NAVWEPS 00-BOT-BO 
BASIC AERODYNAMICS 
Chapter 1 
BASIC AERODYNAMKS 
In order to understand the characteristics of 
his aircraft and develop precision flying tech- 
niques, the Naval Aviator must be familiar 
with the fundamentals of aerodynamics. There 
are certain physical laws which describe the 
behavior of airflow and define the various 
aerodynamic forces and moments acting on a 
surface. These principles of aerodynamics pro- 
vide the foundations for good, precise flying 
techniques. 
WING AND AIRFOIL FORCES 
PROPERTIES OF THE ATMOSPHERE 
The aerodynamic forces and moments acting 
on a surface are due in great part to the prop- 
erties of the air mass in which the surface is 
operating.~ The composition, of the earth’s 
atmosphere by volume is approximately 78 
percent. nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1