Friday, August 22, 2025

What Is a Multi-Element Airfoil? Aircraft, Cars & Design Explained


What Is a Multi-Element Airfoil?

How they work for aircraft takeoff/landing, motorsports downforce, 

and how they are designed by engineers.

Quick definition

A multi-element airfoil is a lifting surface made from two or more cooperating profiles—typically a main element plus leading-edge slats and/or trailing-edge flaps. By carefully positioning the elements (gaps, overlaps, and deflections), designers dramatically increase lift (for aircraft) or downforce (for cars) at low to moderate speeds without making the wing excessively large.

Why multi-element airfoils work

  • Circulation & camber boost: Slats and flaps increase effective camber, strengthening circulation and lift.
  • Slot effect (boundary-layer control): The gap between elements jets high-energy air over the next element, delaying separation and letting the system reach higher lift coefficients before stalling.
  • Fowler motion: Many flaps translate rearward and rotate, increasing wing area and camber simultaneously.
  • Load sharing: Each element carries part of the pressure jump, reducing peak adverse gradients on any single surface.

In practice, a single-element airfoil might achieve a CL,max around ~1.4 (order of magnitude), while a well-designed multi-element system can exceed ~2.5–3.0+ depending on geometry, Reynolds number, and deflection schedule. (For cars, think of “negative lift” or downforce rather than positive lift.)

Where you see them in the real world

Jet airliners (takeoff & landing)

Airliners need huge lift at low speeds to operate from practical runways. On approach and takeoff, they deploy leading-edge slats and multi-segment trailing-edge flaps to raise CL,max, allowing lower approach speeds, shorter distances, and improved safety margins. In cruise, devices retract to reduce drag.

Business jets, turboprops, and STOL aircraft

Many business jets and turboprops use slats and flaps for field performance. Short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft do the same, sometimes adding devices like fences, cuffs, Krueger flaps, or blown flaps to energize flow and improve controllability near stall.

Uncrewed aircraft & model aviation

UAVs benefit from high-lift systems for heavier payloads or shorter fields. Multi-element tails or deployable flaps are common on fixed-wing drones that must launch and recover in tight spaces.

Motorsports & performance cars

Racing wings often use two or more elements (plus Gurney flaps) to produce large downforce at modest speeds, improving grip in braking and cornering. Rules usually cap element count and geometry, so careful design of slot gap, overlap, and flap angle is crucial to hit the aero targets without stalling the wing.

Key design choices

  • Architecture: How many elements? Slat + single flap, double-slotted flap, or more?
  • Gap & overlap: Tiny changes (millimeters) in the slot can make or break high-lift performance.
  • Deflection schedule: Angle and translation vs. speed/phase (takeoff vs. landing) or, for cars, vs. ride height/attitude.
  • Reynolds/Mach effects: Section choice and flap geometry depend on size and speed regime.
  • 3D integration: Wing twist, endplates/fences, tip effects, and flap track fairings all matter.
  • Structures & mechanisms: Added complexity, weight, and maintenance vs. performance gains.
  • Noise & certification: For aircraft, aero-acoustic considerations can drive geometry and schedules.

A practical workflow for designing multi-element airfoils

  1. Define the mission: Field length, stall margins, approach/takeoff speeds (aircraft), or target downforce/drag window (cars).
  2. Choose a baseline section: Start with a main element suited to the Reynolds number and thickness needs.
  3. Select devices: Slat type and size; flap type (plain, split, single-slotted, double-slotted, or Fowler); Gurney height.
  4. Set initial geometry: Gap/overlap and hinge lines; add mechanical constraints for real deployable hardware.
  5. Analyze 2D performance: Sweep angles of attack and device deflections to map CL, CD, Cm, and stall behavior.
  6. Scale to 3D wing/car installation: Include spanwise effects, endplates/fences, and local ground effect (cars).
  7. Optimize the schedule: Create “takeoff” and “landing” (or “low-speed” and “high-speed”) settings; validate against constraints.
  8. Iterate with CFD and tests: Refine details such as slot curvature, fairings, and sealing strategies.

Design faster with Hanley Innovations software

Hanley Innovations provides tools that streamline multi-element airfoil and wing design—from early concepts to practical, test-ready geometries:

  • MultiElement Airfoils – Rapidly configure slats, flaps, gaps, and overlaps; evaluate high-lift performance across deflection schedules. Ideal for airliner high-lift studies, STOL concepts, UAVs, and motorsports wings.
  • 3DFoil – Analyze full wings and tail combinations quickly, explore stability derivatives, and build trim maps that incorporate your high-lift settings.
  • Stallion 3D – Move to full-3D CFD when you need richer flowfield details (pressures, forces/moments, and flow features) on real geometries, including multi-element systems and car wings.

Ready to accelerate your high-lift or downforce project?

Visit Hanley Innovations to explore MultiElement Airfoils, 3DFoil, and Stallion 3D.

FAQ

How many elements are “too many”?
Diminishing returns set in as mechanical complexity, drag, and sensitivity increase. Most practical systems use one slat and one or two flap elements; motorsports rules often limit element count explicitly.

Do Gurney flaps count as an element?
They’re typically treated as a device on an element rather than a full element, but they can significantly boost lift/downforce at the right Reynolds numbers.

What’s the most sensitive parameter?
The slot (gap and overlap) and the deflection schedule. Small tweaks here can change peak performance and stall character.

© Hanley Innovations • Tools and methods here are for educational guidance; always validate with appropriate analysis and testing for your application.

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Rocket Aerodynamics Video Tutorial

πŸš€ Rocket Aerodynamics — From STL to Flight-Ready Insights

Altitude is great—but control and stability win flights. In this video, I show how to take your rocket’s STL file and run a complete CFD analysis in Stallion 3D so you can predict side force, spin tendency, and CP shift before launch.

What’s inside

  • Import your STL from OpenVSP, Tinkercad, or OpenRocket
  • Set realistic flight conditions: Mach, altitude, angle of attack
  • Run the solver to get surface pressure, side force, yaw moment, spin tendency, and CP shift

Why it matters

Estimates for CG/CP are a start, but they miss critical effects—fin misalignment, transonic bumps, and asymmetric forces. Stallion 3D gives you the full aerodynamic picture so launches are straighter, faster, and more reliable.

Smarter launches start here. — hanley@hanleyinnovations.com

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Rocket Aerodynamics with CFD Simulations πŸš€


πŸ› ️ From CAD to CFD in 3 Easy Steps

  1. Export your rocket design as an STL file (from Fusion 360, OpenVSP, OpenRocket, etc.)
  2. Import it directly into Stallion 3D
  3. Simulate full 3D aerodynamics: side force, spin, CP/CG behavior, Mach effects

🎯 Why Use Stallion 3D?

  • ✅ Simulate at any Mach number — from subsonic to transonic and supersonic
  • ✅ Understand yaw-induced spin and asymmetrical loading
  • ✅ Analyze launch stability and fin performance
  • ✅ Works directly with STL files — no mesh cleanup needed

πŸ’‘ Perfect For:

  • πŸ§‘‍πŸ”¬ Engineers building high-power rockets
  • πŸ† Students competing in TARC, Spaceport America Cup, SEDS, and more
  • πŸŽ“ University & high school rocket teams

πŸš€ Ready to launch your next rocket with confidence?

πŸ₯ΌRemember, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to use Stallion 3D.

Learn more: https://www.hanleyinnovations.com

πŸ“§ Contact us for more information:

https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/contactus.html

Monday, July 14, 2025

Airfoil Tools πŸ› ️

Unlocking Aerodynamic Excellence with Hanley Innovations Airfoil Tools

Engineers, hobbyists, and researchers—if precision airfoil analysis and design are on your radar, Hanley Innovations offers a powerhouse suite of tools. Here’s a deep dive into their flagship offerings:

1. VisualFoil 5.0

VisualFoil 5 (VF50) is a powerful airfoil analysis and design tool for Windows, ideal for anything from wings and spoilers to hydrofoils and rudders. It combines:

  • Linear-strength vortex panel method + boundary-layer solver + stall model for Cl, Cd, and Cm vs. AoA
  • Built‑in NACA 4/5/6‑digit generators and UIUC database import
  • Streamline & pressure-field visualization, along with exportable tables and graphs
  • High‑precision plotting and printing utilities

The software has been validated against experimental data (e.g., NACA 0012, 2412, SD7003 at various Reynolds numbers) demonstrating accurate lift, drag, and stall predictions 

2. MultiElement Airfoils

This CAE tool calculates aerodynamic interaction between single or multiple airfoils—perfect for flaps, slats, spoilers, F1-style rear wings, or hydrofoil sets.

  • Solves compressible Euler & Navier‑Stokes for up to 20 elements
  • Includes vortex panel + boundary‑layer solver
  • Automated mesh-free flow analysis with pressure/Mach/temperature visualization
  • Exports DXF, CSV, and detailed performance plots

The software is ideal for  applications like F1 DRS wings, multi-element turbines, and icing studies.

3. Airfoil Digitizer

Aimed at extracting coordinate data from images, this Windows‑based tool converts JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, TIFF into DXF, UIUC, or VisualFoil formats.

  • Tailored for airfoil leading/trailing edge and curvature accuracy
  • Workflow-ready for CFD, CAD, or manufacturing
  • Supports fonts from scanned journals, textbooks, online images and even iced‑airfoil cases :

Why These Matter

This toolkit covers your entire airfoil design pipeline:

  1. Digitize – Capture precise real-world or experimental shapes
  2. Analyze – Use VisualFoil for 2D performance; MultiElement for interacting surfaces
  3. Validate – Compare with real data and export polished reporting

Whether you're developing UAV wings, race-car spoilers, hydrofoils, or ice-accretion analysis, Hanley’s software is robust, validated, and research-grade.  Ready to elevate your aerodynamic workflow?

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Advanced Aerodynamics Simulations for Design Engineers and Students


Meet Stallion 3D

Stallion 3D is our flagship computational fluid dynamics software that simplifies complex aerodynamics for engineers, educators, and designers.

Subsonic Flow Simulation

Whether you're analyzing a general aviation aircraft or a drone, Stallion 3D handles subsonic flows with speed and accuracy.

You can quickly visualize streamlines, pressures, and forces with just a few inputs—no external grid generators required.

Transonic Flow Simulation

In the transonic regime, where shock waves and compressibility effects become critical, Stallion 3D shines.

It solves the full compressible Navier-Stokes equations with turbulence modeling to capture shock interactions and wave drag.

Supersonic Flow Simulation

And for supersonic flows, Stallion 3D gives you direct insight into shock structures, flow separation, and surface heating—crucial for high-speed design and innovation.

Why Stallion 3D?

Stallion 3D puts the power of CFD in your hands—no need for external meshing or scripting.

Subsonic, transonic, or supersonic—it’s one tool for the entire speed envelope.

Start Your Simulation Journey

Visit https://www.hanleyinnovations.com/stallion3d.html to get started today.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

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

Monday, June 9, 2025

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

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Which Software is Used for Aerodynamics and Airfoil Testing

 


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.


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 πŸ‘‰ https://www.hanleyinnovations.com

Saturday, June 7, 2025

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