Effective angle of attack for an airfoil section located at an arbitrary spanwise station Calculator

The effective angle of attack is an important concept in aerodynamics that takes into account the combined effects of the actual angle of attack and the downwash induced by neighboring flow features, such as wingtip vortices or other airfoil sections. In a simplified explanation, the effective angle of attack represents the angle at which the local airflow is approaching the airfoil, accounting for the downward deflection of the airflow caused by the influence of nearby flow structures. It is used to characterize the local aerodynamic conditions experienced by a specific point on the airfoil. 

• αeff​: Effective angle of attack, which represents the combined angle of attack due to circulation and the zero-lift angle.
• Γ(y0​): Circulation at the spanwise station y0​, which represents the strength of the vortex system generated by the airfoil section. It is often measured in square meters per second (m2/s).
• V∞​: Freestream velocity (velocity far away from the airfoil), measured in meters per second ($m/s$).
• c(y0​): Local chord length at the spanwise station y0​, measured in meters ($m$).
• αL=0​: The zero-lift angle of attack, representing the angle of attack at which the lift coefficient is zero.