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 | | From: | Don Stauffer | | Subject: | Center of pressure vs. aerodynamic center | | Date: | Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:50:29 -0800 |
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I am not sure how easy this is, but here is a try. The CP is pretty
easy- it is an aerodynamic pressure equivalent to the center of
gravity. That is, it is the effective point where the force could be
considered as acting at.
The aerodynamic center is something else. With many airfoils at normal
angles of attack, the actual lifting force and the center of pressure
act in a funny way. They act in such a way that the moment, or
twisting force, appears to be a constant if we pick the right point to
consider it acting at.
That is, if we are at the aerodynamic center, then when the lift force
increases, the cp moves closer to the ac, so that the product is a
constant. If the lift force decreases, the cp moves away from the ac by
a corresponding fractional amount.
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