List of symbols and abbreviations
The dimensions are given in terms of mass, M, length, L and time, T.
| {u,v,w} | L/T | disturbance velocities in {x,y,z} |
| {x,y,z} | L | streamwise, spanwise and vertical directions |
| A | L | tip-to-tip wingbeat amplitude |
| AR | wing aspect ratio (=2b/c) | |
| b | L | wing semispan |
| c | L | mean chord length in flightwise direction |
| Cd | section drag coefficient | |
| CD | wing drag coefficient | |
| CL | wing lift coefficient | |
| Cp | section lift coefficient | |
| f | 1/T | wingbeat frequency |
| g | L/T2 | acceleration due to gravity |
| l | L | characteristic length |
| L | M.L.T.–2 | lift |
| m | M | body/aircraft mass |
| q | M/LT2 | dynamic pressure |
| r | L | position along wingspan |
| Re | Reynolds number (=Uc/v) | |
| Reloc | local Re | |
| S | L2 | wing planform area |
| St | Strouhal number (=fA/U) | |
| t | T | time |
| T | T | wingbeat period |
| U | L/T | flight speed |
| uloc | L/T | local incident velocity on a wing section |
| Ump | L/T | estimated flight speed for minimum power |
| u′ | L/T | root mean square of velocity fluctuations |
| W | M.L.T–2 | bird/aircraft weight (=mg) |
| wtip | L/T | vertical component of wingtip speed |
| α | deg. | aerodynamic angle of attack |
| α0 | deg. | local twist from stroke plane |
| αw | deg. | local α due to vector sum of U and wtip |
| δt | T | small time interval (DPIV effective exposure time) |
| Γ | L2/T | circulation/strength of a vortex patch, or on a lifting wing |
| λ | wavelength | |
| μ | M/LT | viscosity |
| ν | L2/T | kinematic viscosity (=μ/ρ) |
| ρ | M/L3 | air density |
| ωi | 1/T | vorticity component in the ith direction {i=x,y,z} |
| {u,v,w} | L/T | disturbance velocities in {x,y,z} |
| {x,y,z} | L | streamwise, spanwise and vertical directions |
| A | L | tip-to-tip wingbeat amplitude |
| AR | wing aspect ratio (=2b/c) | |
| b | L | wing semispan |
| c | L | mean chord length in flightwise direction |
| Cd | section drag coefficient | |
| CD | wing drag coefficient | |
| CL | wing lift coefficient | |
| Cp | section lift coefficient | |
| f | 1/T | wingbeat frequency |
| g | L/T2 | acceleration due to gravity |
| l | L | characteristic length |
| L | M.L.T.–2 | lift |
| m | M | body/aircraft mass |
| q | M/LT2 | dynamic pressure |
| r | L | position along wingspan |
| Re | Reynolds number (=Uc/v) | |
| Reloc | local Re | |
| S | L2 | wing planform area |
| St | Strouhal number (=fA/U) | |
| t | T | time |
| T | T | wingbeat period |
| U | L/T | flight speed |
| uloc | L/T | local incident velocity on a wing section |
| Ump | L/T | estimated flight speed for minimum power |
| u′ | L/T | root mean square of velocity fluctuations |
| W | M.L.T–2 | bird/aircraft weight (=mg) |
| wtip | L/T | vertical component of wingtip speed |
| α | deg. | aerodynamic angle of attack |
| α0 | deg. | local twist from stroke plane |
| αw | deg. | local α due to vector sum of U and wtip |
| δt | T | small time interval (DPIV effective exposure time) |
| Γ | L2/T | circulation/strength of a vortex patch, or on a lifting wing |
| λ | wavelength | |
| μ | M/LT | viscosity |
| ν | L2/T | kinematic viscosity (=μ/ρ) |
| ρ | M/L3 | air density |
| ωi | 1/T | vorticity component in the ith direction {i=x,y,z} |