text: If the surface of the plate is smooth and the 
  original airstream has no turbulence, the plate 
  at low Reynolds Numbers will exist with pure 
  laminar flow. When the RN is increased to 
  approximately 530,000, transition occurs on 
  the plate and the flow 
  turbulent. 
  Once transition takes place, the drag coefficient 
  of the plate increases from the laminar curve 
  to the turbulent curve. As the RN approaches 
  the drag 
  very high values (20 to 50 million) 
  curve of the plate approaches and nearly equals 
  the values for the turbulent curve. At such 
  high RN the boundary layer is predominantly 
  turbulent with very little 
  transition point is very close to the leading 
  edge. While the smooth, flat plate is not ex- 
  actly representative of the typical airfoil, basic 
  fluid friction phenomena are illustrated. At 
  RN less than a half million the boundary layer 
  will be entirely laminar unless there is extreme 
  surface roughness or turbulence induced in the 
  airstream. Reynolds Numbers between one 
  and five million produce boundary layer flow 
  which is partly laminar and partly turbulent. 
  At RN above ten million 
  the boundary layer 
  characteristics are predominantly turbulent. 
  
  is partly 