Transonic wall interference effects on bodies of revolution.

Abstract

Efforts to develop a near sonic transport have placed renewed emphasis on obtaining accurate aerodynamic force and pressure data in the near sonic speed range. Comparison of wind-tunnel and flight data obtained for a blunt-nose body of revolution showed significant discrepancies in drag levels near Mach 1 - apparently due to wind-tunnel wall interference. Subsequent tests of geometrically similar bodies of revolution showed that increasing the model-to-test-section blockage ratio from 0.00017 to 0.0043 resulted in altered drag curve shapes, delayed drag divergence, and 'transonic creep' from subsonic drag levels due to increased wall interference.