A numerical method for flexible airfoils in incompressible inviscid flow

The payer deals with the aerodynamic analysis of flexible airfoils, based on a quasi-lattice vortex method (QVLM). The analysis is formulated in matrix form and leads, as in other similar studies, to a linear algebraic system when the angle of attack is nonzero, and to an eigenvalue problem when the incidence angle is zero. The aerodynamic characteristic curves C-L - alpha, C-m - alpha and C-T - alpha are presented. Finally, the airfoil shapes for several values of the tension coefficient and angles of attack are drawn. The results obtained with the present method are in good agreement with those reported in previous studies and evidentiate the flexibility of the QVLM as applied to flexible airfoils.