Originally Posted by
shdw
Not really sure what you are talking about with this statement. See below, where I correct one of my previous statements.
Effective angle of attack is useless term IMO, that was introduced by pilots to avoid having to describe what is really happening. What happens isn't a change in some arbitrary idea "effective angle of attack," but instead each angle of attack has an increase in its efficiency or an increased lift for any given AOA. This is due to the increase in lift coefficient discussed throughout this forum, not some imaginary term.
NASA seems to use both terms: Effective Angle of Attack and downwash
Inclination Effects on Lift and Drag
Effective AoA is generally measured
from the orientation where the wing has zero lift. Zero effective AoA is often (always?) lower than zero geometric AoA. This term is seen in various fluid dynamics and aerodynamics books.