NACA 0012 Smoke Tunnel

The NACA 0012 is a popular airfoil shape that has been extensively studied and tested in wind tunnels. When placed in a smoke tunnel and subjected to varying angles of attack, researchers can observe the behavior of the airflow around the airfoil. At low angles of attack, the airflow remains attached to the airfoil and flows smoothly over the surface. However, as the angle of attack is increased, the airflow separates from the airfoil, creating turbulent vortices that can reduce lift and increase drag.

Interestingly, at a certain critical angle of attack, the flow will reattach to the top of the airfoil, creating a phenomenon known as "flow reattachment." This occurs when the airflow over the top of the airfoil reaches a point of separation and then recombines with the flow on the bottom of the airfoil. At this point, the lift and drag characteristics of the airfoil can change significantly, and it becomes important to understand and model the behavior of the reattached flow. Overall, the study of airfoil behavior in smoke tunnels, including the NACA 0012, is critical for understanding the principles of aerodynamics and designing efficient and effective aircraft.