When designing a wing, airfoil profiles typically have a trailing edge ending in a theoretical sharp point, that is not always feasible to apply in real life, due to manufacturing or durability constraints.
This calculator is meant to help estimate the drag penalty of trimming the trailing edge to a set chord or thickness at various angle of attack.
Airfoil Trailing Edge Trim Analysis
Calculate aerodynamic impact of truncating any airfoil's trailing edge
Paste Airfoil Coordinate Data
Paste Selig format coordinates from airfoiltools.com or other sources. Format: x y pairs, one per line.
Trim Location
93.5% chord
15.00mm from TE
TE Thickness
2.30 mm
1.00% chord
Base Drag (ΔCd)
+10.2
counts (×10⁻⁴)
L/D Reduction
8.2%
at cruise (α=4°)
Airfoil Profile with Trim Location
Red dashed line shows trim location
Drag Coefficient Comparison
Drag Increase by Angle of Attack
| α (deg) | Cd Sharp TE | Cd Blunt TE | Increase (%) |
|---|
* Highlighted row shows typical cruise condition
Key Findings
💡 How to Use
- Go to airfoiltools.com and find your airfoil
- Copy the coordinate data (Selig format) from the airfoil details page
- Paste it into the text area above and click "Load Airfoil Data"
- Adjust trim parameters and view the analysis results
⚠️ Analysis Notes
- Calculations based on Hoerner's base drag correlations for blunt trailing edges
- Assumes 2D flow conditions; 3D effects may reduce the penalty slightly
- Reynolds number effects on base drag are minimal for turbulent flow
- Actual performance may vary ±20% depending on surface finish and flow conditions