This essay by Jef Raskin was originally published at raskincenter.org.

This paper extends Raskin’s investigations into the physics of flight, examining the design principles behind airfoil shapes and their aerodynamic properties.

Background

Raskin’s interest in aerodynamics was both professional and personal. As a licensed pilot, model aircraft builder, and rigorous mathematical thinker, he brought a unique perspective to questions about how wings work. His widely cited paper on the Coanda effect challenged conventional explanations of lift; this companion work on airfoil design explored the practical implications of those theoretical insights.

Airfoil Geometry

The shape of an airfoil — its camber, thickness distribution, and leading and trailing edge profiles — determines how air flows around it and, consequently, how much lift and drag it produces. Raskin examined how these geometric parameters interact, emphasizing intuitive physical understanding over purely computational approaches.

Practical Applications

Drawing on his experience with model aircraft and full-scale aviation, Raskin connected theoretical aerodynamics to the practical realities of wing design. He was particularly interested in cases where standard engineering rules of thumb broke down or where popular explanations of aerodynamic phenomena were misleading.

Relationship to Coanda Effect Work

This paper complemented Raskin’s more widely known work on the Coanda effect by examining specific airfoil geometries through the lens of his corrected understanding of how lift is generated. Together, these papers formed a coherent critique of how aerodynamics is typically taught and understood.

This page is part of the Jef Raskin Archive, preserving the published works of the creator of the Macintosh project.