About classical problems of airfoil drag

Abstract

The drag of airfoils has long been determined from measurements in the wake behind the airfoil. The well-known formula of Squire and Young can be used to transfer the measured data to infinity downstream of the airfoil, where an exact relation to the drag exists. The Squire–Young formula is reviewed and an uncertainty in its derivation is discussed. A new formula of the same type is then derived, which also contains an uncertainty. This uncertainty can be reduced by experimental and numerical investigations of the wake displacement. Conversely, the displacement and the momentum of the wake must be investigated to reduce the uncertainty of the Squire–Young formula. In the second part of the paper, the determination of the drag directly by integration of the skin friction is investigated. Such a calculation is not difficult if the boundary-layer characteristics are computed numerically. An additional pressure drag must be regarded in this case. A new formula for the pressure drag is derived which shows that the uncertainty of the Squire–Young type formulas is contained in the evaluation of the pressure drag. This is another reason for further research on wake displacement.