Which term describes the part of the airfoil that first meets the airflow?

• A. Leading Edge
• B. Trailing Edge
• C. Camber
• D. Upper Camber

Answer: (A)

The first thing the air encounters as the wing moves through air is the front part along the chord—this is the leading edge. Its shape, whether rounded or sharp, determines how the airflow splits and hugs the surfaces of the wing right from the start, setting up the initial pressure distribution and the path the flow will follow over both the top and bottom surfaces. The trailing edge is at the rear where the flow finishes leaving the wing, camber describes the curvature of the wing’s profile rather than a location, and upper camber specifically refers to the curvature on the top surface. So the portion that first meets the air is the leading edge.