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At least 1,639 records · Page 91

Aerodynamic characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept double-delta wing at Mach number 0.2

A wind-tunnel of the static longitudinal, lateral and directional stability characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept double-delta wing was conducted in the Langley low-turbulence pressure tunnel. The configuration variables included wing planform, tip fins, center fin, and scramjet engine modules. A mach number of 0.2 was investigated over a Reynolds number (based on fuselage length) range of 2,200,000 to 19.75 x 1,000,000 (with a majority of tests at 10.0 x 1,000,000. Tests were conducted through an angle-of-attack range from about -2 deg to 34 deg at angles of sideslip of 0 deg to 5 deg, and at elevon deflection of 0 deg, -5 deg, -10 deg, -15 deg, and -20 deg. The drag coefficient of the integrated scramjet engine appears relatively constant with Reynolds number at the test Mach number of 0.2. Mild pitch-up was exhibited by the models equipped with tip fins. The forward delta, a highly swept forward portion of the wing, was destabilizing. The center fin model has a higher trimmed maximum lift-drag ratio and a wider trim lift and angle-of-attack range than the tip fin model. Both the tip fin models and center fin models exhibited positive dihedral effect and positive directional stability. Roll control was positive for the tip fin model, but yaw due to roll control was unfavorable.

Penland, J. A.↗

New rotation-balance apparatus for measuring airplane spin aerodynamics in the wind tunnel

An advanced rotation-balance apparatus has been developed for the Ames 12-ft pressure tunnel to study the effects of spin rate, angles of attack and sideslip, and, particularly, Reynolds number on the aerodynamics of fighter and general aviation aircraft in a steady spin. Angles of attack to 100 deg and angles of sideslip to 30 deg are possible with spin rates to 42 rad/sec (400 rpm) and Reynolds numbers to 30 million/m on fighter models with wing spans that are typically 0.7 m. A complete description of the new rotation-balance apparatus, the sting/balance/model assembly, and the operational capabilities is given.

Malcolm, G. N.↗

Aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, and stability of hang gliders. Experimental results

One-fifth-scale models of three basic ultralight glider designs were constructed to simulate the elastic properties of full scale gliders and were tested at Reynolds numbers close to full scale values. Twenty-four minor modifications were made to the basic configurations in order to evaluate the effects of twist, reflex, dihedral, and various stability enhancement devices. Longitudinal and lateral data were obtained at several speeds through an angle of attack range of -30 deg to +45 deg with sideslip angles of up to 20 deg. The importance of vertical center of gravity displacement is discussed. Lateral data indicate that effective dihedral is lost at low angles of attack for nearly all of the configurations tested. Drag data suggest that lift-dependent viscous drag is a large part of the glider's total drag as is expected for thin, cambered sections at these relatively low Reynolds numbers.

Kroo, I. M.↗

Augmentation of Fighter-Aircraft Performance by Spanwise Blowing over the Wing Leading Edge

Spanwise blowing over the wing and canard of a 1:35 model of a close-coupled-canard fighter airplane configuration (similar to the Kfir-C2) was investigated experimentally in low-speed flow. Tests were conducted at airspeeds of 30 m/sec (Reynolds number of 1.8 x 10 to the 5th power based on mean aerodynamic chord) with angle-of-attack sweeps from -8 to 60 deg, and yaw-angle sweeps from -8 to 36 deg at fixed angles of attack 0, 10, 20, 25, 30, and 35 deg. Significant improvement in lift-curve slope, maximum lift, drag polar and lateral/directional stability was found, enlarging the flight envelope beyond its previous low-speed/maximum-lift limit. In spite of the highly swept (60 deg) leading edge, the efficiency of the lift augmentation by blowing was relatively high and was found to increase with increasing blowing momentum on the close-coupled-canard configuration. Interesting possibilities of obtaining much higher efficiencies with swirling jets were indicated.

Seginer, A.↗

Hypersonic shock tunnel heat transfer tests of the Space Shuttle SILTS pod configuration

Heat transfer measurements have been made on a 0.0175-scale NASA Space Shuttle orbiter model having a simulated SILTS (Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensor) pod on top of the vertical tail. Heat transfer distributions were measured both on the pod and on the vertical tail. The test program covered Mach numbers of 8, 11 and 16 in air, at Reynolds numbers from 100,000 to 18 million, based on model length. The angle of attack ranged from 30 deg to 40 deg at sideslip angles from -2 to +2 deg. Data were obtained with 92 thin film assistance thermometers located on the SILTS pod and on the upper 30 percent of the vertical tail. Heat transfer rates measured on the vertical tail show good agreement with flight data obtained from missions STS-1, -2 and -3. The variation of heat transfer to the pod with Reynolds number, Mach number and angle of attack is discussed.

Wittliff, C. E.↗

Experimental analyses of trailing edge flows

An experimental study of several of the trailing edge and wake turbulence properties for a NACA 64A010 airfoil section was completed. The experiment was conducted at the Ohio State University Aeronautical and Astronautical Research Laboratory in the 6 inch X 22 inch transonic wind tunnel facility. The data were obtained at a free stream Mach number of 0.80 and a flow Reynolds number (based on chord length) of 5 million. The principle diagnostic tool was a dual-component laser Doppler velocimeter. The experimental data included surface static pressures, chordwise and vertical mean velocities, RMS turbulence intensities, local flow angles, and a determination of turbulence kinetic energy in the wake. Two angles of attack (0 and 2 degrees) were investigated. At these incidence angles, four flow field surveys were obtained ranging in position from the surface of the airfoil, between the transonic shock and the trailing edge, to the far-wake. At both angles of attack, the turbulence intensities and turbulence kinetic energy were observed to decay in the streamwise direction. In the far wake, for the non-lifting case, the turbulence intensities were nearly isotropic. For the two degree case, the horizontal component of the turbulence intensity was observed to be substantially higher than the vertical component.

Petrie, S. L.↗

Wind-tunnel investigation of a full-scale general aviation airplane equipped with an advanced natural laminar flow wing

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 30- by 60-Foot Wind Tunnel to evaluate the performance, stability, and control characteristics of a full-scale general aviation airplane equipped with an advanced laminar flow wing. The study focused on the effects of natural laminar flow and advanced boundary layer transition on performance, stability, and control, and also on the effects of several wing leading edge modifications on the stall/departure resistance of the configuration. Data were measured over an angle-of-attack range from -6 to 40 deg and an angle-of-sideslip range from -6 to 20 deg. The Reynolds number was varied from 1.4 to 2.4 x 10 to the 6th power based on the mean aerodynamic chord. Additional measurements were made using hot-film and sublimating chemical techniques to determine the condition of the wing boundary layer, and wool tufts were used to study the wing stall characteristics. The investigation showed that large regions of natural laminar flow existed on the wing which would significantly enhance cruise performance. Also, because of the characteristics of the airfoil section, artificially tripping the wing boundary layer to a turbulent condition did not significantly effect the lift, stability, and control characteristics. The addition of a leading-edge droop arrangement was found to increase the stall angle of attack at the wingtips and, therefore, was considered to be effective in improving the stall/departure resistance of the configuration. Also the addition of the droop arrangement resulted in only minor increases in drag.

Murri, Daniel G.↗

A theory for the core flow of leading-edge vortices

Separation-induced leading-edge vortices can dominate the flow about slender wings at moderate to high angles of attack, often with favorable aerodynamic effects. However, at the high angles of attack which are desirable for takeoff and landing as well as subsonic-transonic maneuver the vortices can breakdown or burst in the vicinity of the aircraft causing many adverse effects; these include lift loss, pitchup, and buffet. The flow in the core of leading-edge vortices is generally affiliated with the vortex breakdown phenomenon. A theory is presented for the flow in the core of separation-induced, leading-edge vortices at practical Reynolds numbers. The theory is based on matching inner and outer representations of the vortex. The inner representation models continuously distributed vorticity and includes an asymptotic viscous subcore. The outer representation models concentrated spiral sheets of vorticity and is fully three dimensional. A parameter is identified which closely tracks the vortex breakdown stability boundary for delta, arrow, and diamond wings.

Luckring, James M.↗

Vortical flows over delta wings and numerical prediction of vortex breakdown

Navier-Stokes solutions of subsonic vortical flow over a 75 deg sweep delta wing with a sharp leading edge are presented. The sensitivity of the solution to the numerical scheme is examined using both a partially upwind scheme and a scheme with central differencing in all directions. At moderate angles of attack, no vortex breakdown is observed, whereas the higher angle-of-attack cases exhibit breakdown. The effect of numerical grid density is investigated, and solutions that are obtained with various grid densities are compared with experimental data. An embedded grid approach is implemented to enable higher resolution in selected isolated flow regions, such as the leeward-side surface, the leading-edge vortical flow, and the vortex breakdown region.

Ekaterinaris, J. A.↗

Aerodynamic optimization of an HSCT configuration using variable-complexity modeling

An approach to aerodynamic configuration optimization is presented for the high-speed civil transport (HSCT). A method to parameterize the wing shape, fuselage shape and nacelle placement is described. Variable-complexity design strategies are used to combine conceptual and preliminary-level design approaches, both to preserve interdisciplinary design influences and to reduce computational expense. Conceptual-design-level (approximate) methods are used to estimate aircraft weight, supersonic wave drag and drag due to lift, and landing angle of attack. The drag due to lift, wave drag and landing angle of attack are also evaluated using more detailed, preliminary-design-level techniques. New, approximate methods for estimating supersonic wave drag and drag due to lift are described. The methodology is applied to the minimization of the gross weight of an HSCT that flies at Mach 2.4 with a range of 5500 n.mi. Results are presented for wing planform shape optimization and for combined wing and fuselage optimization with nacelle placement. Case studies include both all-metal wings and advanced composite wings.

Hutchison, M. G.↗

Evaluation of the Low-Speed Stability and Control Characteristics of a Mach 5.5 Waverider Concept

Static force and moment tests of a 0.062-scale model of a hypersonic vehicle study concept known as the LOFLYTE(TM) configuration were conducted in the Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel. These tests looked primarily at the low-speed static stability and control characteristics of this configuration. Data were obtained over an angle-of-attack range of -5 deg. to 22 deg. at sideslip angles that ranged between -10 deg. and 10 deg. The tiperons were sized to provide enough pitch control to trim the vehicle up to alpha = 16 deg. with no more than 10 deg. of surface deflection and data obtained in this test showed that 10 deg. of tiperon deflection was nearly sufficient to trim the configuration up to the desired angle of attack. Because of the pitching-moment characteristics of the LOFLYTE(TM) configuration, there is a reasonably high level of unpowered trimmed lift at nominal takeoff and approach to landing that should allow for acceptable takeoff and landing speeds for this vehicle. Initial evaluation of the directional stability characteristics of this configuration showed a significant instability between alpha = 10 deg. and about alpha = 18 deg. This test determined that the cause of this instability was the interaction of the wing leading-edge vortex with the vertical tails. Moving the vertical tails either inboard or outboard from the baseline location eliminated this unfavorable interaction.

Hahne, David E.↗

Large-Scale Wind-Tunnel Tests of a Wingless Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft: Preliminary Results

Large-scale wind-tunnel tests were made of a wingless vertical take-off and landing aircraft at zero sideslip to determine performance and longitudinal stability and control characteristics at airspeeds from 0 to 70 knots. Roll control and rudder effectiveness were also obtained. Limitations in the propulsion system restricted the lift for which level flight could be simulated to approximately 1500 pounds. Test variables with roll control and rudder undeflected were airspeed, vane setting, angle of attack, elevator deflection, and power. In most of the tests angle of attack, elevator, and power were varied individually while the other four parameters were held constant at previously determined values required for simulating trimmed level flight. The majority of the tests were made with power on and tail on at airspeeds between 20 and 70 knots. However, a limited number of data were obtained for the following conditions: (1) at zero velocity, horizontal tail on, power on; (2) at forward velocity, tail off and power on; and (3) at forward velocity, tail on, but with power off.

Koenig, David G.↗

Measured and Computed Hypersonic Aerodynamic/Aeroheating Characteristics for an Elliptically Blunted Flared Cylinder

Computational and experimental hypersonic aerodynamic forces and moments and aeroheating levels for Kistler Aerospace Corporation's baseline orbiter vehicle at incidence are presented. Experimental data were measured in ground-based facilities at the Langley Research Center and predictions were performed using the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm code. The test parameters were incidence (-4 to 24 degrees), freestream Mach number (6 to 10),freestream ratio o specific heats (1.2 to 1.4), and freestream Reynolds number (0.5 to 8.0 million per foot). The effects of these parameters on aerodynamic characteristics, as well as the effects of Reynolds number on measured heating levels are discussed. Good agreement between computational and experimental aerodynamic and aeroheating values were observed over the wide range of test parameters examined. Reynolds number and ratio of specific heats were observed to significantly alter the trim L/D value. At Mach 6, laminar flow was observed along the entire windward centerline tip to the flare for all angles and Reynolds numbers tested. Flow over the flare transitioned from laminar to transitional/turbulent between 4 and 8 million per foot at 8 and 12 degrees angle of attack, and near 4 million per foot at 16 degrees angle of attack.

Greene, Francis A.↗

Measured and Computed Hypersonic Aerodynamic/Aeroheating Characteristics for an Elliptically Blunted Flared Cylinder

Computational and experimental hypersonic aerodynamic forces and moments and aeroheating levels for Kistler Aerospace Corporation's baseline orbiter vehicle at incidence are presented. Experimental data were measured in ground-based facilities at the Langley Research Center and predictions were performed using the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm code. The test parameters were incidence (-4 to 24 degrees), freestream Mach number (6 to 10), freestream ratio of specific heats (1.2 to 1.4), and freestream Reynolds number (0.5 to 8.0 million per foot). The effects of these parameters on aerodynamic characteristics, as well as the effects of Reynolds number on measured heating levels are discussed. Good agreement between computational and experimental aerodynamic and aeroheating values were observed over the wide range of test parameters examined. Reynolds number and ratio of specific heats were observed to significantly alter the trim L/D value. At Mach 6, laminar flow, was observed along the entire windward centerline up to the flare for all angles and Reynolds numbers tested. Flow over the flare transitioned front laminar to transitional turbulent between 4 and 8 million per foot at 8 and 12 degrees angle of attack, and near 4 million per foot at 16 degrees angle of attack.

Greene, Francis A.↗

High-Speed Wind-Tunnel Tests of a 1/16-Scale Model of the D-558 Research Airplane Air-Stream Fluctuations at the Tail of the D-558-1 Airplane

An investigation of the air-stream fluctuations at the tail of the D-558-1 airplane has been made at high speed for the purpose of determining the vertical region in which the horizontal tail may be placed without becoming subject to tail buffeting. The investigation was made for a range of Mach numbers from 0.775 to 0.907, and a range of vertical positions at the tall to include two proposed horizontal-tail positions. The tests were made at two angles of attack, 0,2 deg. and 4.2 deg., representative, of the angles of attack for high-speed level flight and a pull-out condition.

Pendley, Robert E.↗

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↗

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a Full-Scale Model of the Hughes MX-904 Missile

A wind-tunnel investigation has been conducted to determine the stability and control characteristics of a full-size model of the Hughes MX-904 missile. Aerodynamic characteristics of the complete model through moderate ranges of angles of attack and yaw, with an additional test made through an angle of attack of 180 degrees, are presented. The effects of horizontal tail deflection are also included.

Source record↗

Aeroheating Measurements of BOLT Aerodynamic Fairings and Transition Module

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) has sponsored the Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) Experiments to investigate hypersonic boundary layer transition on a low-curvature, concave surface with swept leading edges. This paper presents aeroheating measurements on a subscale model of the BOLT Flight Geometry, aerodynamic fairings, and Transition Module (TSM) in the NASA Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel. The purpose of the test was to investigate and identify any areas of localized heating on the TSM for inclusion in the BOLT Critical Design Review (CDR). Surface heating distributions were measured using global phosphor thermography, and data were obtained for a range of model attitudes and free stream Reynolds numbers. Measurements showed low heating on the fairings and TSM. Additional analysis was completed after the CDR to compare heating on the TSM for the nominal BOLT vehicle reentry angle-of-attack with heating on the TSM for possible reentry angle-of-attack excursions. The results of this analysis were used in conjunction with thermal analyses from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to assess the need for thermal protection on the flight vehicle TSM.

Rieken, Elizabeth F.↗