Profile nose
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Leading_edge_NACA_0012.svg/220px-Leading_edge_NACA_0012.svg.png)
Profile nose (marked in red) - on the NACA profile 0012 around which the air flows
In fluid mechanics, the profile nose , also the leading edge , is the edge of a wing profile facing the inflowing fluid . Other names frequently used are nose edge , leading edge or leading edge . The opposite of this is the trailing edge of the profile .
Most profile noses have a rounded or elliptical shape in order to cover a large range of angles of attack . In the case of very slow flying models ( flight in a hall ), however, sharp wing noses are also used to achieve a stable (turbulent) flow around the wing. Supersonic aircraft also have relatively sharp leading edges (profile noses) .