Definition
The curvature of an airfoil's upper and lower surfaces, measured as the deviation of the mean camber line from the straight chord line that runs from the leading edge to the trailing edge. Upper camber refers to the curvature of the top surface; lower camber refers to the curvature of the bottom surface. Greater camber generally produces more lift at a given angle of attack, along with more drag.
Plain English
How curved the wing is, top and bottom, compared to a straight line drawn from its front edge to its back edge. The more curved the wing, the more lift it tends to produce.
Context Anchor
Seen in slow-speed flight, wing design, and flap discussions, especially when explaining how an airplane can keep flying at lower airspeeds.
Derivation
Camber comes from the Old French 'cambre,' meaning 'curved' or 'arched,' which traces back to the Latin 'camur' (curved). In aviation it kept this original sense: the curve built into the wing's shape.
Why Pilots Care
Camber affects how much lift the wing produces at a given speed and angle of attack, influencing stall characteristics and handling in slow flight.
Intuition Check
Camber does not mean the wing is bent or damaged. Here it means the planned curve built into the airfoil’s shape.
Example Sentence 1
Lowering the flaps increases the camber of the wing, allowing the aircraft to generate the same lift at a slower airspeed.
Example Sentence 2
Increasing camber with flaps allows the airplane to fly slower without stalling.