Lift coefficient

The lift coefficient (C_L, C_N or C_z) is a dimensionless coefficient that relates the lift generated by a lifting body to the fluid density around the body, the fluid velocity and an associated reference area. A lifting body is a foil or a complete foil-bearing body such as a fixed-wing aircraft. C_L is a function of the angle of the body to the flow, its Reynold number and its Mach number. The lift coefficient c_l refers to the dynamic lift characteristics of a two-dimensional foil section, with the reference area replaced by the foil chord.