Lift Coefficient Calculator
Calculate lift coefficient and forces in aerodynamic applications
Calculate Lift Coefficient
Force perpendicular to the flow direction
Relative velocity between object and fluid
Wing or lifting surface area (planform area)
Density of the fluid medium
Lift Coefficient Results
Formula: CL = 2F/(ρAV²)
Dynamic Pressure: q = ½ρV² = 0.00 Pa
Aerodynamic Analysis
Example: Commercial Aircraft Wing
Problem
Aircraft wing: 100 m² surface area
Flight conditions: 250 m/s airspeed at 10,000 ft altitude
Lift force generated: 800,000 N
Air density at altitude: 0.905 kg/m³
Solution
CL = 2F/(ρAV²)
CL = (2 × 800,000) / (0.905 × 100 × 250²)
CL = 1,600,000 / (0.905 × 100 × 62,500)
CL = 1,600,000 / 5,656,250
CL = 0.283
This is typical for a commercial aircraft in cruise flight.
Typical Lift Coefficients
Air Density by Altitude
Applications
Aircraft Design
Wing design, performance analysis
Automotive
Spoilers, wings, downforce
Marine
Sails, hydrofoils, keels
Aerodynamics Tips
CL is dimensionless and independent of size
Higher altitude = lower air density
CL varies with angle of attack
Maximum CL limited by stall
Understanding Lift Coefficient
What is Lift Coefficient?
The lift coefficient (CL) is a dimensionless number that relates the lift force generated by an airfoil to the dynamic pressure and wing area. It characterizes the aerodynamic efficiency of a lifting surface and is fundamental in aircraft design and performance analysis.
Key Principles
- •Independent of aircraft size - same for scale models
- •Varies with angle of attack and airfoil shape
- •Maximum value limited by stall conditions
- •Critical for weight-to-power ratio calculations
Lift Coefficient Formula
CL = 2F/(ρAV²)
- CL: Lift coefficient (dimensionless)
- F: Lift force (N)
- ρ: Air density (kg/m³)
- A: Wing planform area (m²)
- V: Airspeed (m/s)
Practical Applications
- • Aircraft performance calculations
- • Wind tunnel testing analysis
- • Airfoil comparison and selection
- • Flight envelope determination
- • Scaling from model to full-size
- • Stall speed calculations
Note: CL typically ranges from 0.2-0.5 for cruise flight, up to 1.5-2.0 with high-lift devices (flaps, slats).