FoliSim and Curve were developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center in an effort to foster hands-on, inquiry-based learning in science and math. FoilSim is interactive simulation software that determines the airflow around various shapes of airfoils. The Airfoil View Panel (shown below) is a simulated view of a wing being tested in a wind tunnel with air moving past it from left to right. Students change the position and shape of the wing by moving slider controls that vary the parameters of airspeed, altitude, angle of attack, thickness and curvature of the airfoil, and size of the wing area. The software displays plots of pressure or airspeed above and below the airfoil surface. A probe monitors air conditions (speed and pressure) at a particular point on or close to the surface of the airfoil. The software calculates the lift of the airfoils, allowing students to learn the factors that influence lift. The latest version of FoilSim (Version 1.5a) includes a stall model for the airfoil and a model of the Martian atmosphere for lift comparisons. A
technical paper describing the details of the mathematical method used in FoilSim is also available. Using the CurveBall applet, students learn more about aerodynamics by controlling conditions of a big league baseball pitch, including altitude(location), speed of pitch, and spin of pitch. The latest version has the ability to specify atmospheric conditions for the baseball game.
