Transition research using flight experiments

Abstract

The paper deals with flight experiments as a means of obtaining proper transition information in an uncontaminated environment. Flight transition experiments performed in the early to middle 1950s using rocket-propelled vehicles are outlined. It is noted that the standards for research quality experiments on stability and transition are no different for flight studies than for wind-tunnel experiments. The guidelines formulated by the U.S. Boundary Layer Transition Study Group are listed. Attention is focused on the relationship between the model design and the measurement of disturbance environment, the maintenance and monitoring of test and model-surface conditions, and a need for high data-sampling rates.