed of sound.
Reynolds number at cruise altitude (17000 m) = (ρvd)/μ
(d= meanchord)
= (0.2278××6.36)/14.17×10-6
=5.24×10-6
Therefore preference is given to laminar flow airfoilsLaminar flow airfoils
were originally developed for the purpose ofmaking an airplane fly faster.
The laminar flow wing is usually thinnerthan the conventional airfoil, the
leading edge is more pointed and itsupper and lower surfaces are nearly
symmetrical. The major and mostimportant difference between the two types
of airfoil is this, the thickestpart to a laminar wing occurs at 50% chord while
in the conventionaldesign the thickest part is at 25% chord.The effect
achieved by this type of design of a wing is to maintainthe laminar flow of air
throughout a greater percentage of the chord ofthe wing and to control the
transition point. Drag is thereforeconsiderably reduced since the laminar
airflow takes less energy to slidethrough the air. The pressure distribution on
the laminar flow wing ismuch more even since the camber of the wing from
the leading edge tothe point of maximum camber is more gradual than on the
conventionalairfoil. However, at the point of stall, the transition point moves
more rabidly forward.

TO FIND CL Max.

During steady flight,

L=W= 0.5×ρ×V2stall×S× CL Max.
Vstall= 0.25×Vcruise
= 0.25×222.22 = 55.55m/s
(W/S=Wing loading)
𝑊
= 0.5×0.2278×55.552×CL Max.
𝑆
300 = 351.47×CL max.

Reynolds no. =(ρ×Vstall×Croot)/μ

From the airfoil data book various airfoils of required t/c are taken and are
tabulated for maximum lift co-efficient and minimum drag.
Various NACA series listed below for the selection of root
airfoil:

NACA series CL at (α=0) CL CL max.

Various NACA series listed below for the selection of tip

airfoil:

NACA series CL at (α=0) CL CL max.

Average CL= [(CLat root)+(CLat tip)]/2

For a split flap with a deflection of 45°, so during takeoff, CL increased

by 0.4
Therefore CL = 0.95+0.4 = 1.35
To account for the three dimensional effect of the finite aspect ratio (>5),
CL max =1.35×0.9 = 1.22