This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Thick-Wing Flight Demonstrations
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
The prime factors in determining overall airplane usefulness-that is, its range, endurance, and maneuverability, are the aerodynamic, propulsive, and structural efficiencies. Specialists concerned with these disciplines are continually striving to increase the efficiencies in order to provide larger returns on investment for commercial application, and superiority over opponents in the case of military aircraft.
Advances in aerodynamics, with potential for structural weight reductions, are the subject for present consideration. Supercritical aerodynamics, which deals with flow fields where local speeds are greater than the speed of sound, has provided a means whereby cruise flight speeds can be significantly increased to near-sonic conditions or where considerably thicker wings, with the attendant increased useable volume and decreased wing weights, can be utilized without sacrificing cruise speeds. It is this latter case that is the specific subject of the present discussion.
To provide proof-of-concept flight data on the thick supercritical wing, the U.S. Navy, NASA, and NR-C have teamed up to conduct a series of flight tests on a modified Navy T2-C Buckeye trainer aircraft. The novel method of airplane modification, generalized qualitative results, and some potential applications are presented in terms that can be appreciated by all engineering backgrounds.
Authors
Citation
Palmer, W. and Elliott, D., "Thick-Wing Flight Demonstrations," SAE Technical Paper 720320, 1972, https://doi.org/10.4271/720320.Also In
References
- Wimpress John K. Swihart John M. “Influence of Aerodynamic Research on the Performance of Supersonic Airplanes.” J. Aircraft 1 2 March-April 1964
- Nieuwland G. Y. “Transonic Potential Flow Around a Family of Quasi-Elliptical Aerofoil Sections.” 1967
- Yoshihara H. “Inviscid Supercritical Airfoil Theory.” AGARD Conference Paris September 1968
- Little, B. H. Jr. “Effects of Initial Turbulent Boundary Layer on Shock Induced Separation in Transonic Flow.” 1967
- Pearcey H. H. “Shock Induced Separation and its Prevention.” Boundary Layer and Flow Control Lachmann G. V. 2
- Whitcomb R. T. “An Airfoil Shape for Efficient Flight at Supercritical Mach Numbers.” NASA Langley Research Center July 1965
- “New Wing Technology Study Will Use F-111.” Aviation Week & Space Technology July 12 1971
- Goodmanson Lloyd T. “Transonic Transports.” Astronautics & Aeronautics November 1971
- Wilby P. G. “The Pressure Drag of an Airfoil With Six Different Round Leading Edges at Transonic and Low Supersonic Speeds.” NPL Aero Report 1180 January 1966
- Sinnott C. S. “On the Flow of a Sonic Stream Past an Airfoil Surface.” J. of Aerospace Sciences 26 3 March 1959
- Sinnott C. S. “On the Prediction of Mixed Subsonic/Supersonic Pressure Distributions.” J. of Aerospace Sciences 27 10 October 1960
- Anderton Dave “Supercritical Wing.” Flight International July 1 1971
- “F-8 Flies With NASA Supercritical Wing.” Aviation Week & Space Technology March 22 1971