How Does a Aerofoil Work

airfoil, also spelled Aerofoil, shaped surface, such as an airplane wing, tail, or propeller blade, that produces lift and drag when moved through the air. An airfoil produces a lifting force that acts at right angles to the airstream and a dragging force that acts in the same direction as the airstream.

What makes a good airfoil?

If the airplane is designed for low-speed flight, a thick airfoil is most efficient, whereas a thin airfoil is more efficient for high-speed flight. … The laminar flow wing is usually thinner than the conventional airfoil, the leading edge is also more pointed, and its upper and lower surfaces are nearly symmetrical.

What is the most common airfoil?

Possibly the most widely used airfoil of all time, the NACA 23012 combined high lift, low drag, mild pitching moments, and even a bit of laminar flow on its lower surface. It was designed in 1935 by NACA Langley researcher Eastman Jacobs.