| Themes > Science > Physics > Fluid Dynamics > Flying the flag for fluid dynamics > Aerodynamics > Selected Topics of Model Aerodynamics > Designing an Airfoil > Numerical Methods |
The selection of an airfoil for a model aircraft depends mainly on the lift and drag characteristics of the airfoil. If no experimental data are available, theoretical methods can be used to get an approximation of these data. Whereas the lift can be calculated reasonable well from the frictionless pressure- respectively velocity distribution on the airfoil surface, the friction drag can be evaluated by an analysis of the boundary layer with a lesser degree of accuracy. There are several methods for the design and analysis of airfoils available. This section briefly presents two of the most popular computer codes suitable for low Reynolds number airfoils:
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