Aerodynamic Force

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Aerodynamic Force

The force exerted by a moving gaseous fluid upon a body completely immersed in it.
The aerodynamic force is proportional to the expression

<math>

p u ² L ² R ⁿ

</math>
where p is the fluid density; u is the velocity of the undisturbed stream relative to the body; L is a characteristic linear dimension of the body; and Rⁿ is the Reynolds number raised to the power of n, a constant usually determined experimentally. This form for the aerodynamic force is sometimes called Rayleigh formula. The component of the aerodynamic force parallel to the direction of flow is called the drag.

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use