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- plotfoil(1l) plotfoil(1l)
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- NNAAMMEE
- pplloottffooiill - generate a PostScript plot of airfoil data.
- eeddiittffooiill - modify camber and thickness of airfoil data.
- mmiixxffooiillss - interpolate between two airfoil sections.
-
- SSYYNNTTAAXX
- pplloottffooiill [_o_p_t_i_o_n_s] [_f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e_._._.]
- eeddiittffooiill [_o_p_t_i_o_n_s] [_f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e]
- mmiixxffooiillss [_o_p_t_i_o_n_s] _s_e_c_t_i_o_n_1 _s_e_c_t_i_o_n_2
-
- DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
- pplloottffooiill plots (in PostScript) airfoil sections (well,
- actually any section that is not smoothly closed). It can
- also allow for spars, sheeting, and prints registration
- marks that are aligned with the L.E. and T.E. It uses
- Bezier splines to interpolate between data points, with an
- option to use straight lines instead.
-
- The other two programs, eeddiittffooiill and mmiixxffooiillss, modify air-
- foil data. By default they send the data to standard out-
- put, so they can be used in a pipe to pplloottffooiill to plot the
- results. (Unix only.)
-
- OOVVEERRVVIIEEWW
- Plotfoil reads airfoil data and generates PostScript code
- that when printed on a PostScript printer will deliver a
- plot of the airfoil section along with spars (if any). The
- bounds of the section are also drawn, with crosses, and
- these can be used for registration of the ribs or tem-
- plates. If the plot is going to be larger than one page,
- it will automatically be spread over as many pages as are
- required.
-
- PostScript is a printer language for describing printed
- pages. Printers that accept PostScript include the Apple
- LaserWriters, QMS PS- series printers, DataProducts
- LZR-2665 and 2660 and the Linotronic 100 and 300 typeset-
- ters. PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorpo-
- rated. The ghostscript program can convert PostScript to a
- variety of printer formats if a PS printer is not avail-
- able. (Ghostscript can also be used to preview plots on
- the display.)
-
- Bezier splines are used to calculate interpolating curves
- between the points. In some case the process may not
- deliver a smooth curve, and you will have to use the
- straight-line plot option (--ss).
-
- pplloottffooiill can also account for sheeting. If the wing you
- are building is to be sheeted, the ribs or templates need
- to be inset from the required surface by the thickness of
- the sheet. The airfoil outline is plotted with a dotted
- line, and the template line is drawn with a solid line.
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- plotfoil(1l) plotfoil(1l)
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-
- OOPPTTIIOONNSS
- Under MS-DOS, the ``/'' can be used as the option charac-
- ter instead of the ``-''.
-
- --cc Sets the chord of the section to plot. The argument
- is the chord, in units of either mm, cm or inches.
- The units are specified by a trailing `m', `c', or
- `i', with the default of mm being used if unspeci-
- fied.
-
- --ss This flag indicates that for _x values of greater
- than 2.5%, straight lines should be used to join
- the points. This results in a PostScript file which
- is probably just as good but should print in less
- time. The limit (2.5%) can be changed with the --ll
- option.
-
- --ll This option changes the limit used with the --ss
- option. It takes the percentage-chord as argument.
-
- --pp This invokes the interactive mode where plotfoil
- will prompt you for all the paramters of the plot.
- If plotfoil is invoked without an arguments it
- automatically enters prompt mode.
-
- --ii This option draws the section inset by the speci-
- fied amount, which is what you would use if the
- wing you are building is sheeted. The units default
- to those used for the chord.
-
- --sspp This option adds a spar to the plot. It takes two
- arguments, the offset (expressed as a percentage of
- the chord) and the thickness of the spar (default
- units: same as used for the chord). This option can
- be used multiple times to draw more than one spar.
- Also, 0-thickness spars can be used to draw verti-
- cal lines on the plot.
-
- --tthh This option sets the height of the template out-
- line, measured from the chord line. The default is
- 0.
-
- --ttll
-
- --tttt These options set the horizontal extents of the
- template. The value specified is the distance of
- the edge of the template from the {leading, trail-
- ing} edge. The units default to those specified
- while setting the chord. The default value is 0.
-
- If any of --tthh, --ttll or --tttt is used, a template will
- be drawn.
-
- --aa Turns the section by this many degrees. This useful
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- plotfoil(1l) plotfoil(1l)
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- for adding washout or washin. A positive number is
- a rotation in the counter-clockwise direction; neg-
- ative is clockwise.
-
- --hh Prints some help information.
-
- --oo Writes the output to the specified file.
-
- --xx This option moves the drawing on the page to the
- right. Some printers (or ghostscript drivers) have
- different ideas about what constitutes centered.
- This option can be used for fine-tuning.
-
- --yy Same as --xx except that it moves the drawing up.
-
- eeddiittffooiill
- --cc Modifies the camber to this value (expressed as
- percent. chord). 0 is valid.
-
- --tt Modifies the thickness to this value (expressed as
- percent. chord).
-
- --oo Writes the output to the specified file.
-
- mmiixxffooiillss
- --rr The interpolation ratio. The generated section will
- be _r of the second section and _(_1_0_0_-_r_) of the
- first. If you have one section at the root and
- another at the tip, to find the section at 70%
- semi-span out you would use 70.
-
- --oo Writes the output to the specified file.
-
- IINNPPUUTT FFOORRMMAATTSS
- There are two formats for pplloottffooiill input data, distin-
- guished by how coordinates are specified. The first line
- of the file is taken to be the name of the section and is
- printed along with the plot.
-
- The smallest _x value (usually 0.0) is the L.E. and the
- largest (usually 1.0) is the T.E.
-
- This is the first format:
-
- SSDD--88002200
- 11..00 00
- 00..99 00..001111
- 00..8855 00..0022
- ......
- 11..00 00
-
- Note: it starts at _x=1.0 (the trailing edge), goes around
- and ends again at the T.E. This is the format used by the
- sections in Soartech 8.
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- plotfoil(1l) in at the T.E. This is the format used by the
- sections in Soartech 8.
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- plotfoil(1l) plotfoil(1l)
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- This is the second format:
-
- CCllaarrkk YYHH
- 00 00 00
- 00..00112255 00..00440099 --00..00118833
- 00..002255 ..00552299 --..00227711
- ......
- 11..00 00 00
-
- This starts at the L.E. and ends at the T.E., with the
- columns being the upper and lower ordinate values. This is
- the format that most of the NACA sections were published
- in.
-
- eeddiittffooiill and mmiixxffooiillss both print data in the first format.
-
- EEXXAAMMPPLLEESS
- This command:
-
- pplloottffooiill --cc 2200cc --ii 22mm --sspp 3322 00..22 ssdd88002200 || llpprr
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- will plot the SD-8020 section with a chord of 20cm, with a
- sheeting allowance of 2mm, and a spar 2mm wide at 32%
- chord. The name of the section and the sheeting allowance
- are also printed.
-
- pplloottffooiill --cc 88..55ii --ii 00..112255 --ss --ll 1100 --oo ccllaarrkkYYHH..ppss
- ccllaarrkkYYHH
-
- will plot the Clark YH with a chord of 8.5 inches. Only
- the area from the L.E. to 10% back will interpolated with
- splines, and from 10% to the T.E.; straight lines will be
- used to connect the points. A sheeting allowance of 0.125"
- (1/8") will also be drawn. The PostScript will be left in
- "clarkYH.ps".
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- pplloottffooiill --cc 445500mm --ii 11 --sspp 55 00..55 --sspp 3300 22..55 --tthh 7700
- --tttt 1100 --ttll 1100 --xx --11..55cc --oo rrgg1155..ppss RRGG--1155
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- This plots the RG-15 airfoil with a chord of 450mm. Since
- this is too large to fit on one page it will be automati-
- cally split across two pages. A sheeting allowance of 1mm
- is printed, and there are two spars: one at 30% that's
- 2.5mm thick, and another at 5% that's very narrow, i.e. a
- LE marking. A rectangular template is drawn around the
- plot; and all the graphics are moved to the _l_e_f_t by 1.5cm,
- i.e. negative numbers can be used in the positioning. The
- PostScript is saved in "rg15.ps".
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- eeddiittffooiill --cc 00 --oo ssyymmmmeettrriicc..aaiirrffooiill SSDD--77003377
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- Construct a symmetric airfoil from the SD-7037 and save as
- "symmetric.airfoil".
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- plotfoil(1l) plotfoil(1l)
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- eeddiittffooiill --tt 77 --cc 11..55 RRGG--1155 || pplloottffooiill --cc 440000mm --ii 11
- --sspp 3300 11..55 || llpprr
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- Plot a thinned down (7%) de-cambered (1.5%) RG-15.
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- mmiixxffooiillss --rr 7755 --oo mmiixxeedd--aaiirrffooiill SSDD--77003377 SSDD--77003322
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- Generate a section that is 25% SD-7037 and 75% SD-7032.
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- DDIISSTTRRIIBBUUTTIIOONN
- pplloottffooiill, eeddiittffooiill and mmiixxffooiillss are free; anyone may
- redistribute copies of it to anyone under the terms stated
- in the Gnu General Public License version 2, a copy of
- which should accompany each copy of plotfoil. See the file
- ``COPYING'' in the source area. If you do not have this
- file, a copy may be obtained from the author, or from:
- Free Software Foundation
- 1000 Mass Ave.
- Cambridge, MA 02138
- or from the author.
-
- Also, if you make any changes to these programs and re-
- distribute them, the same conditions apply to the modified
- version so that we can all benefit from it. And please
- send me those changes!
-
- AAUUTTHHOORR
- Shamim Mohamed (shamim@math.isu.edu)
- Dept of Mathematics
- Idaho State University
- Pocatello, ID 83209
-
- BBUUGGSS
- On some printers, there may be a stack overflow if the
- plot is on more than one page and there are more than a
- certain number of coordinate values. If this happens, try
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- a) finding another printer, or
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- b) removing some of the airfoil data.
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- In the latter case you may still get satisfactory results
- because of the smooth interpolation used.
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- Since the program doesn't know how big the printer page
- size is, it can get confused. This should only err conser-
- vatively, like producing an extra blank page on a multi-
- page plot. As long as the page is higher than about 11
- inches (27 cm) everything should be fine. If you have a
- compiler, adjust the values in pplloottffooiill..hh and recompile.
-
- I don't know of any other bugs right now, but please send
- all bug reports to me. Include version number and the
- exact details (input files, command-line options etc.),
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- plotfoil(1l) plotfoil(1l)
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- for adding washout or washin. A positive number is
- a rotation in the counter-clockwi