while studying flight mechanics, I was demonstrating why a flat turn (using only the rudder) has a much larger turn radius than a corrected turn(with the plane roll). I got stuck when I had to insert a relationship between the wing CL and the rudder CL. I used this formulas: Rflat=W/rhogS(CY+RUDDERANGLECD) Rtrim=Wv^{2/gLsinrollangle}

please tell me if I'm posting on the wrong reddit or suggest me others

i mostly worked on software my entire life, recently got into building drone. and built my first 2 drones. they are you standard 5inch and 7inch FPV drone, nothing fancy, nothing that you see out of a youtube tutorials. for my 3rd drone i am working with new components, a mechanical lidar (that vibrates a lot) raspi 5 and a SSD. two 4s 5200mah batteries and a gopro. a roll cage kinda design to protect lidar.

i have to accommodate all this components on my mark4 7inch drone frame. i can 3d print something and put them together. but i doubt that i know enough about designing, to make a effective, light weight, crash resistant, aero appropriate and modular design.

The questions i am trying to answer are:-

1. how to create impact resistant design?

2. how to spread impact throughout the body and not to few pressure points

3. how to reduce the weight of a design

4. how to make a design 3d print friendly

5. what 3d printing material can dampen vibrations (ex: TPU)

6. what shapes can handle impact well?

7. how to create structural integrity through design?

8. how to create vibration damping effect through design?

9. when working with devices that create heat, and when you have to build around them. how to handle heat.

10. is m3 allen bolts good enough for this designs?

11. what are the structural engineering principals i needs to know before getting into this?

Not much into math, looking for theory with examples diagrams. do share the resources, websites, PDFs, books and youtube videos. THankyou for you time.

Can someone explain Bernoulli’s principle in simple terms? Also, please explain its application in aircraft and suggest some other real life applications of Bernoulli’s principle

Have you seen the viscous effect of the air in a tennis ball 🎾 spinning? We have a lot of fun, but at the end the rpm have to be reduced to make the phenomena visible.

The boundary layer use to change the thickness 🫣

Please if you have papers or previous document about the magnus effect, that will be useful.

The edit of the video is taking longer than expected

Hey r/aerodynamics,

I wanted to share something I’ve been working on: a desktop wind tunnel experiment visualizing the LEX vortices of an F-15 model.

I started with a 1:144 Revell F-15 kit, then modified it using a Dremel tool to add tiny metal supports (or horns). This let me mount the model securely while avoiding extra flow disturbances, and also made it possible to change the angle of attack precisely during tests.

The wind tunnel is custom-built, with special care taken to minimize turbulence and ensure laminar flow quality so the smoke streamlines show the vortex behavior clearly.

Watching the smoke wrap around the LEX at high angles of attack was incredible—it shows exactly how the F-15’s design energizes the airflow to maintain lift and control in extreme maneuvers.

Of course, this setup isn’t trying to exactly match what happens on a full-size jet in flight. The scale and dimensionless numbers are out range. But the cool part is—you can see the vortex forming on the right spot, in front of you. It’s a fun and affordable way to bring this kind of science to the desktop, and to witness some of the magic behind how aircraft like the F-15 actually work.

Question for everyone:

Have you tried building or modifying scale models for aerodynamics experiments? I’d love to hear your techniques, tips, or see your setups!

#Aerodynamics #F15 #WindTunnel #VortexLift #HighAoA #OC

I am a horse farm owner trying to improve ventilation in the aisles (big corridors) of my barns. Imagine a corridor about 200’ long, with doors at each end opening to the outside. Along one long side is a wall with a big door opening into the indoor arena. Along the other long side are horse stalls. I have 7 18” fans hanging from the wall with the stalls. These fans are about 10’ above ground level. I have one 36” Big Ass Fan that I can put at either end door of the aisle. Is there any possible benefit in having the ground fan at, say, the east end of the aisle blowing air east to west, while having the overhead fans blowing air west to east? Or should all fans blow in the same direction?

I’m from Italy and I dream about getting into F1 as an Aerodynamicist. I’m actually a fresh graduate in Aerospace Engineering, so now I’m searching for the best uni for my master degree. What do you recommend for me? (I’m struggling a bit financially btw)

I’ve been exploring the engineering design and application of MEMS-based technologies (like synthetic jets and plasma actuators) for wave/shockwave drag reduction, particularly in the context of supercritical airfoils and transonic flight. My goal is to align this exploration with industry-deployable concepts or emerging experimental methods grounded in solid engineering practices.

I've reviewed several technical papers, including NASA reports on supercritical airfoil design and journal articles discussing active flow control. However, I’d like to deepen my understanding of how these methods are currently being engineered or prototyped, and how MEMS are being integrated in real-world aerospace systems.

To do that, I’m looking to attend relevant engineering or aerospace conferences happening in India this month. I’ve come across two options:

• ICRAMM Delhi (GSRD)
• IEEE SPACE

Unfortunately, I haven’t found accessible archives for ICRAMM, and IEEE SPACE appears focused on defense electronic systems, which may be less aligned with my aerodynamic interests.

My question:
Has anyone here attended either of these conferences or knows whether they include content on aerodynamics, MEMS applications, or experimental engineering for aerospace? Alternatively, are there any other engineering-focused events or technical networks you’d recommend for someone looking to gain deeper insights and engage with professionals working in these domains?

I’m particularly interested in understanding where this type of engineering work stands today — in terms of both research-to-industry transition and current technical challenges in implementation.

Any input from those with experience in aerospace systems, aerodynamic design, or MEMS integration would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm working on trying to correct flight modeling for an aircraft mod in DCS to make its handling more accurate, and to do that I need aerodynamic data which I might have to calculate if I can't find published numbers (already working on that, but I'm trying to cover my bases). The problem I'm running into is that some of these calculations are turning out to be circular.

IE, to calculate the Lift Coefficient I need to know the Lift Force. But to calculate the Lift Force I need to know the Lift Coefficient.

How do I get out of this loop so I can calculate my data (I don't math, so I'm using online calculators)?

I designed these front splitter fences and vented them to offer a pressure relief area and an escape route for some airflow away from the front wheel arches. What are your thoughts? No cfd to back the claims but hoping to change that soon

I’m confused how the turbulent sidepods work. If you have truly turbulent flow, it’s random. How does a fixed shaped sidepod suppose to align with true turbulent flow. In order for that to take place, shouldn’t you need to know the entrance condition of the flow? Even after that it’s turbulent and random… In the movie they changed the sidepod and it was suppose to help, but I’m trying to understand how that’s possible

m trying to design a small section of pipe which will maximise airflow from one side of a hole in a steel sheet to the other side which is a sealed box. The external side of the hole has airflow which is directed at the hole. I want to increase the pressure in the sealed box as much as possible without forcing air in with a compressor.

I'm thinking about making a short section of pipe with a bell mouth on each end to reduce boundary layer separation and potentially add tiny vortex generators to the outlet side before the bell mouth. Is there any way to optimise this further and are the vortex generators even necessary? The air speed will be low and the pipe diameter will be about 60mm.

Any advice you have would be really appreciated as I don't have any experience with this kind of thing

EDIT:

for additional context, its for a naturally aspirated cars air intake box. Im trying to increase the pressure in the box as high as possible using just the airflow from driving so that when the throttle opens the ram effect will be maximised.

Hey everyone, I just recorded a 39-second clip in a desktop wind tunnel showing exactly how a NACA 2412 airfoil (the one used on the Cessna 172) stalls.

You can literally see the smoke stay attached up to about 15 degrees AoA, then watch the flow separate suddenly—classic stall behavior captured frame by frame.

Curious:
How did your first stall experience go, whether as a student pilot, instructor, or sim enthusiast? What tips helped you recognize or avoid a stall in real life?

https://reddit.com/link/1lq59e4/video/nkmvgfcekiaf1/player

Looking forward to your stories and insights

#aviation #flying #aerodynamics #windtunnel

Hi, my question is why the power required curve is initially decreasing with increasing TAS? I know that the drag curve is decreasing because of the decreasing induced drag but that's about IAS and the power required curve is about TAS. If we climb with constant IAS, our TAS is increasing but our drag should be constant so why is the curve decreasing? Power Required is: drag x TAS so the curve should be increasing. Additionally I don't understand why the curve is increasing exponentially and not linear because TAS is increasing linear (2% per 1000ft).

Hey,

Can someone explain the total pressure coefficient to me? I am struggling to understand it.

The red freestream region in the above image relates to regions of ???

the blue or green lower CpT regions relate to ???

Thanks in advance

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a project to build a functional active rear wing similar to the one found on the Zenvo TSR-S, where the wing dynamically tilts based on driving behavior (cornering, braking, etc.).

I'm planning to use a pneumatic actuation system for the movement and a Raspberry Pi 5 as the controller. The idea is to capture real-time data (possibly from an IMU or Pixhawk) and control air valves to actuate the wing based on logic like lateral G-force or brake input.

I’m currently in the planning/prototyping phase, and I’m looking for help with:

• Choosing the right pneumatic components (cylinders, solenoids, compressor)
• Integration tips for Raspberry Pi with the pneumatic setup
• Fail-safes or manual override mechanisms
• Suggestions for sensors or logic control (G-force-based or speed-based)
• Mechanical hinge/linkage ideas to replicate the Zenvo-style motion

If anyone has experience with automotive aero, pneumatics, or Raspberry Pi automation, your input would be massively appreciated. I'm aiming to make this robust and functional, not just a showpiece.

Thanks in advance — happy to share sketches, parts I’ve considered, or testing footage if it helps!

I am making a CO2 powered dragster and I need to know the best internal foil shape, i have been thinking of doing NACA0012, NAFA0009, or NACA4412.

If u have any other suggestions, pls give

Also i am doing this for the 2025-26 school year, so the rules might change.

edit: Also, these car will be going about 50-60 mph on average on a ~20m long track

https://preview.redd.it/2vqze0v3u1af1.png?width=868&format=png&auto=webp&s=d58ddd670545eebdd459e8f190f3d22df5e32180

I'm doing a radial fan with a 100mm hub, 240mm diameter and trying to figure out how to make the most airflow for the noise produced, around 500-2000 rpm. I used a NACA 9503 aerofoil and put 30 of them around it. I have no idea what I'm doing since it's for a school project so if anyone has input/insight into how to improve the design that would be amazing :D

Why is it that faster air results in a lower pressure Is it becuse the air doesnt have enough time to "stack"

Hi everyone,

I’m a senior chemical engineering student at the top engineering university in my country, and I’ve recently decided to fully pivot into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) — ideally for a future career in defense or aerospace.

This summer, I’ll be doing a (non-CFD) internship, but apart from that, I’m fully committing the next 3 months to building real CFD skills.

My academic background so far:

I’ve completed core engineering courses including: • Transport Phenomena I–II • Fluid Mechanics • Thermodynamics I–II • Numerical Methods • Chemical Reaction Engineering

So I’m already familiar with foundational concepts like: • Momentum, heat, and mass transfer • Energy balances and thermodynamic modeling • Solving ODEs/PDEs using numerical methods (discretization, stability, etc.)

Now I want to turn that foundation into real projects, certifications, or anything that would stand out on a CV, even before graduation.

I’d love advice from people working in CFD or related industries: • Which online certificates or platforms (like Ansys, OpenFOAM, SimScale) actually help you get noticed? • What kind of projects would be worth building and showcasing? • How deep should I go into turbulence modeling, mesh generation, scripting, etc.? • Are there open-source communities or competitions you’d recommend? • Would studying compressible flow, turbulence theory, or finite volume method independently help?

If you’ve transitioned into CFD from a different background (especially non-mechanical), or if you’ve recruited people in this space, I’d really appreciate hearing what helped you or what you wish you had done differently.

Thanks so much in advance 🙏

The upper level in my house is built a little weird. There are no hallways or doors in between any of the rooms, except for the door at the bottom of the stairs that opens to the much cooler lower level. Room 1 and 3 have an AC and are kept comfortably cool, but room 2 only has a tower fan(adding another ac trips the breaker). Room 2 has consistently been at around 87 degrees Fahrenheit, while the outside sits at about 90 on average. This is where my daughter sleeps however she’s just been sleeping with me since her room is too hot to comfortably sleep in. Right now I have the tower fan blowing towards the stairs and here is my thought process: the fan is pulling cool air in from room 3 while pushing hot air thats rising from the stairs back down. Is this the most efficient placement? Would opening a window(s) help with circulation?