Angle of attack

This article focuses on the most common application, the angle of attack of a wing or airfoil moving through air.

Cambered airfoils are curved such that they generate some lift at small negative angles of attack.

Conversely, above the critical angle of attack, as the angle of attack increases, the air begins to flow less smoothly over the upper surface of the airfoil and begins to separate from the upper surface.

At the critical angle of attack, upper surface flow is more separated and the airfoil or wing is producing its maximum lift coefficient.

As the angle of attack increases further, the upper surface flow becomes more fully separated and the lift coefficient reduces further.

Modern airliners that have fly-by-wire technology avoid the critical angle of attack by means of software in the computer systems that govern the flight control surfaces.

[8] In takeoff and landing operations from short runways (STOL), such as Naval Aircraft Carrier operations and STOL backcountry flying, aircraft may be equipped with the angle of attack or Lift Reserve Indicators.

Angle of attack indicators are used by pilots for maximum performance during these maneuvers, since airspeed information is only indirectly related to stall behavior.

Some military aircraft are able to achieve controlled flight at very high angles of attack, but at the cost of massive induced drag.

However, military aircraft usually do not obtain such high alpha in combat, as it robs the aircraft of speed very quickly due to induced drag, and, in extreme cases, increased frontal area and parasitic drag.