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105 records · Page 6

Effect of canard deflection on close-coupled canard-wing-body aerodynamics

The thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are solved for the flow about a canard-wing-body configuration at transonic Mach numbers of 0.85 and 0.90, angles of attack from -4 to 10 degrees and canard deflection angles from -10 to +10 degrees. Effects of canard deflection on aerodynamic performance, including canard-wing vortex interaction, are investigated. Comparisons with experimental measurements of surface pressures, lift, drag and pitching moments are made to verify the accuracy of the computations. The results of the study show that the deflected canard downwash not only influences the formation of the wing leading-edge vortex, but can cause the formation of an unfavorable vortex on the wing lower surface as well.

Tu, Eugene L.↗

The balance of moments and the static longitudinal stability of airplanes

A nomogram is developed which renders it possible by drawing a few lines, to determine: the location of the center of gravity for zero wing and tail moments; the longitudinal dihedral angle; the tail coefficient F(sub h) iota/F(sub t). Moreover there is no difficulty in determining the magnitude of the restoring moment or of the unstable moment.

STABILITY↗

The Determination of Downwash

It is obvious that, in accordance with Newton's second law, the lift on an aerofoil must be equal to the vertical momentum communicated per second to the air mass affected. Consequently a lifting aerofoil in flight is trailed by a wash which has a definite inclination corresponding to the factors producing the lift. It is thought that sufficient data, theoretical and experimental, are now available for a complete determination of this wash with respect to the variation of its angle of inclination to the originating aerofoil and with respect to the law which governs its decay in space.

Diehl, Walter S↗

Effect of rotor wake on aerodynamic characteristics of a 1/6 scale model of the rotor systems research aircraft

Tests were conducted in the Langley V/STOL tunnel to determine the effect of the main-rotor wake on the aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor systems research aircraft. A 1/6-scale model with a 4-blade articulated rotor was used to determine the effect of the rotor wake for the compound configuration. Data were obtained over a range of angles of attack, angles of sideslip, auxiliary engine thrusts, rotor collective pitch angles, and rotor tip-path plane angles for several main-rotor advance ratios. Separate results are presented for the forces and moments on the airframe, the wing, and the tail. An analysis of the test data indicates significant changes in the aerodynamic characteristics. The rotor wake increases the longitudinal static stability, the effective dihedral, and the lateral static stability of the airframe. The rotor induces a downwash on the wing. This downwash decreases the wing lift and increases the drag. The asymmetrical rotor wake induces a differential lift across the wing and a subsequent rolling moment. These rotor induced effects on the wing become smaller with increasing forward speed.

Mineck, R. E.↗

Wake Measurement Downstream of a Hybrid Wing Body Model with Blown Flaps

Flow-field measurements were obtained in the wake of a full-span Hybrid Wing Body model with internally blown flaps. The test was performed at the NASA Langley 14 x 22 Foot Subsonic Tunnel at low speeds. Off-body measurements were obtained with a 7-hole probe rake survey system. Three model configurations were investigated. At 0deg angle of attack the surveys were completed with 0deg and 60deg flap deflections. At 10deg angle of attack the wake surveys were completed with a slat and a 60deg flap deflection. The 7-hole probe results further quantified two known swirling regions (downstream of the outboard flap edge and the inboard/outboard flap juncture) for the 60deg flap cases with blowing. Flowfield results and the general trends are very similar for the two blowing cases at nozzle pressure ratios of 1.37 and 1.56. High downwash velocities correlated with the enhanced lift for the 60deg flap cases with blowing. Jet-induced effects are the largest at the most inboard station for all (three) velocity components due in part to the larger inboard slot height. The experimental data are being used to improve computational tools for high-lift wings with integrated powered-lift technologies.

Lin, John C.↗

Modified Matrix Method for Calculating Steady-State Span Loading on Flexible Wings in Subsonic Flight

A method is presented for shortening the computations required to determine the steady-state span loading on flexible wings in subsonic flight. The method makes use of tables of downwash factors to find the necessary aerodynamic-influence coefficients for the application of lifting-line theory. Explicit matrix equations of equilibrium are converted into a matrix power series with a finite number of terms by utilizing certain characteristic properties of matrices. The number of terms in the series is determined by a trial-and-error process dependent upon the required accuracy of the solution. Spanwise distributions of angle of attack, airload, shear, bending moment, and pitching moment are readily obtained as functions of qm(sub R) where q denotes the dynamic pressure and mR denotes the lift-curve slope of a rigid wing. This method is intended primarily to make it practical to solve steady-state aeroelastic problems on the ordinary manually operated desk calculators, but the method is also readily adaptable to automatic computing equipment.

Gainer, Patrick A.↗

Flow-Field Measurement of a Hybrid Wing Body Model with Blown Flaps

In this paper we describe flow-field measurements obtained in the wake of a full-span Hybrid Wing Body model with internally blown flaps. The test was performed at the NASA Langley 14 x 22 Foot Subsonic Tunnel at low speeds. Off-body measurements were obtained with a 7-hole probe rake survey system. Three model configurations were investigated. At 0deg angle of attack the surveys were completed with 0deg and 60deg flap deflections. At 10deg angle of attack the wake surveys were completed with a slat and a 60deg flap deflection. The 7-hole probe results further quantified two known swirling regions (downstream of the outboard flap edge and the inboard/outboard flap juncture) for the 60deg flap cases with blowing. Flow-field results and the general trends are very similar for the two blowing cases at nozzle pressure ratios of 1.37 and 1.56. High downwash velocities correlated with the enhanced lift for the 60deg flap cases with blowing. Jet-induced effects are the largest at the most inboard station for all (three) velocity components due in part to the larger inboard slot height. The experimental data are being used to improve computational tools for high-lift wings with integrated powered-lift technologies.

Lin, John C.↗

A computer module used to calculate the horizontal control surface size of a conceptual aircraft design

The creation of a computer module used to calculate the size of the horizontal control surfaces of a conceptual aircraft design is discussed. The control surface size is determined by first calculating the size needed to rotate the aircraft during takeoff, and, second, by determining if the calculated size is large enough to maintain stability of the aircraft throughout any specified mission. The tail size needed to rotate during takeoff is calculated from a summation of forces about the main landing gear of the aircraft. The stability of the aircraft is determined from a summation of forces about the center of gravity during different phases of the aircraft's flight. Included in the horizontal control surface analysis are: downwash effects on an aft tail, upwash effects on a forward canard, and effects due to flight in close proximity to the ground. Comparisons of production aircraft with numerical models show good accuracy for control surface sizing. A modified canard design verified the accuracy of the module for canard configurations. Added to this stability and control module is a subroutine that determines one of the three design variables, for a stable vectored thrust aircraft. These include forward thrust nozzle position, aft thrust nozzle angle, and forward thrust split.

Sandlin, Doral R.↗

A study of canard-wing interference using experimental pressure data at transonic speeds

The canard had an exposed area of 28.0 percent of the wing reference area and was located in the chord plane of the wing or in a position 18.5 percent of the wing mean geometric chord above or below the wing chord plane. The canard leading edge sweep was 51.7 deg and the wing leading-edge sweep was 60 deg. The results indicated that the direct canard downwash effects on the wing loading are limited to the forward half of the wing directly behind the canard. The wing leading-edge vortex is located farther forward for the wing in the presence of the canard than for the wing-alone configuration. The wake, from the canard located below the wing chord plane, physically interacts with the wing inboard surface and produces a substantial loss of wing lift. For the Mach number 0.70 case, the presence of the wing increased the loading on the canard for the higher angles of attack. However, at Mach numbers of 0.95 and 1.20, the presence of the wing had the unexpected result of unloading the canard.

Gloss, B. B.↗

An experimental investigation of propfan installations on an upswept supercritical wing at transonic Mach numbers

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 16 Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine propfan installation and slipstream interference effects on an unswept supercritical wing. This data can be used for verification of existing and developing theoretical codes as well as giving an understanding of the flow interactions associated with propeller/nacelle/wing integration. The investigation was conducted over a Mach number range of 0.5 to 0.8 and at angles of attack from 0 deg to 3 deg. The propeller was powered by an air turbine simulator and the exhaust from the air turbine was used to simulate the exhaust from the propfan nacelle. Reynolds number based on wing chord varied from 3 to 4 million. Results indicate that the propfan causes an increase in the wing lift coefficient. It was found that most of the propeller induced swirl is recovered by the wing. The propeller slipstream also causes a large favorable leading edge suction peak on the upwash side and a smaller unfavorable decrease on the downwash side.

Bartlett, G. R.↗

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a Small-Scale Model of an Aerial Vehicle Supported by Tilting Ducted Fans

A wind-tunnel investigation has been made to study the static longitudinal and lateral stability characteristics of a simplified aerial vehicle supported by ducted fans that tilt relative to the airframe. The ducts were in a triangular arrangement with one duct in front and two at the rear in order to minimize the influence of the downwash of the front duct on the rear ducts. The results of the investigation were compared with those of a similar investigation for a tandem two-duct arrangement in which the ducts were fixed (rather than tiltable) relative to the airframe, since the three-duct configuration had been devised in an attempt to avoid some of the deficiencies of the tandem fixed-duct configuration. The results of the investigation indicated that the tilting-duct arrangement had less noseup pitching moment for a given forward speed than the tandem fixed-duct arrangement. The model had less angle-of-attack instability than the tandem fixed-duct arrangement. The model was directionally unstable but had a positive dihedral effect throughout the test speed range.

Smith, Charles C., Jr.↗

Wind tunnel test of a variable-diameter tiltrotor (VDTR) model

This report documents the results from a wind tunnel test of a 1/6th scale Variable Diameter Tiltrotor (VDTR). This test was a joint effort of NASA Ames and Sikorsky Aircraft. The objective was to evaluate the aeroelastic and performance characteristics of the VDTR in conversion, hover, and cruise. The rotor diameter and nacelle angle of the model were remotely changed to represent tiltrotor operating conditions. Data is presented showing the propulsive force required in conversion, blade loads, angle of attack stability and simulated gust response, and hover and cruise performance. This test represents the first wind tunnel test of a variable diameter rotor applied to a tiltrotor concept. The results confirm some of the potential advantages of the VDTR and establish the variable diameter rotor a viable candidate for an advanced tiltrotor. This wind tunnel test successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the Variable Diameter rotor for tilt rotor aircraft. A wide range of test points were taken in hover, conversion, and cruise modes. The concept was shown to have a number of advantages over conventional tiltrotors such as reduced hover downwash with lower disk loading and significantly reduced longitudinal gust response in cruise. In the conversion regime, a high propulsive force was demonstrated for sustained flight with acceptable blade loads. The VDTR demonstrated excellent gust response capabilities. The horizontal gust response correlated well with predictions revealing only half the response to turbulence of the conventional civil tiltrotor.

Matuska, David↗

Estimation of transonic aircraft aerodynamics to high angles of attack

A recently developed method for estimating transonic aircraft aerodynamics to high angles of attack which is especially suited to computerized aircraft design and optimization studies is described. Following theoretical and empirical guidelines, explicit nonlinear equations are formulated for subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds; new algorithms are used for assessing compressibility effects and for analyzing transonic, shock-dominated flows which adhere to Laitone's limit Mach-number criterion. Viscous dominated flows are not analyzed. The transonic influence of viscosity is indirectly accommodated by assigning designated inputs rather than extracted solutions for the chordwise locations of shock and separation. The method is extended to complete aircraft configurations by including accounts for nose lift, the wing downwash field, and tail lift. Several comparisons of experiment and estimate are included.

Axelson, J. A.↗

Investigations on the downwash behind a tapered wing with fuselage and propeller

The new downwash measurements behind a tapered wing with parallel center section described in the present report can be brought into good agreement with theoretical calculations if made on the basis of not-rolled-up vortex sheet and allowance is made for the lowering of the sheet. The test values are about 1 degree higher than the "upper limit" established for it, as against approximately 0.5 degrees in the earlier tests behind a rectangular and elliptical wing. The measurements on lateral axes, especially if lying below the wing on a level with the vortex train, disclosed in accord with the lift distribution, a marked change in angle over the span of the tail in contrast to the rectangular and elliptical wing.

Muttray, H↗

The Vortex Lattice Method for the Rotor-Vortex Interaction Problem

The rotor blade-vortex interaction problem and the resulting impulsive airloads which generate undesirable noise levels are discussed. A numerical lifting surface method to predict unsteady aerodynamic forces induced on a finite aspect ratio rectangular wing by a straight, free vortex placed at an arbitrary angle in a subsonic incompressible free stream is developed first. Using a rigid wake assumption, the wake vortices are assumed to move downsteam with the free steam velocity. Unsteady load distributions are obtained which compare favorably with the results of planar lifting surface theory. The vortex lattice method has been extended to a single bladed rotor operating at high advance ratios and encountering a free vortex from a fixed wing upstream of the rotor. The predicted unsteady load distributions on the model rotor blade are generally in agreement with the experimental results. This method has also been extended to full scale rotor flight cases in which vortex induced loads near the tip of a rotor blade were indicated. In both the model and the full scale rotor blade airload calculations a flat planar wake was assumed which is a good approximation at large advance ratios because the downwash is small in comparison to the free stream at large advance ratios. The large fluctuations in the measured airloads near the tip of the rotor blade on the advance side is predicted closely by the vortex lattice method.

Padakannaya, R.↗