Flight Measurements of the Low-speed Characteristics of a 35 Degree Swept-wing Airplane with Blowing-type Boundary-layer Control on the Trailing-edge Flaps
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A wind-tunnel investigation was made to determine the effects on the aerodynamic characteristics of a 35 degree swept-wing airplane of applying blowing-type boundary-layer control to the trailing-edge flaps. Flight tests of a similar airplane were then conducted to determine the effects of boundary-layer control on the handling qualities and operation of the airplane, particularly during landing and take-off. The wind-tunnel and flight tests indicated that blowing over the flaps produced large increases in flap lift increment, and significant increases in maximum lift. The use of blowing permitted reductions in the landing approach speeds of as much as 12 knots.
A flight investigation has been conducted to study how pilots use the high lift available with blowing-type boundary-layer control applied to the leading- and trailing-edge flaps of a 45 deg. swept-wing airplane. The study includes documentation of the low-speed handling qualities as well as the pilots' evaluations of the landing-approach characteristics. All the pilots who flew the airplane considered it more comfortable to fly at low speeds than any other F-100 configuration they had flown. The major improvements noted were the reduced stall speed, the improved longitudinal stability at high lift, and the reduction in low-speed buffet. The study has shown the minimum comfortable landing-approach speeds are between 120.5 and 126.5 knots compared to 134 for the airplane with a slatted leading edge and the same trailing-edge flap. The limiting factors in the pilots' choices of landing-approach speeds were the limits of ability to control flight-path angle, lack of visibility, trim change with thrust, low static directional stability, and sluggish longitudinal control. Several of these factors were found to be associated with the high angles of attack, between 13 deg. and 15 deg., required for the low approach speeds. The angle of attack for maximum lift coefficient was 28 deg.
Carrier landing-approach studies of a tailless delta-wing fighter airplane disclosed that approach speeds were limited by ability to control altitude and lateral-directional characteristics. More detailed flight studies of the handling-qualities characteristics of the airplane in the carrier-approach configuration documented a number of factors that contributed to the adverse comments on the lateral-directional characteristics. These were: (1) the tendency of the airplane to roll around the highly inclined longitudinal axis, so that significant sideslip angles developed in the roll as a result only of kinematic effects; (2) reduction of the rolling response to the ailerons because of the large dihedral effect in conjunction with the kinematically developed sideslip angles; and (3) the onset of rudder lock at moderate angles of sideslip at the lowest speeds with wing tanks installed. The first two of the factors listed are inseparably identified with this type of configuration which is being considered for many of the newer designs and may, therefore, represent a problem which will be encountered frequently in the future. The results are of added significance in the demonstration of a typical situation in which extraneous factors occupy so much of the pilot's attention that his capability of coping with the problems of precise flight-path control is reduced, and he accordingly demands a greater speed margin above the stall to allow for airspeed fluctuations.
A study has been made, using a piloted moving simulator, of the effects of the yaw-coupling parameters N(sub p) and N(sub delta(sub a) on the lateral-directional handling qualities of a large transport airplane at landing-approach airspeed. It is shown that the desirable combinations of these parameters tend to be more proverse when compared with values typical of current aircraft. Results of flight tests in a large variable-stability jet transport showed trends which were similar to those of the simulator data. Areas of minor disagreement, which were traced to differences in airplane geometry, indicate that pilot consciousness of side acceleration forces can be an important factor in handling qualities of future long-nosed transport aircraft.
Studies of a number of STOL aircraft show that relatively high maximum lift-coefficients and large increases in lift due to power are within the present state of the art. With these lift characteristics, approach speeds of the order of 60 knots for aircraft of moderate wing loading can be realized. Full advantage of the STOL performance of aircraft such as those discussed herein may not be realized on a routine operational basis, however, without some form of damping augmentation system because of lateral-directional handling considerations, particularly for large aircraft operating under instrument flight conditions. Satisfactory characteristics can be obtained by use of only a servodriven rudder. Additional experience is needed to determine how the STOL aircraft is to be operated before more firm requirements for augmentation systems can be established.
A flight investigation has been conducted using a large twin-engine cargo aircraft to isolate the problems associated with operating propeller-driven aircraft in the STOL speed range where appreciable engine power is used to augment aerodynamic lift. The problems considered would also be representative of those of a large overloaded VTOL aircraft operating in an STOL manner with comparable thrust-to-weight ratios. The study showed that operation at low approach speeds was compromised by the necessity of maintaining high thrust to generate high lift and yet achieving the low lift-drag ratios needed for steep descents. The useable range of airspeed and flight path angle was limited by the pilot's demand for a positive climb margin at the approach speed, a suitable stall margin, and a control and/or performance margin for one engine inoperative. The optimum approach angle over an obstacle was found to be a compromise between obtaining the shortest air distance and the lowest touchdown velocity. In order to realize the greatest low-speed potential from STOL designs, the stability and control characteristics must be satisfactory.
Recent advances in modeling languages have made it feasible to formally specify and analyze the behavior of large system components. Synchronous data flow languages, such as Lustre, SCR, and RSML-e are particularly well suited to this task, and commercial versions of these tools such as SCADE and Simulink are growing in popularity among designers of safety critical systems, largely due to their ability to automatically generate code from the models. At the same time, advances in formal analysis tools have made it practical to formally verify important properties of these models to ensure that design defects are identified and corrected early in the lifecycle. This report describes how these tools have been applied to the ADGS-2100 Adaptive Display and Guidance Window Manager being developed by Rockwell Collins Inc. This work demonstrates how formal methods can be easily and cost-efficiently used to remove defects early in the design cycle.
This project developed screening tools that enable evaluation of alternative cementitious binders that create concretes to significantly reduce energy and emissions while remaining cost competitive on both initial and long-term costs. The team began with the viewpoint that acceptance of new cementitious binder products has a substantially greater chance of successful implementation when capital investment is not excessive and the end product has customers that have experience and resources to use this. As such, a binder system that is based on portland cement with blended using industrial by-products (alternative cementitious materials) has the potential for dramatic and meaningful impact. The team has focused on developing implementable solutions in specifications and current practice. This however requires three main factors: 1) ability to screen byproducts and alternative materials for success, 2) ability to ‘treat’ materials chemically to enhance kinetics, and 3) ability to provide predictions of performance of both binders and concrete from first principles. The project developed/refined a state of the art and scientifically based screening test for SCM called the pozzolanic reactivity test. The team developed kinetic models to simulate these materials as well as experimental approaches to alter selected reactions. Simulation tools were developed that enable the performance of concrete to be predicted based on the chemistry and reactivity of the cement and alternative SCM. Specifically, this project: • enhanced the kinetic reactivity models for use in multi-scale computational programs that use thermodynamics to predict reaction products. 2 • developed scaling models to extend thermodynamic modeling to link these models with pore structure. This enables strength, transport property, and coupled transport prediction. • developed tools to predict performance of cementitious materials using the pozzolanic reactivity test and chemical composition. The predicted properties are consistent with AASHTO R101 and the CEB-FIP model code and can be measured using associated test procedures. • demonstrated mechanical and fracture based modeling tools that thermodynamic predictions and inputs to predict concrete service life. These results have been used to demonstrate the value of enabling specifications to include ASTM C 595 cement as well ASTM C150 cement. In addition, these products are being used to expedite the evaluation of alternative SCM to aide in determining which materials have potential value and what ‘compositions’ of blended cements merit further investment.