It is defined as the angle between the chord line of the airfoil and the direction of the oncoming air.
- α: Angle of Attack
- The angle of attack (α) is the angle between the oncoming air (relative wind) and the chord line of an airfoil (e.g., wing, airfoil, or other lifting surfaces) on an aircraft. It is a crucial parameter in aerodynamics and flight mechanics.
- tan^-1: Tangent Inverse (Arctangent)
- The “tan^-1” or arctangent function is a mathematical operation that calculates the angle whose tangent is equal to a given value. In this case, it’s used to find the angle of attack from the ratio of two quantities.
- W: Weight of the Aircraft
- W represents the weight of the aircraft, which is the force due to gravity acting on the mass of the aircraft.
- U: Velocity of the Aircraft
- U represents the velocity of the aircraft. In this context, it’s usually the velocity of the aircraft through the air (airspeed) or sometimes the velocity of the air mass itself.
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