Relative Wind
What is relative wind?
Relative wind is the direction of airflow with respect to an airfoil—it flows opposite and parallel to the airfoil's direction of flight (flightpath). It's the reference against which angle of attack is measured: the acute angle between the relative wind and the wing's chord line. Think of it as the wind you'd feel rushing past if you were sitting on the wing—always coming from the direction you're moving toward.
Also known as: relative airflow
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