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At least 55 records · Page 3

Characteristics of a Configuration with a Large Angle of Sweepback

A brief discussion is given of some recent experimental results obtained on a supersonic transport-type airplane for a large range of Mach numbers. The theoretical arguments which led to the configuration of this airplane were brought out at the NACA Conference on Supersonic Aerodynamics at the Langley Laboratory, June 1940, 1947; hence, it will not be necessary to dwell on them herein. Briefly, our calculations showed that a reasonably good lift-drag ratio and, hence, reasonably good fuel economy, could be maintained up to a Mach number of 1.5. The configuration required would incorporate a long slender body and wings having a large angle of sweepback together with the highest practicable aspect ratio.

Jones, R. T.↗

The effects of full-span and partial-span split flaps on the aerodynamic characteristics of a tapered wing

The investigation was made to determine the effects of full-span and of partial-span split flaps on the aerodynamic characteristics of a tapered wing. Aerodynamic force tests were made in the N.A.C.A. 7 by 10 foot wind tunnel on a highly tapered Clark Y wing equipped with various split flaps. Two sizes of tapered-chord flaps were tested as full-span flaps, and a narrow tapered-chord flap was tested as a partial-span flap by cutting off portions first from the tip and then from the center. The investigation showed that with full-span split flaps the lift and drag characteristics of the tapered wing up to the stall are similar to those of a rectangular wing with flaps of comparable size, but that the stall of the tapered wing with full-span flaps occurs at progressively lower angles of attack with increasing flap deflection up to that for maximum lift. For partial-span tapered split flaps on a tapered wing it was found that the maximum lift is greater, and the lift-drag ratio at maximum lift is less, when the partial-span flap is located at the center of the wing than when it is located at the tip portion.

Wenzinger, Carl J↗

The effects of partial-span plain flaps on the aerodynamic characteristics of a rectangular and a tapered Clark Y wing

An investigation was made to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of tapered and rectangular wings with partial-span plain flaps. Two Clark Y airfoils equipped with center section and with tip-section flaps were tested. The results showed that the aerodynamic characteristics of partial-span plain flaps were, in general, similar to those of split flaps of the same span, but that the lift and the drag were less for the wing with plain flaps than for the wing with split flaps of comparable size. For the rectangular wing with center-section plain flaps, the maximum lift and the lift-drag ratio at maximum lift were greater and the drag at maximum lift was less than for the wing with tip-section plain flaps of the same size. The maximum lift of the tapered wing varied in the same manner as that of the rectangular wing but the drag and the lift-drag-ratio relationship were opposite.

House, R O↗

The effects of partial-span slotted flaps on the aerodynamic characteristics of a rectangular and a tapered N.A.C.A. 23012 wing

An investigation was made in the N.A.C.A. 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of tapered and rectangular wings with partial-span slotted flaps. Two N.A.C.A. 23012 airfoils equipped with center-section and tip-section flaps were tested. The results showed that the changes in lift and drag due to changes in flap span for both rectangular and tapered wings having partial-span slotted flaps were similar to those for corresponding wings having partial-span split or plain flaps. For the two wings tested, higher values of maximum lift were obtained with center-section slotted flaps than with tip-section slotted flaps of the same size. The highest values of lift-drag ratio at maximum lift for the rectangular wing were obtained with center-section flaps and, for the tapered wing, with tip-section flaps. Center-section flaps on the tapered wing gave higher values of drag at maximum lift than tip-section flaps; no great difference in drag at maximum lift was apparent for either center-section or tip-section slotted flaps on the rectangular wing.

House, Rufus O↗

Reduction of Profile Drag at Supersonic Velocities by the Use of Airfoil Sections Having a Blunt Trailing Edge

A preliminary theoretical and experimental investigation has been made on the aerodynamic characteristics of blunt-trailing-edge airfoils at supersonic velocities. The theoretical considerations indicate that properly designed airfoils with moderately blunt trailing edges can have less profile drag, greater lift-curve slope, and high maximum lift-drag ratio than conventional sections. These predictions have been substantiated by experimental measurements on airfoils of 10-percent-thickness ratio at Mach numbers of 1.5 and 2.0, and at Reynolds numbers between 0.2 and 1.2 million.

Chapman, Dean R↗

Pressure distribution and aerodynamic coefficients associated with heat addition to supersonic air stream adjacent to two-dimensional supersonic wing

The modifications in the pressure distributions and the aerodynamic coefficients associated with additions of heat to the two-dimensional supersonic in viscid flow field adjacetnt to the lower surface of of a 5-percent-thickness symmetrical circular-arc wing are presented in this report. The pressure distributions are obtained by the use of graphical method which gives the two-dimensional supersonic inviscid flow field obtained with moderate heat addition. The variation is given of the lift-drag ratio and of the aerodynamic coefficients of lift, drag, and moment with free stream Mach number, angle of attack, and parameters defining extent and amount of heat addition. The six graphical solutions used in this study included Mach numbers of 3.0 and 5.0 and angles of attack of 0 degrees and 2 degrees.

Pinkel, I Irving↗

Aerodynamic Characteristics at Subsonic and Supersonic Mach Numbers of a Thin Triangular Wing of Aspect Ratio 2 II : Maximum Thickness at Midchord

The lift, drag, and pitching-moment characteristics of a triangular wing, having an aspect ratio of 2 and a symmetrical double-wedge profile of 5-percent-chord maximum thickness at midchord, have been evaluated from wind-tunnel tests at Mach numbers from 0.50 to 0.975 and from 1.09 to 1.49 and at Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.67 to 0.85 million. The lift, drag, and pitching-moment coefficients of the triangular wing with a leading-edge sweepback of approximately 63 degrees did not exhibit the irregular variations with Mach number at high subsonic and low supersonic Mach numbers that are characteristic of unswept wings. The lift-curve slope increased steadily with Mach number below unity and declined slowly beyond the Mach number of 1.13. A substantial rise in the minimum drag coefficient occurred between Mach numbers of 0.95 and 1.20 with an associated reduction in the maximum lift-drag ratio. The aerodynamic center shifted rearward toward the centroid of area of the wing with increasing Mach number below 0.975; whereas above 1.09 it coincided with the centroid.

Walker, Harold J↗

Aerodynamic Characteristics of Various Configurations of a Model of a 45 Degree Swept-wing Airplane at a Mach Number of 2.01

An investigation has been conducted at the Langley 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel at a Mach nmber of 2.01 to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of several configurations of a model of a 45 deg swept-wing airplane. The basic configuratin had a wing with 45 deg sweepback at the quarter-chord line, aspect ration 3.2, taper ration 0.468, NACA 65A005.5 sections just outboard of the inlet and NACA 65A003.7 sections at the tip. The wing was mounted slightly above the body center line and an all-movable horizantal tail was located slightly below the extended chord line of the wing. Tre design incorporated twin wing-root supersonic inlets ducted to a single exit at the base of the fuselage. The configurations investigated included an extended nose length, a bumped-fuselage afterbody, an inlet droop, an lncreased wing aspect ratio, and a revised canopy shape. Configurations employing the wing of increased aspect ratio of 3.7, which constituted the bulk of the tests, produced about a 10-percent increase in lift and in longitudinal stability as compared with the basic wing of aspect ratio 3.2. There was a slight but masurable increase in minimum drag and maximum lift-drag ratio.

Spearman, Leroy M↗

Intercooler cooling-air weight flow and pressure drop for minimum drag loss

An analysis has been made of the drag losses in airplane flight of cross-flow plate and tubular intercoolers to determine the cooling-air weight flow and pressure drop that give a minimum drag loss for any given cooling effectiveness and, thus, a maximum power-plant net gain due to charge-air cooling. The drag losses considered in this analysis are those due to (1) the extra drag imposed on the airplane by the weight of the intercooler, its duct, and its supports and (2) the drag sustained by the cooling air in flowing through the intercooler and its duct. The investigation covers a range of conditions of altitude, airspeed, lift-drag ratio, supercharger-pressure ratio, and supercharger adiabatic efficiency. The optimum values of cooling air pressure drop and weight flow ratio are tabulated. Curves are presented to illustrate the results of the analysis.

Reuter, J George↗

Effects of Sweep and Thickness on the Static Longitudinal Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Series of Thin, Low-aspect-ratio, Highly Tapered Wings at Transonic Speeds : Transonic-bump Method

An investigation by the transonic-bump technique of the static longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a series of thin, low-aspect-ratio, highly tapered wings has been made in the Langley high-speed 7- by 10-foot tunnel. The Mach number range extended from about 0.60 to 1.18, with corresponding Reynolds numbers ranging from about 0.75 x 10(6) to 0.95 x 10(6). The angle of attack range was from -10 degrees to approximately 32 degrees.The effects on drag and lift-drag ratio of a variation in sweep angle from -14.03 degrees to 45 degrees with respect to the quarter-chord line for wings of 3-percent-chord thickness was found to be small in comparison to the effects of a variation in thickness from 2 percent chord to 4.5 percent chord for wings with 14.03 degree sweepback. For the range of variables considered, variations in plan form were considerably more important with regard to longitudinal stability characteristics than the variations in thickness. For the series of basic wings having an aspect ratio of 4, the most hearly linear pitching-moment characteristics were obtained with 26.57 degree of sweepback of the quarter-chord line. However, for the modified series of wings (obtained by clipping the tips of the original wings parallel to the plane of symmetry to give an aspect ratio of 3 and a taper ratio of 0.143), the most nearly linear pitching-moment characteristics were obtained with 36.87 degrees of sweepback. By decreasing the thickness-to-chord ratios from 0.03 to 0.02, a large increase in lift-curve slope was obtained for both the basic and modified wings. All of the wings of both series had fairly large inward shifts of the lateral center-of-pressure location (indicative of tip stalling) with increasing lift coefficient, except those wings having minimum sweepback angles.

Fournier, Paul G↗

Optimum flight paths of turbojet aircraft

The climb of turbojet aircraft is analyzed and discussed including the accelerations. Three particular flight performances are examined: minimum time of climb, climb with minimum fuel consumption, and steepest climb. The theoretical results obtained from a previous study are put in a form that is suitable for application on the following simplifying assumptions: the Mach number is considered an independent variable instead of the velocity; the variations of the airplane mass due to fuel consumption are disregarded; the airplane polar is assumed to be parabolic; the path curvatures and the squares of the path angles are disregarded in the projection of the equation of motion on the normal to the path; lastly, an ideal turbojet with performance independent of the velocity is involved. The optimum Mach number for each flight condition is obtained from the solution of a sixth order equation in which the coefficients are functions of two fundamental parameters: the ratio of minimum drag in level flight to the thrust and the Mach number which represents the flight at constant altitude and maximum lift-drag ratio.

CLIMBING SPEEDS - EFFECT OF ALTITUDE↗

Effects of Forebody Deflection on the Stability and Control Characteristics of a Canard Airplane Configuration with a High Trapezoidal Wing at a Mach Number of 2.01

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel at a Mach number of 2.01 to determine the effects of forebody deflection on the stability and control characteristics of a canard airplane configuration. The configuration had a high trapezoidal aspect-ratio-3 wing, a trapezoidal canard surface, and a single swept vertical tail. Forebody deflection angles of 0 deg, 2 deg and deg were investigated. The results indicated that nose-up deflections of the forebody provided positive increments of pitching moment with little increase in drag and hence would be useful in reducing the pitch-control requirements and the attendant losses in lift-drag ratio due to trimming. Deflection of the forebody, however, aggravated the decrease in directional stability with increasing angle of attack by causing a loss in tail contribution and by increasing the instability of the wing-body combination.

Spearman, M. Leroy↗

Low-Speed Static Stability and Control Characteristics of a Model of a Right Triangular Pyramid Reentry Configuration

An investigation of the low-speed static stability and control characteristics of a model of a right triangular pyramid reentry configuration has been made in the Langley free-flight tunnel. The investigation showed that the model had generally satisfactory longitudinal and lateral static stability characteristics. The maximum lift-drag ratio was increased from about 3 to 5 by boattailing the base of the model.

Paulson, John W.↗

Inclined Bodies of Various Cross Sections at Supersonic Speeds

To aid in assessing effects of cross-sectional shape on body aerodynamics, the forces and moments have been measured for bodies with circular, elliptic, square, and triangular cross sections at Mach numbers 1.98 and 3.88. Results for bodies with noncircular cross sections have been compared with results for bodies of revolution having the same axial distribution of cross-sectional area (and, thus, the same equivalent fineness ratio). Comparisons have been made for bodies of fineness ratios 6 and 10 at angles of attack from 0 deg to about 20 deg and for Reynolds numbers, based on body length, of 4.0 x 10(exp 6) and 6.7 x 10(exp 6). The results of this investigation show that distinct aerodynamic advantages can be obtained by using bodies with noncircular cross sections. At certain angles of bank, bodies with elliptic, square, and triangular cross sections develop considerably greater lift and lift-drag ratios than equivalent bodies of revolution. For bodies with elliptic cross sections, lift and pitching-moment coefficients can be correlated with corresponding coefficients for equivalent circular bodies. It has been found that the ratios of lift and pitching-moment coefficients for an elliptic body to those for an equivalent circular body are practically constant with change in both angle of attack and Mach number. These lift and moment ratios are given very accurately by slender-body theory. As a result of this agreement, the method of NACA Rep. 1048 for computing forces and moments for bodies of revolution has been simply extended to bodies with elliptic cross sections. For the cases considered (elliptic bodies of fineness ratios 6 and 10 having cross-sectional axis ratios of 1.5 and 2), agreement of theory with experiment is very good. As a supplement to the force and moment results, visual studies of the flow over bodies have been made by use of the vapor-screen, sublimation, and white-lead techniques. Photographs from these studies are included in the report.

Jorgensen, Leland H.↗

Investigation at Mach Numbers of 0.20 to 3.50 of a Blended Diamond Wing and Body Combination of Sonic Design but with Low Wave-Drag Increase with Increasing Mach Number

A diamond wing and body combination was designed to have an area distribution which would result in near optimum zero-lift wave-drag coefficients at a Mach number of 1.00, and decreasing wave-drag coefficient with increasing Mach number up to near sonic leading-edge conditions for the wing. The airfoil section were computed by varying their shape along with the body radii (blending process) to match the selected area distribution and the given plan form. The exposed wing section had an average maximum thickness of about 3 percent of the local chords, and the maximum thickness of the center-line chord was 5.49 percent. The wing had an aspect ratio of 2 and a leading-edge sweep of 45 deg. Test data were obtained throughout the Mach number range from 0.20 to 3.50 at Reynolds numbers based on the mean aerodynamic chord of roughly 6,000,000 to 9,000,000. The zero-lift wave-drag coefficients of the diamond model satisfied the design objectives and were equal to the low values for the Mach number 1.00 equivalent body up to the limit of the transonic tests. From the peak drag coefficient near M = 1.00 there was a gradual decrease in wave-drag coefficient up to M = 1.20. Above sonic leading-edge conditions of the wing there was a rise in the wave-drag coefficient which was attributed in part to the body contouring as well as to the wing geometry. The diamond model had good lift characteristics, in spite of the prediction from low-aspect-ratio theory that the rear half of the diamond wing would carry little lift. The experimental lift-curve slope obtained at supersonic speeds were equal to or greater than the values predicted by linear theory. Similarly the other basic aerodynamic parameters, aerodynamic center position, and maximum lift-drag ratios were satisfactorily predicted at supersonic speeds.

Holdaway, George H.↗

Longitudinal and Lateral Stability, Control Characteristics, and Vertical-Tail-Load Measurements for 0.03-Scale Model of the Avro CF-105 Airplane at Mach Number 1.41

An investigation has been made in the Langley 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel at a Mach number of 1.41 to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of an 0.03-scale model of the Avro CF-105 airplane. The investigation included the determination of the static longitudinal and lateral stability, the control and the hinge-moment characteristics of the elevator, the aileron, and the rudder, as well as the vertical-tail-load characteristics. The results indicated a minimum drag coefficient of about 0.0270, and a maximum trimmed lift-drag ratio of about 4.25 which occurs at a lift coefficient of 0.16. The directional stability decreased with increasing angle of attack until a region of static instability occurred above an angle of attack of about 9 deg.

Spearman, M. Leroy↗

Longitudinal Control Characteristics of a 1/20-Scale Model of the Convair F-102 Airplane at Transonic Speeds

The effects of elevator deflections from 0deg to -20deg on the force and moment characteristics of a 1/20-scale model of the Convair F-102 airplane with chordwise fences have been determined a t Mach numbers from 0.6 to 1.1 for angles of attack up to 20deg in the Langley 8-foot transonic tunnel. The configuration exhibited static longitudinal stability throughout the range tested, although a mild pitch-up tendency was indicated a t Mach numbers from 0.85 to 0.95. Elevator pitch effectiveness decreased rapidly between the Mach numbers of 0.9 and 1.0, however, no complete loss or reversal was indicated for all conditions tested. Because of the type of longitudinal control used, trimming the configuration from the zero elevator condition resulted in substantial decreases in lift-curve slope and maximum lift-drag ratio and increases in drag due to lift. The drag at zero lift, drag due to lift, and trim drag were high for this configuration.

Osborne, Robert S.↗

Effect of a Leading-edge Flap upon the Lift, Drag, and Pitching Moment of an Airplane Employing a Thin, Unswept Wing

The effects of deflecting full-span, constant-chord, leading-edge flaps, having either round or sharp leading edges, upon the lift, drag,. and pitching moment characteristics of a model of an interceptor-type aircraft have been determined experimentally at subsonic and supersonic speeds. Results indicate that the variations of lift with angle of attack and of pitching moment with lift were unaffected by either the shape of the flap leading edge or flap deflection. Deflection of the flaps having either a round or sharp leading edge increased the drag at zero lift at both subsonic and supersonic speeds. In spite of the increase in the drag at zero lift, however, deflection of the flaps increased the maximum lift-drag ratio at subsonic speeds and had no deleterious effect at supersonic speeds.

Heitmeyer, John C.↗