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After designing an aircraft idea I had in XFLR5, I noticed that it had a really high coefficient of moment (Cm) compared to other wings of similar size. What does this mean?
I played around with my center of gravity and the coefficient went down, but never to the level of the other aircraft. What relation does this have with the aerodynamic center?
The coefficient of moment is related to how much the wing makes the plane want to pitch up. This torque is taken about the center of gravity and thus moving the center of gravity changes the moment.
If you measure the torque about an arbitrary point, the value will usually depend on the angle of attack. However, there are some points where it remains constant. The point that lies on the cord of the wing where the torque remains constant across angles of attack is the aerodynamic center of the wing.
