Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics Videos

Aerodynamics in Aircraft

Embry Riddle has provided this amazing video on the basics of Aerodynamics.

Every pilot should understand at a fundamental level the principles of aerodynamics that keep their aircraft aloft. In this video, we dig deep into the principles of flight, and just what it takes to get an airplane off the ground and keep it in the air.

Aerodynamics in Cars

From high flying wings to splitters and spoilers, Aero makes cars look cool, but they also help cars handle! Aerodynamics is the study of how all that works, and it’s actually a few simple concepts that are responsible for all the weird shapes we stick n cars.

There’s a lot of different factors that affect drag, downforce and how well cars move, so let’s get into it. This episode is all about Aero, and HOW IT WORKS! Bart teaches us how cars work by blowing stuff up and cutting things in half. It’s a science show for the car lover who’s easily bored. Join Bart as he explains the science behind everything automotive. This is cars down to the atom. This is Science Garage.

Supermaneuverability!

Supermaneuverability is important in combat aviation, a aircraft is supermaneuverable when it is able to exceed the design limits of pure aerodynamic maneuverability.

Russian fourth Generation Aircraft were the first operational Fighters with Supermaneuverability, it used on some 4th and 4.5th Generation aircraft and on all 5th Generation Jet Fighters except the F-35 Lightning I, which is only aerodynamically maneuverable.

Those 5th Generation Fighters like the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor or the newly unveiled Russian Sukhoi PAK-FA with Supermaneuverabilty use thrust vectoring to advance their Supermaneuverability at a grade to perform post-stall maneuvers.

Find out more about Supermaneuverability

maneuverability Videos

SU-35

SU-35 doing a super maneuver air stunt at air show

F-35 Lightning Maneuvers

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engined, all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground-attack and air-superiority missions.

Check out this video detailing some of the the F-35 Demo profile flown by Capt. Kristin "BEO" Wolfe. The F-35 Demonstration Team recently relocated to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is part of Air Combat Command and the 388th Fighter Wing,

Join the World's Greatest Air Force

The Thunderbirds!

The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created 66 years ago in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third-oldest formal flying aerobatic team in the world. The Thunderbirds have the privilege and responsibility to perform for people all around the world, displaying the pride, precision and professionalism of American Airmen. In every hour-long demonstration, the team combines years of training and experience with an attitude of excellence to showcase what the Air Force is all about.

Aerodynamic maneuverability vs supermaneuverability

Additional Information

Traditional aircraft maneuvering is accomplished by altering the flow of air passing over the control surfaces of the aircraft—the ailerons, elevators, flaps, air brakes and rudder. Some of these control surfaces can be combined—such as in the "ruddervators" of a V-tail configuration—but the basic properties are unaffected. When a control surface is moved to present an angle to the oncoming airflow, it alters the airflow around the surface, changing its pressure distribution, and thus applying a pitching, rolling, or yawing moment to the aircraft.

The angle of control surface deflection and resulting directional force on the aircraft are controlled both by the pilot and the aircraft's inbuilt control systems to maintain the desired attitude, such as pitch, roll and heading, and also to perform aerobatic maneuvers that rapidly change the aircraft's attitude. For traditional maneuvering control to be maintained, the aircraft must maintain sufficient forward velocity and a sufficiently low angle of attack to provide airflow over the wings (maintaining lift) and also over its control surfaces.

As airflow decreases so does effectiveness of the control surfaces and thus the maneuverability. If the angle of attack exceeds its critical value, the airplane will stall. Pilots are trained to avoid stalls during aerobatic maneuvering and especially in combat, as a stall can permit an opponent to gain an advantageous position while the stalled aircraft's pilot attempts to recover.

The speed at which an aircraft is capable of its maximum aerodynamic maneuverability is known as the corner airspeed; at any greater speed the control surfaces cannot operate at maximum effect due to either airframe stresses or induced instability from turbulent airflow over the control surface. At lower speeds the redirection of air over control surfaces, and thus the force applied to maneuver the aircraft, is reduced below the airframe's maximum capacity and thus the aircraft will not turn at its maximum rate. It is therefore desirable in aerobatic maneuvering to maintain corner velocity.

In a supermaneuverable aircraft, the pilot can maintain a high degree of maneuverability below corner velocity, and at least limited altitude control without altitude loss below stall speed. Such an aircraft is capable of maneuvers that are impossible with a purely aerodynamic design. More recently, increased use of jet-powered, instrumented unmanned vehicles ("research drones") has increased the potential flyable angle of attack beyond 90 degrees and well into the post-stall safe flight domains, and has also replaced some of the traditional uses of wind tunnels.[2]

TEAAMS.org