High Speed Stability and Control Characteristics of a 0.17-Scale Model of the McDonnell XF2H-1 Airplane (TED No. NACA DE 318)

High-speed wind-tunnel tests were conducted of two versions of a 0.17-scale model of the McDonnell XF2H-1 airplane to ascertain the high-speed stability and control characteristics and to study means for raising the high-speed buffet limit of the airplane, The results for the revised model, employing a thinner wing and tail than the original model, revealed a mild diving tendency from 0.75 to 0.80 Mach number, followed by a marked climbing tendency from 0.80 to 0.875 Mach number. The high-speed climbing tendency was caused principally by the pitching-moment characteristics of the wing. At 0.875 Mach number the results for the revised model indicated stick-fixed directional instability over a limited range of yaw angles, apparently caused by separated flow over the vertical tail. The test results indicate that the high-speed buffet limit of the airplane can probably be raised by reducing the thickness and changing the relative location of the horizontal and vertical tails, and by revising the inner portion of the wing to have a lower thickness-to-chord ratio and reduced trailing-edge angle. The addition of the wing-tip tanks to the revised model resulted in a forward shift in the neutral point below 0.82 Mach number

The Effects of Horizontal-Tail Location and Wing Modifications on the High-Speed Stability and Control Characteristics of a 01.17-Scale Model of the McDonnell XF2H-1 Airplane (TED No, NACA DE336)

An additional series of high-speed wind-tunnel tests of a modified 0.17-scale model of the McDonnell XF2H-1 airplane was conducted to evaluate the effects of a reduction in the thickness-to-chord ratios of the tail planes, the displacement of the horizontal tail relative to the vertical tail, and the extension of the trailing edge of the wing. Two tail-intersection fairings designed to improve the flow at the tail were also tested. The pitching-moment characteristics of the model were improved slightly by the use of the thinner tail sections. Rearward or rearward and downward displacements of the horizontal tail increased the critical Mach number at the tail intersection from 0.725 to a maximum of 0.80, but caused an excessive change in pitching-moment coefficient at the higher Mach numbers. Extending the trailing edge of the wing did not improve the static longitudinal-stability characteristics, but increased the pitching-down tendency between 0.725 and 0.825 Mach numbers prior to the pitching-up tendency. The extended wing did, however, increase the Mach numbers at which these tendencies occurred. The increase in the Mach numbers of divergence and the tuft studies indicate a probable increase in the buffet limit of the prototype airplane. No perceptible improvement of flow at the tail intersection was observed with the two fairings tested on the forward tail configuration

Subsonic Wing Loadings on a 45 deg Sweptback Wing and Body Combination at High Angles of Attack

A study has been made of the subsonic pressure distributions and loadings for a 45 deg sweptback-wing and body combination at angles of attack up to 36 deg. The wing had an aspect ratio of 5.5, a taper ratio of 0.53, and NACA 64A010 sections normal to the quarter-chord line and was mounted on a slender body of fineness ratio 12.5. Test results are presented for Mach numbers of 0.30 and 0.50 with corresponding Reynolds numbers of 1.5 and 2.0 million, respectively. The stall patterns and spanwise loadings at high angles of attack for the present model are correlated with those for other 45 deg sweptback wing and body combinations having aspect ratios between 4.0 and 8.0. A tentative approach is presented for extrapolating the Weissinger span-loading method to higher angles of attack, and for deriving the spanwise-load distributions for 45 deg sweptback wings at angles of attack above 20 deg. The investigation also included tests of the body in combination with only one panel of the swept wing. The problem of estimating the normal-force coefficient for the single panel at high angles of attack is considered

An Analysis of the Effects of Wing Aspect Ratio and Tail Location on Static Longitudinal Stability Below the Mach Number of Lift Divergence

An analysis is presented of the influence of wing aspect ratio and tail location on the effects of compressibility upon static longitudinal stability. The investigation showed that the use of reduced wing aspect ratios or short tail lengths leads to serious reductions in high-speed stability and the possibility of high-speed instability

Effects of sweep on controls

An analysis of the principal results of recent control-surface research pertinent to transonic flight has been made. An indication of the nature of the changes in control-surface characteristics above the critical speed of the wing and a preliminary design procedure for estimating the effectiveness of flap-type controls on swept wings are presented