Airfoil Stability Turbulence 
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
When you reach around 36,000 feet (11,000 m) near the tropopause, the temperature stabilizes at around -56.5 °C. Making the wing relatively flat on top with a blunter leading edge and more curvature on the bottom gives you a supercritical airfoil. The result is a region of separated, turbulent flow behind the shock.
Vintage Aviation News
APRIL 1, 2025
Studying historical aircraft helps students understand the development of flight and learn from early engineers about problems of lift, propulsion, stability, and material constraints. With the right support, future engineers can deepen their understanding of aviation history while developing the skills necessary for innovation.
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Vintage Aviation News
APRIL 18, 2025
The F-14s unique roll control setup, which relies on differential horizontal stabilizers and spoilers rather than traditional ailerons, provided effective control at various speeds but also introduced side forces that could contribute to spin entry. This configuration, while beneficial for carrier takeoffs, added complexity to spin behavior.
Pilot Institute
JUNE 12, 2025
The improved stability at high speeds also contributes to steady flight, and overall better performance. On top of that, the hinge points of the swing-wing mechanism can become sources of turbulence and flow separation. One such challenge is gap sealing. The movement of the wings creates gaps that can disturb airflow.
Pilot's Life Blog
FEBRUARY 11, 2025
The wings are designed with an airfoil shape, curved on the top and flatter on the bottom, creating a pressure difference when air flows over them. Each rotor blade acts as an airfoil, and as it rotates, it moves air over its surface, generating lift. Does turbulence affect helicopters differently? The best way to decide?
Flying Magazine
MAY 6, 2025
It retained the classic, high-lift Clark Y airfoil, but the span of its four-position semi-Fowler flap span was extended. The Garmin glass lived up to its reputation for being easy to program, and the autopilot did as it was programmed, even in turbulence, with appropriate rudder input. In 2005, a new wing became standard.
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