Aerodynamics is the study of how gases interact with solid bodies, and the type of impacts it has on drag, lift and thrust. It explain phenomenons such as why balls curve through the air, or how planes stay in the sky. At first glance, it seems like just another branch of physics, however one you get into the science, it actually is a careful consolidation of theory, experimentation and design to get both analytical and empirical results. At it’s core, this topic is all about managing airflow, where engineers boost efficiency by reducing skin and pressure drag that comes about the wake. Even though air is largely invisible, once you see and understand the type of effects due to turbulence, boundary layer separation and vorticies, you will never see the design constraints it holds in cars and planes again in the same way.

In the end, aerodynamics is about mastering the unseen, shaping air to work with us rather than against us.

Starsky Schepers