AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY

AERODYNAMICS
2nd classwork
2024-20

1. Formula-E Gran Turismo is a new kind of racecar, which uses electric speed
racers in different types of circuits worldwide. You are hired to work as an
engineer with expertise in aerodynamics as part of the Tesla Inc. car team. So
far, the team has designed all the car frames and the front and rear inverted
wings (both attached to the car frame at c/4 of each surface) to get stability. The
concept car is shown in the following figures (measured in meters):
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The rear and front wings have both end plates at each wingtip as a way to obtain the
most efficiency from these surfaces as possible and make them behave as infinite wings.
Some of the cars’ specifications are:

• Total car-frame weight: 550 kg (including the battery)

• Average pilot weight: 82 kg
• Engine power: 891 bhp, 17500 rpm
• Max. torque: 40 kgf*m / 15500 rpm

Both the front and the back-stabilization wings use a NACA 2308 with different
positions in height, distance, and angle of attack. It is also known that the rear wing
has an AoA value of -5.0 [deg]. The rear wing airfoil total drag coefficient is given by the
following function:

c d = 0,0006 (c l ) + 0,0035 (c l ) − 0,0003 (c l ) + 0,0051

3 2

The front cd value is 5% less than the rear one.

a. Neglecting the car-frame aerodynamics effects, you are asked to find the
angle of attack of the front wing in order to obtain enough downforce for its
stability and balance for a top speed of 450 [km/h] and standard sea level
conditions (∞ = 1.225 [kg/m3], ∞ = 1.79 x 10-5 [kg/(m*seg)])

front_wing = _______ [deg]

Referring to the car in problem 1., the design group is analyzing changing the rear airfoil
wing for a symmetrical one (NACA 0009) with a flapped surface located at 74% of the
chord. At an AoA of -4.0 [deg]. Assuming the same value of drag force for the wing
surfaces of point 1. and ones again assuring a balance of aerodynamic down forces:

b. Calculate the flap section deflection angle for the same operational
conditions in point 1.: f = _________ [deg]
c. Conclude about the result:
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2. A group of aeronautical engineers are designing a new airplane with a gross take-
off weight of 623.15 [kg] and a wing area of 18.17 [m2]. The operational cruise-flight
speed required is 62.5 [m/s], and the stall speed needs to be 32 percent of that
established for the cruise flight. You have the job of verifying the selected airfoil that
will be used in the wing, which mean-camber-line section is described by the
following functions:
𝑧 𝑥 𝑥 2 𝑥
• Front part: = 0.1 ( ) − 0.25 ( ) 𝑓𝑜𝑟0 ≤ ≤ 0.2
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐 𝑐
𝑧 𝑥 𝑥 2 𝑥
• Rear part: = 0.009375 + 0.00625 ( ) − 0.015625 ( ) 𝑓𝑜𝑟0.2 ≤ ≤ 1.0
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐 𝑐

It is known that the airfoil’s lift coefficient is sixteen percent higher than the wing´s lift
coefficient. Assuming that the airplane is operating at sea level conditions, find:

The airfoil angle of attack, which, according to the design requirements, must be less
than 1.0 degrees:

airfoil_cruise-flight = _____________ [deg]

3. Helicopters need to pitch down their own body in order to get forward speed, to do
that, the main rotor has to be tilted down at a tilt-angle, as shown in the following
figure:
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The forward movement of the helicopter creates an undesired effect called dissymmetry
of lift, meaning that the left and right sides of the main rotor will experience different
amounts of lift force. To counteract this, the rotating blade must have the same amount
of lift when the blades are in the 90- and 270-degree positions, as shown in the following
figure:

The helicopter shown above has a total maximum weight and drag force are 10660 kgf,
and 1550 kgf respectively, and is flying at a forward speed of 261 km/h at standard sea
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level conditions (@SL = 1.225 [kg/m3]; p@SL = 101325.0 [Pa]; R = 287.0 [J/(kg*K)]; @SL =
1.789 x 10-5 [kg/(m*seg)]), the blades airfoil mean camber line equations are:
𝑧 1 𝑥 1 𝑥 2 𝑥
Front part: = ( ) − ( ) 𝑓𝑜𝑟0 ≤ ≤ 0.2
𝑐 5 𝑐 2 𝑐 𝑐

𝑧 3 1 𝑥 1 𝑥 2 𝑥
Rear part: = + ( ) − ( ) 𝑓𝑜𝑟0.2 ≤ ≤ 1.0
𝑐 160 80 𝑐 32 𝑐 𝑐

Calculate the angle of attack of a blade element for the left (90 deg) and for the right
(270 deg) blade element at a radial position (r/R) of 65%. Assume that the local blade
lift force (per unit of span) is two percent of the total lift given by the main rotor.
a. left blade element = ___________ [deg]
b. right blade element = ___________ [deg]
c. In a technical and engineering way, explain your answers:
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4. A group of aeronautical engineers are designing a new airplane with a gross take-
off weight of 623.15 [kg] and a wing area of 18.17 [m2]. The operational cruise-flight
speed required is 62.5 [m/s], and the stall speed needs to be 32 percent of that
established for the cruise-flight. You have the job of verifying the selected airfoil that
will be used in the wing, whose mean-camber-line section is described by the
following functions:
𝑧 𝑥 𝑥 2 𝑥
• Front part: = 0.1 ( ) − 0.25 ( ) 𝑓𝑜𝑟0 ≤ ≤ 0.2
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐 𝑐
𝑧 𝑥 𝑥 2 𝑥
• Rear part: = 0.009375 + 0.00625 ( ) − 0.015625 ( ) 𝑓𝑜𝑟0.2 ≤ ≤ 1.0
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐 𝑐

It is known that the airfoil’s lift coefficient is sixteen percent higher than the wing´s lift
coefficient. Assuming that the airplane is operating at sea level conditions, find:

a. The airfoil’s angle of attack, which, according to the design requirements, must
be less than 1.0 degrees:

airfoil_cruise-flight = _____________ [deg]

A plain flap will be installed on the trailing edge of the wing (at 70.0% from the leading
edge) for low-speed (stall) flight conditions such as landing. You are asked to verify:
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b. If the flap´s deflection angle is needed to be less than 30 degrees and assuming
that the airfoil is operating at the same cruise-flight angle of attack, verify its
deflection angle and conclude if it accomplishes the stall requirements:

f = ___________ [deg]

c. Conclusion:
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