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At least 19 records

Effect of Aspect Ratio on the Low-Speed Lateral Control Characteristics of Untapered Low-Aspect-Ratio Wings Equipped with Flap and with Retractable Ailerons

A low-speed wind-tunnel investigation was made to determine the lateral control characteristics of a series of untapered low-aspect-ratio wings. Sealed flap ailerons of various spans and spanwise locations were investigated on unswept wings of aspect ratios 1.13, 1.13, 4.13, and 6.13; and various projections of 0.60-semispan retractable ailerons were investigated on the unsweptback wings of aspect ratios 1.13, 2.13, and 4.13 and on a 45 degree sweptback wing. The retractable ailerons investigated on the unswept wings spanned the outboard stations of each wing; whereas the plain and stepped retractable ailerons investigated on the sweptback wing were located at various spanwise stations. Design charts based on experimental results are presented for estimating the flap aileron effectiveness for low-aspect-ratio, untapered, unswept.

Fischel, Jack↗

Flight Tests of Retractable Ailerons on a Highly Tapered Wing

A flight investigation was conducted to determine the lateral-control characteristics of retractable ailerons installed on a highly tapered wing. The effectiveness of the ailerons in producing roll was measured at various air speeds with full-span plain flaps both neutral and deflected 45 degrees. The direction of the yawing moment created by the ailerons was also noted. The lateral control provided by the retractable ailerons used in this investigation was approximately the same as that obtained with the plain ailerons of equal span with which the airplane was previously equipped. The amount of control available was found to be somewhat inadequate, apparently because of the rather short span of the ailerons (0.327 of the wing span). It is likely that, with an aileron span of from 0.50 to 0.60 of the wing span, a satisfactory degree of control would be obtained. With the full-span flaps deflected 45 degrees, the rolling action of the ailerons was increased about 30 percent over that obtained with the flaps neutral at the same speed. The yawing moment produced by the ailerons was in the same sense as the rolling moment, i.e., right roll was accompanied by yaw. Lag in the response of the rolling action to control application was not large enough to be noticed by the pilots. No appreciable control force was apparent to the pilots, which was considered somewhat undesirable. Minor modifications in the design of the ailerons, however, would probably correct this fault.

Wetmore, J W↗

Investigation of spoiler ailerons for use as speed brakes or glide-path controls on two NACA 65-series wings equipped with full-span slotted flaps

A wind-tunnel investigation was made to determine the characteristics of spoiler ailerons used as speed brakes or glide-path controls on an NACA 65-210 wing and an NACA 65-215 wing equipped with full-span slotted flaps. Several plug aileron and retractable-aileron configurations were investigated on two wing models with the full-span flaps retracted and deflected. Tests were made at various Mach numbers between 0.13 and 0.71. The results of this investigation have indicated that the use of plug or retractable ailerons, either alone or in conjunction with wing flaps, as speed brakes or glide-path controls is feasible and very effective.

Fischel, Jack↗

Wind-tunnel of three lateral-control devices in combination with a full-span slotted flap on an NACA 23012 airfoil

A large-chord NACA 23012 airfoil was tested. The airfoil extended completely across the test section, and two-dimensional flow was approximated. The model was fitted with a full-span slotted flap having a chord 25.66 percent of the airfoil chord. The ailerons investigated extended over the entire span and each had a chord 10 percent of the airfoil chord. The types of ailerons tested were: retractable ailerons, slot-lip ailerons using the lip of the slot for ailerons, and plain ailerons on the trailing edge of the slotted flap. The data are presented in the form of curves of section lift, drag, and pitching-moment coefficients for the airfoil with flap deflected but with ailerons neutral, and of rolling-moment, yawing-moment, and hinge-moment coefficients calculated for a rectangular wing of aspect ratio 6 with a semi-span aileron and a full-span flap. For the ailerons investigated the data indicate that, from considerations of rolling and yawing moments produced and of stick forces desired, the retractable aileron is the most satisfactory means of lateral control for use with a full-span slotted flap.

Wenzinger, Carl J↗

Comparison of Pitching Moments Produced by Plain Flaps and by Spoilers and Some Aerodynamic Characteristics of an NACA 23012 Airfoil with Various Types of Aileron

Sectional characteristics of airfoil having retractable slotted flap with plain, slot-lip, or retractable ailerons are presented for a large range of aileron deflections. The analysis indicated that pitching moments produced by spoilers were less positive than those produced by plain flaps of equal effectiveness, also that pitching moments created by the spoiler increased less with the Mach number than similar moments produced by plain flaps. Positive values of pitching moment decreased as devices were located nearer airfoil leading edge.

PITCHING MOMENTS - AIRFOILS↗

Development of the NACA slot-lip aileron

An investigation of the undesirable delayed action, or lag, of the spoiler-type lateral control device led to the development of the NACA slot-lip aileron. The tests were made in the 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel with a 4- by 8-foot wing hinged at the tunnel jet boundary and taken of the motion of the control device under test and of the resulting wing motion. First, the lag, as affected by the fore-and-aft location of retractable ailerons or spoilers was determined. The lag was found to increase regularly as the spoiler was moved from the rear of the wing toward the front. Then a combination of spoilers and fixed slot was developed that, with the spoiler retracting into the forward part of the slot, reduced the time lag to a negligible value. In addition, an arrangement was developed using a hinged aileron-type flap as the upper portion, or lip, of a slot through the wing. This arrangement appears to be usable as a form of lateral control device that shows promise of giving improved control and stability at the high angles of attack through stall, with negligible lag, low control forces, and relatively simple construction.

Weick, Fred E↗

Flight Tests on the Lateral Control of an Airplane having a Split Flap which Retracts Ahead of Conventional Ailerons, Special Report

Since the recent more or less extensive adoption of high-lift flaps on airplane wings, the problem of providing satisfactory lateral control without sacrificing a part of the span of the flaps has become one of some importance. The difficulties have been largely a matter of obtaining satisfactory rolling moments with a smoothly graduated action, together with sufficiently small control forces throughout the entire speed range. As part of an investigation including several different lateral-control arrangements to be used with split flaps, the tests reported in this paper were made on one arrangement in which conventional ailerons of narrow chord are used, and a split flap is retracted into the under surface of th wing forward of th ailerons. When the flap is retracted, the arrangement is as sketched in figure 1(a). If a simple form of split flap were used, hinged at its forward edge, the appearance when deflected would be as shown in figure 1(b). The flap if deflected with its leading edge remaining in this forward position would give somewhat less than three fourths of the lift increase of the same flap in the usual rear position. (See reference 1.). If, as shown in figure 1(c), the split flap ahead of th aileron is moved to the rear as the trailing=edge portion is deflected downward, a double advantage is obtained. The deflected flap can be located in the most effective region for high lift (reference 1), and the force required to deflect the flap is reduced. This is the arrangement used in the present tests.

Weick, Fred E.↗

Flight Investigation of Lateral Control Devices for Use with Full-Span Flaps

This report presents the results of flight tests made on five different lateral control devices that appeared adaptable to wings fitted with full span flaps: controllable auxiliary airfoils (airfoils mounted above and forward of the leading edge of the wings), external ailerons (airfoils mounted above the wing and slightly forward of its maximum ordinate), upper-surface ailerons (similar to split trailing-edge flaps except that they constitute the upper surface of the wing), ailerons that retract into the wing when in neutral, and narrow-chord conventional ailerons in combination with a special type of split flap that retracts into the under surface of the wing forward of the ailerons. The devices were tested on a small parasol monoplane. Experienced gained in the use of flaps during these tests has indicated the desirability of a flap that can be operated quickly and easily.

Soule, H A↗

Wind-tunnel investigation of rectangular and tapered NACA 23012 wings with plain ailerons and full-span split flaps

An investigation was made to determine the aerodynamic properties of rectangular and tapered NACA 23012 wings with plain ailerons and a full-span split flap, the flap retracting ahead of the ailerons. Measurements were made of lift and drag and of pitching, rolling, yawing, and hinge moments for all conditions of full-span flaps neutral and deflected at different chord locations. The results of the tests showed that a 0.20c(sub w) full span split flap located at approximately the 0.75c(sub w) point gave higher lift coefficients than had previously been obtained with a conventional 0.20c(sub w) partial-span split flap of a length to permit satisfactory control with plain ailerons. Still higher lifts were obtained if the full-span flap, when deflected, was moved back to the aileron axis. Moving the flap back to the aileron, in general, improved the aileron characteristics over those with the flap retracted. The most promising arrangement of full-span split flap and plain aileron combination tested, both for high lift and lateral control, was the rectangular wing with 0.20c(sub w) deflected 60 degrees at the 0.90c(sub w) location with 0.10c(sub w) semispan ailerons.

Wenzinger, Carl J↗

Investigation of a Spoiler-Type Lateral Control System on a Wing with Full-Span Flaps in the Langley 19-Foot Pressure Tunnel

Tests of a partial-span model of a large bomber-type air1ane were conducted to determine the. aerodynamic characteristics of the wing equipped with full-span flaps and a retractable spoiler end aileron lateral control system. The arrangement consisted of (1) a double slotted flap extending over aproximate1y 86 percent of the wing semispan, (2) a 20-percent constant-percentage-chord aileron extending from the outboard end of the flap to the wing tip, and (3) a retractable spoiler, located at the 65-percent wing-chord station and extending from approximately 63 percent of the wing semispan to the wing tip. In addition, tests were made of a wing vent (of 1 and 2 percent of the wing chord located directly behind the spoiler), perforations in the spoiler, a blot or cut-out along the lower edge of the spoiler and spoilers of various spans. With full-span flaps deflected and with the 2-percent vent open or closed the initial stalling of the wing occurred at the tips, but with the vents closed there probably would be no appreciable loss in lateral control until maximum lift was reached. The l-percent vent increased the rolling effectiveness of the spoiler at small spoi1er deflections, particularly at high angles of attack with flaps deflected. With flaps deflected the 2-percent vent caused a large reduction in both the wing lift and rolling effectiveness of the spoiler at large angles of attack. However, at small angle of attack the 2-percent vent increased the rolling effectiveness of the spoiler at small spoiler deflections. The simultaneous operation of the spoiler and vent (in contrast to a vent fixed in the wing) would result in a large increase in the effectiveness of the spoiler and would avoid any loss in wing lift as in a fixed vent arrangement. The tests of the spoiler modifications revealed that (1) the spoiler perforations reduced the rolling-moment and yawing-moment coefficients but caused the spoiler hinge-moment coefficients to become more positive; (2) the spoiler slot had no notable effect on the rolling-moment and yawing-moment characteristics but produced a positive increase in the spoiler hinge-moment coefficients at large spoiler deflections; (3) the effects produced by the individual modifications were additive when the various modifications were combined. In general, progressively decreasing the spoiler span by removing the segments from the inboard end of the spoiler caused a decrease in rolling effectiveness approximately proportional to the span of the segment.

WING FLAPS, SLOTTED & AILERONS↗