Angle of Attack

The angle of attack is the angle between the chord line of an aerofoil and the relative airflow. It is a primary factor in determining the amount of lift and drag produced by a wing, and exceeding the critical angle of attack will result in an aerodynamic stall.

Key Points

• •Angle of attack is measured between the wing's chord line and the relative airflow — not the horizon or the aircraft's pitch attitude.
• •Increasing the angle of attack increases both lift and drag up to the critical (stalling) angle.
• •The critical angle of attack at which an aircraft stalls remains constant regardless of aircraft weight.

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