Aerodynamics
The
development of theoretical concepts in aerodynamics accompanied the
experiments in wing design and lift and drag measurement. An important contribution
to the understanding of lift was made by Frederick Lanchester in his
1907 book "Aerodynamics." The diagram shown is from this book and
depicts the wing-tip vortex associated with the flow around an airfoil of finite
span. This vortex was predicted by the circulation theory of lift that
Lanchester developed.
It is interesting to note that although Lanchester
studied at the Royal College of Science in London between 1886 and 1889 he
failed to graduate. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the
University of Birmingham in 1920 in recognition of his contributions to engineering
science and aeronautics. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society and
an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. In 1931 he was awarded
the Daniel Guggenheim Medal for his contributions to the fundamental theory
of aerodynamics |
