An NACA Vane-type Angle-of-attack Indicator for Use at Subsonic and Supersonic Speeds
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Search NASA
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Results are presented from a hydrodynamic investigation of the inception of vortex ventilation on modified-flat-plate rectangular lifting surfaces of aspect ratio 0.25 differing in scale and thickness ratio. Two types of bubble-formation processes are described. Inception speeds were correlated for bubble formation in the high angle-of-attack range by using the Froude number and for that in the low angle-of-attack range by expressing the speed as a function of the thickness ratio.
A mixed compression inlet designed for supersonic cruise has very demanding requirements for high total pressure recovery and low bleed and cowl drag. However, since the optimum inlet for supersonic cruise performance may have other undesirable characteristics, it is necessary to establish trade-offs between inlet performance and other inlet characteristics. The paper will review some of these trade-offs between the amount of internal compression, aerodynamic performance and angle-of-attack tolerance. Also some techniques in use at the Lewis Research Center for analysis of boundary layer control and subsonic diffuser flow will be discussed.
A new device was proposed for alleviating high angle-of-attack side force on slender, pointed forebodies. A symmetrical pair of separation strips in the form of helical ridges are applied to the forebody to disrupt the primary lee-side vortices and thereby avoid the instability that produces vortex asymmetry. Preliminary wind tunnel tests at Mach 0.3 and Reynolds no. 5,250,000 on a variety of forebody configurations and on a wing-body combination at angles of attack up to 56 degrees, demonstrated the effectiveness of the device.
A number of airfoils, including 14 commonly used airfoils and 10 NACA airfoils, were tested through the negative angle-of-attack range in the NACA variable-density wind tunnel at a Reynolds Number of approximately 3,000,000. The tests were made to supply data to serve as a basis for the structural design of airplanes in the inverted flight condition. In order to make the results immediately available for this purpose they are presented herein in preliminary form, together with results of previous tests of the airfoils at positive angles of attack. An analysis of the results made to find the variation of the ratio of the maximum negative lift coefficient to the maximum positive lift coefficient led to the following conclusions: 1) For airfoils of a given thickness, the ratio -C(sub L max) / +C(sub L max) tends to decrease as the mean camber is increased. 2) For airfoils of a given mean camber, the ratio -C(sub L max) / +C(sub L max) tends to increase as the thickness increases.
Tests were conducted in the N.A.C.A. full scale wind tunnel at the request of the Army Air Corps to determine the effect of retractable landing gear openings in the bottom surface of a wing upon the characteristics of a Lockheed Altair airplane. The tests were extended to include the determination of the lift and drag characteristics throughout the angle-of-attack range with the landing gear both retracted and extended. Covering the wheel openings in the wing with sheet metal when the wheels were extended reduced the drag only 2 percent at a lift coefficient of 1.0, which was assumed for the take-off condition. Therefore, the wheel openings in the bottom side of the wing have a negligible effect upon the take-off of the airplane. Retracting the landing gear reduced the minimum drag of the complete airplane 50 percent.
Information from the literature and from recent investigations is used herein to summarize briefly the effects of airfoil section parameters and flow variables on the aerodynamic characteristics of two-dimensional symmetrical airfoils at high angles of attack. The results presented indicate that airfoil thickness ratio, Reynolds number, Mach number, and surface roughness can all have an important effect on the maximum lift coefficient. The effect of surface roughness seems to be particularly important. Not only can surface roughness cause large decreases in maximum lift coefficient, but also the magnitudes of the effects of Reynolds number, Mach number, and airfoil thickness ratio are much reduced by surface roughness. Beyond the stall, changes in section thickness ratio appear to have little effect on the aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil sections. An investigation of one section through an angle-of-attack range of from 0° to 360° shows that the drag coefficient reaches a value of 2 at an angle of attack of 90°.
An investigation at a Mach number of 1.62 was made in the Langley 9-inch supersonic tunnel of a series of missile configurations having tandem lifting surfaces of low aspect ratio and of newly equal span. Some of the variables investigated were interdigitation angle, wing and tail plan form, and longitudinal location of wing with respect to tail. All configurations were tested through an angle-of-attack range from -5 deg to 15 deg at roll angles of 0 deg and 45 deg. Lift, drag, and pitching moment data are presented, together with center-of-pressure locations and tail-lift efficiency factors.
Different control instruments are discussed such as: air-speed indicators; angle-of-attack indicators; longitudinal inclinometers; turn indicators; stall indicators; and drift indicators.
This report gives the results of pressure-distribution tests made to study the effects on lateral stability of changing the span-load distribution on a rectangular monoplane wing model of fairly thick section. Three methods of changing the distribution were employed: variation in profile along the span to a thin symmetrical section at the tip, twist from +5 degrees to -15 degrees at the tip, and sweepback from +20 degrees to -20 degrees. The tests were conducted in a 5-foot closed-throat atmospheric wind tunnel. The investigation shows the following results: (1) change in profile along the span from the NACA-84 at the root to the NACA-M2 at the tip considerably reduces lateral instability, but also reduces the general effectiveness of the wing. (2) washout up to 11 degrees progressively reduces maximum lateral instability. (3) transition from sweepforward to sweepback gradually reduces the useful angle-of-attack range, but has no clearly defined effect on maximum lateral instability.
This report covers the fifth of a series of systematic investigations in which lateral control devices are compared with particular reference to their effectiveness at high angles of attack. The present report deals with tests of spoilers and ordinary ailerons on rectangular Clark y wing models. In an effort to obtain satisfactory control throughout the entire angle-of-attack range that can be maintained in flight, various spoilers were tested in combination with two sizes of previously tested ordinary ailerons - one of average proportions and the other short and wide. In addition, one large spoiler was tested alone. It was found that when ailerons and spoilers are used together the full effect of both is not obtained if the spoilers are located directly in front of the ailerons. With the proper combination of spoiler and aileron, however, it is possible to obtain satisfactory rolling control up to high angles of attack (15 degrees to 20 degrees), together with favorable yawing moments and small control forces. A moderate amount of rolling control with favorable yawing moments and small control forces was obtained with the large spoiler alone.
This report presents the results of an investigation of the spinning characteristics of NY-1 naval training biplane. The results of flight tests and an analysis based on wind-tunnel test data are given and compared. The primary purpose of the investigation was the determination in flight of the effect of changes in mass distribution along the longitudinal axis, without change of mass quantity or centroid. Other effects were also investigated, such as those due to wing loading, center-of-gravity position, dihedral of wings, control setting, and the removal of a large portion of the fabric from the fin and rudder. The wind tunnel test results used in the numerical analysis were obtained in the 7 by 10 foot wind tunnel through an angle-of-attack.
In order to provide information that might lead to the development of better propeller section, 13 related symmetrical airfoils were tested in the NACA high-speed wind tunnel for a study of the effect of thickness form on the aerodynamic characteristics. The thickness-form variables studies were the value of the maximum thickness, the position along the chord at which the maximum thickness occurs, and the value of the leading-edge radius. The tests were conducted through the low angle-of-attack range for speeds extending from 35 percent of that of sound to slightly in excess of the speed at which a compressibility burble, or breakdown of flow, occurs. The corresponding Reynolds number range is 350,000 to 750,000.
Stability derivatives have been computed for twisted wings of different plan forms that include variations in both the wing taper and the aspect ratio. Taper ratios of 1.0, 0,50, and 0.25 are considered for each of three aspect ratios: 6, 10, and 16. The specific derivatives for which results are given are the rolling-moment and the yawing-moment derivatives with respect to (a) rolling velocity, (b) yawing velocity, and (c) angle of sideslip. These results are given in such a form that the effect of any initial symmetrical wing twist (such as may be produced by flaps) on the derivatives may easily be taken into account. In addition to the stability derivatives, results are included for determining the theoretical rolling moment due to aileron deflection and a series of influence lines is given by which the loading across the span may be determined for any angle-of-attack distribution that may occur on the wing plan forms considered. The report also includes incidental references to the application of the results.
This report presents the results of an investigation conducted in the NACA full-scale wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of the 6 by 36-foot rectangular NACA 0025 and 0035 airfoils. The aerodynamic characteristics of the plain airfoils with rounded and square tips were determined by force tests through a complete angle-of-attack range, in addition, the profile drag was determined by the momentum method. The transition points on the airfoils were located by boundary-layer determinations with small total-head and static tubes. Each airfoil was also tested with a 0.20c full-span split flap. Tuft surveys were included to show the progressive breakdown of flow with increasing angles of attack. Previously published data from tests of the NACA 0009, 0012, and 0018 airfoils in the full-scale tunnel have been included in the summary curves.
An investigation has been conducted in the Langley rectangular high-speed tunnel to determine the effect of compressibility on the pressure distribution for a modified NACA 65,3-019 airfoil having a 0.20-chord flap. The investigation was made for an angle-of-attack range extending from -2 to 12 deg at .20 flap deflections from 0 to -12 deg. Test data were obtained for Mach numbers from 0.28 to approximately 0.74. The results show that the effectiveness of the trailing-edge-type control surface rapidly decreased and approached zero as the Mach number increased above the critical value.
The method for determination of the spanwise lift distribution is based on the Fourier series for the representation of the lift distribution. The lift distribution, as well as the angle of attack, is split up in four elementary distributions. The insertion of the angle-of-attack distribution in the Fourier series for the lift distribution gives a compound third series which is of particular advantage for the determination of the lift distribution. The method is illustrated in an example and supplemented by a graphical method. Lastly, the results of several comparative calculations with other methods are reported.