NAVWEPS 00-BOT-BO  BASIC AERODYNAMICS  Chapter 1  BASIC AERODYNAMKS  WING  AND  AIRFOIL  FORCES  PROPERTIES OF THE ATMOSPHERE  The aerodynamic forces and moments acting  on a surface are due in great part to the prop-  erties of the air mass in which the surface is  operating.~ The composition, of the earth ’ s  atmosphere by volume is approximately 78  percent. nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1  In order to understand the characteristics of  his aircraft and develop precision flying tech-  niques, the Naval Aviator must be familiar  with the fundamentals of aerodynamics. There  are certain physical laws which describe the  behavior of airflow and define the various  aerodynamic forces and moments acting on a  surface. These principles of aerodynamics  pro-  vide the foundations for good, precise flying  techniques. 