Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
Making the wing relatively flat on top with a blunter leading edge and more curvature on the bottom gives you a supercritical airfoil. For most aircraft with highly cambered wings or thick profiles, airflow accelerates over the top of the wing. The result is a region of separated, turbulent flow behind the shock.
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