Abstract: In order to explore the characteristics of the flow excitation load on the airfoil surface of an underwater vehicle, a method for the flow excitation load measurements on airfoil surface in a wind tunnel is established by using the micro sensor array on a flexible substrate. The characteristics of the flow excitation force in the developing process are analyzed. The experimental results show that through the developing process of laminar flow, transition and turbulence, the position of the transition zone on the airfoil surface gradually moves forward to complete turbulence with the increase of incoming flow velocity. And, the prediction and correction method of transition point is proposed. The deviation between the corrected prediction value and the experimental value is less than 10 %, which provides an experimental basis for the research on the airfoil flow excitation force of underwater vehicles.