Camber

Camber refers to the curvature of the mean camber line of an aerofoil — the line drawn equidistant between the upper and lower surfaces from leading edge to trailing edge. A positively cambered aerofoil has an asymmetric profile that generates lift even at zero angle of attack, whereas a symmetrical aerofoil has zero camber and produces no lift at zero angle of attack. The degree of camber influences the pressure distribution over the wing and therefore the lift produced.

Key Points

• •Refers to the asymmetry between the upper and lower curves of an aerofoil.
• •Influences the pressure distribution over the wing in accordance with Bernoulli's theorem.
• •Effective camber can be temporarily increased in flight by extending trailing-edge flaps.

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