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At least 163 records · Page 9

Design Guidelines for the Application of Forebody and Nose Strakes to a Fighter Aircraft Based on F-16 Wind Tunnel Testing Experience

During the YF-16 and F-16 developmental wind tunnel test program, numerous variations in nose and forebody strakes were investigated. These data were reviewed, and the strake aerodynamic characteristics coalesced into design guidelines for the application of strakes to fighter aircraft. The design guides take the form of general equations governing the modification of forebody strakes to obtain a linear pitching moment curve and the calculation of the resulting lift and drag increments. Additionally, qualitative comments are made concerning the effects of strake geometry on lateral/directional stability. It is concluded that the generation of incremental strake lift is primarily dependent upon the area affected by the strake-induced vortex and that strake planform is of secondary importance. Forebody strakes have small beneficial effects on lateral/directional stability if properly designed; however, significant gains are easily attained with nose strakes.

Smith, C. W.↗

Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition of uPSP Measurements in Recent NASA Ames Wind Tunnel Test

This paper discusses Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (SPOD) of the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) measurements in recent NASA Ames wind tunnel test. The uPSP measurements were collected using Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc. (ISSI) porous, fast-response pressure-sensitive paint, 40 ISSI four-inch air-cooled Light-Emitting Diodes, and 8 Phantom v2512 high-speed cameras at 10,000 frames per second in the uPSP Launch Vehicle Demonstration Test (LVDT) of the Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle in the 11-by 11-foot transonic test section of the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center in April 2024. SPOD is derived from a space-time proper orthogonal decomposition problem for statistically stationary flows. SPOD modes are determined in the frequency domain. Each SPOD mode oscillates at a single frequency. SPOD can be viewed as an extension of the Discrete Fourier Transform composition and the Dynamic Mode Decomposition. In this paper, the outputs of SPOD of the uPSP measurements in the uPSP LVDT are presented and the effectiveness of SPOD in the identification, diagnosis and analysis of the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic phenomena is demonstrated. The unsteady and dynamic property of the pressure field on the surface of the SLS Block 1B crew vehicle is presented with the visualization of the SPOD modes of the uPSP measurements in the tests of a Mach sweep run of the uPSP LVDT. The SPOD outputs were generated with the execution in parallel of a code in Python, with the library of Message Passing Interface for parallel processing, on the NASA Pleiades supercomputer. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office.

Aeroacoustics↗

March 1971 wind tunnel tests of the Dorand DH 2011 jet flap rotor, volume 1

The results of wind tunnel tests, second series of tests performed in the NASA Ames 40 x 80 foot wind tunnel, of the DH 2011 jet-flap rotor are presented and analyzed. The tests have been focused on multicyclic effects and the capability of this rotor to reduce the vibratory loads and stresses in the blades. The reductions of the vibrations and stresses at tip speed ratio of 0.4 have attained 50%. The theory shows further reductions possible, reaching 80%. The results show that the performance characteristics after the modifications introduced since 1965 remained unchanged. The domain of investigation has been enlarged to include the tip speed ratios of 0.6 and 0.7. To analyze the complex aeroelastic phenomena a new analytical technique has been utilized to represent the mathematical model of the rotor. This technique, based on transfer matrices and transfer functions, appears very simple and it is believed that this analysis is applicable to many kinds of investigations involving large numbers of variables.

Kretz, M.↗

Transonic wind tunnel tests of a .015 scale space shuttle orbiter model, volume 2

Transonic wind tunnel tests were run on a 0.015 scale model of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Vehicle in an eight-foot tunnel during August 1975. The purpose of the program was to obtain basic shuttle aerodynamic data through a full range of elevon and aileron deflections, verification of data obtained at other facilities, and effects of Reynolds numbers. The second part of a discussion of test procedures and results in both tabular and graphical form were presented. Tests were performed at Mach numbers from 0.35 to 1.20, and at Reynolds numbers from 3.5 million to 8.2 million per foot. The angle of attack was varied from -2 to +20 degrees at sideslip angles of -2, 0, +2 degrees. Sideslip was varied from -6 to +8 degrees at constant angles of attack from 0 to +20 degrees. Various aileron and ailevon settings were tested for various angles of attack.

Struzynski, N. A.↗

Aerodynamic results of wind tunnel tests on a 0.010-scale model (32-QTS) space shuttle integrated vehicle in the AEDC VKF-40-inch supersonic wind tunnel (IA61)

Plotted and tabulated aerodynamic coefficient data from a wind tunnel test of the integrated space shuttle vehicle are presented. The primary test objective was to determine proximity force and moment data for the orbiter/external tank and solid rocket booster (SRB) with and without separation rockets firing for both single and dual booster runs. Data were obtained at three points (t = 0, 1.25, and 2.0 seconds) on the nominal SRB separation trajectory.

Daileda, J. J.↗

Uncertainty Analysis of the Pitch Damping Coefficient of Blunt Bodies, Measured from Magnetic Suspension Wind Tunnel Tests

Blunt body aerodynamics in re-entry conditions are characterized by oscillatory behavior that is often encapsulated by the pitch damping coefficient (Cmq). Magnetic Suspension Wind Tunnel (MSWT) testing with a Magnetic Suspension Balance System (MSBS) aims to improve blunt body wind tunnel testing by removing the sometimes unknown aerodynamic effects of traditional sting mounts, as well as generate more constrained outputs than vertical spin tunnel testing. Efforts to calculate the uncertainty of the pitch damping coefficient with a proposed Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) capsule model have been made by fitting an analytic prediction of the attitude time history to video data of a free-to-oscillate MSBS test.

Magnetic suspension, dynamic stability, uncertaint↗

March 1971 wind tunnel tests of the Dorand DH 2011 jet flap motor, volume 2

Wind tunnel tests were conducted of the Dorand DH 2011D jet flap rotor. The data recorded during the tests consist of: (1) multicyclic cam coefficients, (2) stress analysis, (3) vibratory loads, (4) Fourier analysis of flap deflection, and (5) blade bending stress. Data are presented in the form of tables and graphs.

Kretz, M.↗

Analysis of the wind tunnel test of a tilt rotor power force model

Two series of wind tunnel tests were made to determine performance, stability and control, and rotor wake interaction on the airframe, using a one-tenth scale powered force model of a tilt rotor aircraft. Testing covered hover (IGE/OCE), helicopter, conversion, and airplane flight configurations. Forces and moments were recorded for the model from predetermined trim attitudes. Control positions were adjusted to trim flight (one-g lift, pitching moment and drag zero) within the uncorrected test data balance accuracy. Pitch and yaw sweeps were made about the trim attitudes with the control held at the trimmed settings to determine the static stability characteristics. Tail on, tail off, rotors on, and rotors off configurations were testes to determine the rotor wake effects on the empennage. Results are presented and discussed.

Marr, R. L.↗

Two-dimensional wind tunnel test of an oscillating rotor airfoil, volume 1

A two dimensional wind tunnel test was conducted to obtain the quasisteady and unsteady characteristics of an advanced airfoil designed for helicopter rotor applications. Differential pressures were measured at 17 locations along the chord of the airfoil model. The airfoil motions were sinusoidal forced-pitch oscillations about the quarter chord at amplitudes varying from 2.5 to 10.0 degrees and at frequencies from 23 Hz to 90 Hz. The quasisteady tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.2 to 0.9, and the oscillatory tests between M = 0.2 and M = 0.7. At quasisteady conditions a limited number of drag measurements were made with a wake-traversing probe.

Dadone, L. U.↗

Wind-tunnel test results of airfoil modifications for the EA-6B

Wind-tunnel tests have been conducted (to determine the effects on airfoil performance for several airfoil modifications) for the EA-6B Wing Improvement Program. The modifications consist of contour changes to the leading-edge slat and trailing-edge flap to provide a higher low-speed maximum lift with no high-speed cruise-drag penalty. Airfoil sections from the 28- and 76-percent span stations were selected as baseline shapes with the major testing devoted to the inboard airfoil section (28-percent span station). The airfoil modifications increased the low-speed maximum lift coefficient between 20 and 35 percent over test conditions of 3 to 14 million chord Reynolds number and 0.14 to 0.34 Mach number. At the high-speed test conditions of 0.4 to 0.80 Mach number and 10 million chord Reynolds number, the modified airfoils had either matched or had lower drag coefficients for all normal-force coefficients above 0.2 as compared to the baseline airfoil. At normal-force coefficients less than 0.2, the baseline (original) airfoil had lower drag coefficients than any of the modified airfoils.

Sewall, W. G.↗

Wind-Tunnel Tests of Seven Static-Pressure Probes at Transonic Speeds

Wind-tunnel tests have been conducted to determine the errors of 3 seven static-pressure probes mounted very close to the nose of a body of revolution simulating a missile forebody. The tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.80 to 1.08 and at angles of attack from -1.7 deg to 8.4 deg. The test Reynolds number per foot varied from 3.35 x 10(exp 6) to 4.05 x 10(exp 6). For three 4-vane, gimbaled probes, the static-pressure errors remained constant throughout the test angle-of-attack range for all Mach numbers except 1.02. For two single-vane, self-rotating probes having two orifices at +/-37.5 deg. from the plane of symmetry on the lower surface of the probe body, the static-pressure error varied as much as 1.5 percent of free-stream static pressure through the test angle-of- attack range for all Mach numbers. For two fixed, cone-cylinder probes of short length and large diameter, the static-pressure error varied over the test angle-of-attack range at constant Mach numbers as much as 8 to 10 percent of free-stream static pressure.

Capone, Francis J.↗

Design and wind tunnel tests of winglets on a DC-10 wing

Results are presented of a wind tunnel test utilizing a 4.7 percent scale semi-span model in the Langley Research Center 8-foot transonic pressure wind tunnel to establish the cruise drag improvement potential of winglets as applied to the DC-10 wide body transport aircraft. Winglets were investigated on both the DC-10 Series 10 (domestic) and 30/40 (intercontinental) configurations and compared with the Series 30/40 configuration. The results of the investigation confirm that for the DC-10 winglets provide approximately twice the cruise drag reduction of wing-tip extensions for about the same increase in bending moment at the wing fuselage juncture. Furthermore, the winglet configurations achieved drag improvements which were in close agreement to analytical estimates. It was observed that relatively small changes in wing-winglet tailoring effected large improvements in drag and visual flow characteristics. All final winglet configurations exhibited visual flow characteristics on the wing and winglets

Gilkey, R. D.↗