Fluids & atmospheric physics › Airflow over an aircraft wing
Airflow over an aircraft wing
Explore pressure, lift, drag, circulation, boundary-layer separation and stall in an animated virtual wind tunnel.
What to notice
At moderate angles of attack, circulation and the wing’s shape create a pressure distribution that redirects air downwards and produces lift. At excessive angles, the adverse pressure gradient makes the boundary layer separate: the wake expands, lift falls and drag rises sharply.
q = ½ρv² · L = qSCL · D = qSCD · Re = ρvc/μ
Educational reduced-order aerodynamics model. It is not a replacement for wind-tunnel testing, CFD or aircraft performance calculations.