Note about profiles: Methods for aerodynamic testing also apply to the water test.. However, two principles related to liquids must be understood: cavitation and ventilation..
The airfoils are forms studied in wind tunnels. Wind tunnel tests, measure the profile's lift and drag. parameters of the experiment are stored in databases.
When it is desired to design a wing, a sail, a daggerboard or any other object whose lift and drag is important to us, it is useful to refer to the database to select an existing profile, which combined the qualities we are looking for, before reinventing the wheel.
(maximum thickness) / chord = relative thickness
Camber = maximum distance between the rope and the center line profile:
- The lift, but also a profile drag, increases with its camber and thickness
- Thin and low camber profiles have a better lift/drag ratio, but less mechanical resistance.
A method of geometric construction profiles according to a mathematical equation been developed by the NACA.
The famous NACA profiles are built from the DIGITS of their name. Mecaflux integrated editor NACA 4 DIGITS profiles that allows you to very simply create a coordinate file and profile drawing by varying DIGITS profile with a cursor:
- You can also use a list of files coordinate Profile: Download List profile coordinate ZIP
- vous pouvez utiliser un profils déjà intégré à MECAFLUX standard (vous n'aurez qu'à choisir votre profil)
Calculations of lift and drag of AERODYNAMIC OR HYDRODYNAMIC profiles with Mecaflux Standard:
Set speed, fluid, incidence, length and chord, of the wing or daggerboard profile, to get the produced lift and drag .
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Or you can create your profile by your own tables coordinate with the integrated profile editor mecaflux to export your files to solidworks and create a wing 3D file :
A more detailed report on the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic profiles is available at Heliciel