F-16XL Interview with Marta Bohn-Meyer

Abstract

Marta Bohn-Meyer discusses the cooperative research between Rockwell Industries and NASA research facilities in their effort to optimize and maintain the supersonic laminar flow on the F-16XL aircraft. Research on the airfoil design, chord optimization, introduction of a suction feature to maintain pressure distribution, and CFD, both theoretical and actual phenomena, are discussed. Bohn-Meyer discusses the difference between supersonic and subsonic laminar flow, cross flow, reasons behind using this particular F-16 aircraft for this research, and the future of this ongoing research, including the data base that investigators are building from wind tunnel data and in-flight validation.