Wing Incidence often referred to as the angle of incidence, is a fundamental parameter in aircraft design. It’s the angle between the chord line of the wing (an imaginary straight line connecting the leading and trailing edges of the wing) and the longitudinal axis (centerline) of the aircraft. The angle of incidence helps determine the aircraft’s basic orientation relative to the oncoming airflow.
Formula: The angle of incidence (often denoted as α) is typically expressed in degrees and is calculated as follows:
- α is the angle of incidence (in degrees).
- θ_root is the angle of attack at the wing’s root (in degrees).
- θ_tip is the angle of attack at the wing’s tip (in degrees).