Lift Coefficient Calculator

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Switch between metric (SI) and imperial (US customary) units for all inputs.
Choose what to solve for. "CL from force" uses the standard lift equation. "Lift force from CL" reverses it. "Angle of attack" applies thin airfoil theory.
Free-stream airspeed or flow speed past the wing.
m/s
Planform (top-view projected) wing area.
m²
Air density at the flight altitude. Sea-level ISA = 1.225 kg/m³ (0.002377 slug/ft³). Density decreases with altitude: at 10,000 ft (~3,050 m) it is about 0.905 kg/m³.
kg/m³
Total aerodynamic lift generated by the wing. For level flight this equals aircraft weight.
N
Mean aerodynamic chord, used to calculate Reynolds number. Optional: leave blank to skip the Reynolds number output.
m
Approximate profile drag coefficient used to compute the lift-to-drag ratio (L/D). Typical clean-wing values: 0.015-0.025 for high-performance gliders, 0.03-0.05 for light aircraft.
Lift coefficient (CL)Very low lift coefficient
0.2778

Dimensionless measure of aerodynamic lift relative to dynamic pressure and wing area

Lift force (F)9,800
Dynamic pressure (q)2,205
Dynamic pressure unitPa
Force unitN
Reynolds number (Re)8,219,178
L/D ratio9.3
0.2778
Downforce / negative lift<0Very low lift0-0.3Typical cruise0.3-0.8High-lift config0.8-1.5Near max lift (with flaps)1.5-2.5Exceeds typical max2.5+

Lift coefficient CL = 0.2778

  • This is a low lift coefficient typical of high-speed cruise conditions where minimizing drag is the priority.
  • The wing is generating 9.80 kN of lift at these conditions.
  • Dynamic pressure is 2205.0 Pa. CL = Lift / (q × Area), so doubling speed quadruples q and allows the same lift at half the CL.
  • Reynolds number Re = 8.22e+6, indicating fully turbulent flow (full-scale aircraft).
  • Estimated L/D ratio is 9.3. High-performance gliders achieve 40-60; typical airliners cruise at 15-18.

Next stepTo find the lift force at a different altitude, adjust the air density: at 35,000 ft (10,668 m) cruise altitude, density is about 0.380 kg/m³ (ISA).

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