Effect of aerofoil aspect ratio on the slope of the lift curve

On of the most important characteristics of an airfoil is the rate of change of lift with angle of attack, (sup dC)L/d alpha. This factor determines the effectiveness of a tail plane in securing static longitudinal stability. The application of the Gottingen formulas given here for calculating the variation of (sup Dc)L/d alpha with aspect ratio should be of interest to many aeronautical engineers. For the convenience of the engineer, a set of curves calculated by the method set forth here are given in graphical form. Also, the observed values of (sup dC)L/d alpha for the same airfoil at various aspect ratios follow the calculated curves closely.