Ludwig Prandtl

Black and white photograph of Ludwig Prandtl wearing a suit, with the numbers 1601 written in the lower right.

Ludwig Prandtl, a Bavarian engineer, teacher, and aerodynamicist, developed several important aerodynamic theories. In 1904 he described his boundary layer theory in Ueber Flussigkeitsbewegung Bei Sehr Kleiner Reibung (Fluid Flow in Very Little Friction). Prandtl's paper lead to a better understanding of skin friction drag and how streamlining reduced drag on a wing. Prandtl's work in fluid mechanics also helped develop theories on flow separation, induced drag (vortex drag), subsonic airflow, and supersonic airflow.

Categories: Aerodynamics