Digitize Airfoil Shapes with Ice Accretion for Aerodynamics and Simulation

Digitizing Iced Airfoils with Airfoil Digitizer ❄️✈️

Accurately modeling the effects of ice accretion on airfoils is essential for understanding performance degradation in real-world flight conditions. At Hanley Innovations, we make this possible with Airfoil Digitizer — a powerful and easy-to-use tool that lets you convert complex airfoil images, including those with icing, into precise coordinate files.

The image demonstrates a real-world use case: a NACA 0012 airfoil with upper-surface ice accretion digitized using Airfoil Digitizer. The original airfoil and the iced version are both captured from the image and converted into coordinate data for use in aerodynamic analysis tools such as VisualFoil, Stallion 3D, or even your own custom CFD code.

Why Use Airfoil Digitizer for Iced Airfoils?

• Handles Irregular Shapes: Ice accretion rarely forms smooth contours — our tool adapts to jagged and asymmetric formations.
• Adjustable Tolerance: Capture just the right amount of detail using the built-in tolerance slider.
• Output in Analysis-Ready Format: Export coordinates directly to VisualFoil, UIUC, or DXF format for quick analysis.
• No Need for Manual Tracing: Save time and reduce error when extracting data from icing simulation or wind tunnel images.

Whether you're working on aircraft certification, research, or student projects, Airfoil Digitizer makes it easy to extract the effects of ice accretion for aerodynamic simulation and performance prediction.

Explore more at Hanley Innovations – Airfoil Digitizer  or https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/airfoildigitizerhelp.html

Best NACA Airfoil Aerodynamics Software for Beginners & Students

VisualFoil NACA: Your Tool for Precise Airfoil Analysis

At Hanley Innovations, we’re proud to offer VisualFoil NACA, the ultimate tool for airfoil analysis and design. Whether you're an engineer, researcher, or designer, VisualFoil NACA provides unparalleled precision for analyzing and testing a range of NACA airfoils.

Why Choose VisualFoil NACA?

VisualFoil NACA is designed to deliver quick and accurate analysis of NACA airfoils, which are some of the most widely used airfoils in aerodynamics. With this tool, you can easily visualize and analyze the aerodynamic properties of your chosen airfoils.

• Easy-to-Use Interface: Whether you're just starting or an experienced professional, our intuitive interface makes it easy to conduct detailed airfoil analysis.
• Comprehensive Data: Get access to vital aerodynamic data like lift, drag, and moment coefficients, which are essential for any project.
• Customization Options: Adjust parameters to see how different variables affect your airfoil's performance.
• Proven Accuracy: Trusted by professionals worldwide, VisualFoil NACA ensures accurate results for your analysis and design work.

Key Features

• High-Resolution Graphs: Get detailed lift, drag, and moment curves.
• Multiple Analysis Methods: Thin airfoil theory, inviscid panel method, and more for the most accurate results.
• NACA Airfoil Selection: Choose from a vast database of NACA airfoils to get started right away.
• Easy Integration: Perfect for integrating into your design process and other tools.

See for Yourself

Experience the power of VisualFoil NACA and unlock more efficient airfoil analysis today! Visit VisualFoil NACA for more information and a closer look at how this tool can help advance your aerodynamics projects.

More about Hanley Innovations: https://www.hanleyinnovations.com

Aerodynamics Simulation Software for Beginners, Students and Teachers

 

3 Classical Aerodynamics Methods in VisualFoi 5

The Three Solvers Behind VisualFoil 5: Powering Accurate Airfoil Analysis

VisualFoil 5 by Hanley Innovations is a powerful software tool for airfoil performance analysis, widely used by aerospace engineers, students, and designers. At the core of VisualFoil 5 are three distinct solvers, each offering a unique balance of speed, accuracy, and physics fidelity.  They are 1. Thin airfoil theory (the blue solution); 2. Inviscid panel method (the green solution); 3. Viscous panel method (the red solution).

1. Thin Airfoil Theory

This is the fastest method in VisualFoil 5, based on classical aerodynamic theory. It assumes an infinitely thin cambered airfoil and linear flow, making it ideal for quick estimates of lift characteristics such as:

• Lift curve slope
• Zero-lift angle of attack
• Center of pressure location

While it doesn't account for viscosity or airfoil thickness, it’s perfect for educational use and early-stage conceptual design.

2. Inviscid Panel Method

The panel method in VisualFoil 5 models the airfoil surface with discrete panels and solves for the velocity potential flow around it. This inviscid (non-viscous) approach captures:

• Pressure distribution
• Streamlines
• Lift and moment coefficients
• Enable contour plots of the flow field

It includes thickness effects and provides higher fidelity than thin airfoil theory. However, it does not predict flow separation or stall, as viscosity is not modeled.

3. Viscous Panel Method (Boundary Layer-Coupled)

The most advanced solver in VisualFoil 5 couples the panel method with a boundary layer model to include viscous effects. This hybrid approach predicts:

• Stall onset
• Drag due to skin friction and separation
• More accurate lift and moment at higher angles of attack

It is ideal for analyzing real-world airfoils where flow separation and drag matter, including thick airfoils like the NACA 0018.

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In summary, VisualFoil 5 gives users the flexibility to choose the right solver for their analysis—from quick theoretical estimates to high-fidelity, viscous simulations. This versatility makes it a powerful tool for aerodynamic design and education alike.

More information can be found at Hanley Innovations 👉 https://www.hanleyinnovations.com

Stallion 3D in the Early Aerodynamic Design Process of Your Subscale, eVTOL, UAV and Aircraft Models

NASA Raven-SWFT Subscale eVTOL Model

What is Stallion 3D?

Stallion 3D by Hanley Innovations is a standalone aerodynamic simulation software for engineers, educators, and innovators. It runs on Windows PCs and provides fast, insightful analysis of aircraft, UAS, automotive shapes, and more—without the steep learning curve or cost of traditional CFD software.

Why Use Stallion 3D Early in the Design Process?

Early-stage designs need quick feedback—without the overhead of high-end tools. Stallion 3D fits right here, providing fast results, cost-efficiency, and actionable insights before you're ready to invest in more expensive CFD platforms.

• Fast Turnaround: Simulate 3D bodies in minutes from STL files—no external meshing required.
• Affordable Licensing: Available as a one-time purchase with a perpetual license—perfect for small teams and startups.
• Design Filtering: Evaluate and compare concepts early, discarding poor performers quickly.
• Pre-CFD Screening: Reduce costly CFD time by validating designs with Stallion 3D first.

When to Use Stallion 3D

• Concept development and rapid feasibility studies
• Design screening for wings, UAVs, fuselages, and vehicles
• Educational aerodynamic demonstrations in classrooms
• Small businesses needing in-house simulation tools
• Desktop CFD without cloud dependencies or subscriptions

Conclusion

Stallion 3D is a tool to accelerate early aerodynamic insight. It's not a replacement for advanced CFD—but a smart first step in getting there. With it, you can steer your project in the right direction from the start—quickly, affordably, and with confidence.

Learn more about Stallion 3D at Hanley Innovations

Aerodynamics simulation software for airfoil and wing

 

3DFoil results compares well with experiments from 

N.A.C.A Report No. 647, 1938, Figure.[1].

We used 3DFoil to perform aerodynamic simulations for a rectangular wing based on a NACA 0012 airfoil. Results were compared with a NACA experiment performed in 1938, Ref. [1]. NACA tested a full sized wing with a span dimension of 36 feet and chord of 6 feet. The tests were performed in a full scale wind tunnel. We compared the results of 3DFoil, our vortex lattice package, against the experiments conducted on the NACA 0012 version of the wing. The results show excellent agreement between 3DFoil and the experiments for the lift and drag coefficients.

Figure [1]. NACA Report No. 647, 1938.

Figure [2]. Lift vs. angle of attack (degrees). 3DFoil (blue); Experiment (orange)

Figure [3]. Drag vs. angle of attack (degrees). 3DFoil (blue); Experiment (grey)

References:

Goett, H. J., & Bullivant, W. K. (1938). Tests of NACA 0009, 0012, and 0018 airfoils in the full-scale tunnel. Washington, DC, USA: US Government Printing Office.

About 3DFoil:

3DFoil empowers engineers, designers and students alike to design and analyze 3D wings, hydrofoils, and more. The software seamlessly blends speed and accuracy, using a vortex lattice method and boundary layer solver to calculate lift, drag, moments, and even stability. Its user-friendly interface allows for flexible design with taper, twist, and sweep, making it ideal for creating winglets, kite hydrofoils, and various other aerodynamic surfaces. Notably, 3DFoil surpasses traditional 2D analysis by considering finite wing span for more realistic performance predictions, helping users optimize their designs with confidence.

See also: https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/3dwingaerodynamics.html

Visit 👉 Hanley Innovations for more information

Aerodynamic simulation of your OpenVSP Design

Start the design process now with Stallion 3D.  It is a complete computational fluid dynamics, CFD, tool based on RANS that quickly and accurately simulate complex designs.  Simply enter your CAD, in the STL format form OpenVSP or other tools, to discover the full potential of your design.

Learn more 👉 https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/stallion3d.html 

Stallion 3D is a tool designed for you, the designer, to successfully fly your designs on schedule:

1. Compute  lift, drag, CL and CD with Stallion 3D to discover the cruise, stall and speed for maximum endurance and the power required to operate your aircraft.
2. Discover the range and loiter potential of your designs by computing the maximum CL/CD and CL^(3/2)/CD.
3. Start now with a 3-months lease  by visiting the  Stallion 3D  page. 

Stallion 3D empowers you to take your designs to the next level.  The picture above shows the aerodynamics of an amphibious Lockheed C-130 concept.  A Windows 11 laptop was used for the complete calculation.  Stallion 3D is ideal for down selecting conceptual designs so you can move to the next step with an optimized aircraft.

Do not hesitate to contact us at hanley@hanleyinnovations.com if you have any questions.  Thanks 😀

VisualFoil Plus for Subsonic, Transonic and Supersonic Airfoil Simulation

VisualFoil Plus is a version of VisualFoil that has a built-in compressible flow solver for transonic and supersonic airfoil analysis.  As VisualFoil Plus is currently not in active development, the perpetual license is only $189.

Learn more 👉 https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/air_16.html

VisualFoil Plus has the following features:

1. An extensive airfoil library for simulation, comparing, graphing and printing.
2. An intuitive user interface where you can export airfoil ordinates, and performance results
3. Compare the aerodynamic performance of multiple airfoil on a single graph
4. Work and learn within an intuitive graphical user interface.

The picture above, shows referrals the solution of the NACA 0012 airfoil at a Mach number of 0.825.
Please visit us at https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/air_16.html for more information.