Wind tunnel tests of a free-wing/free-trimmer model

The riding qualities of an aircraft with low wing loading can be improved by freeing the wing to rotate about its spanwise axis. A trimming surface also free to rotate about its spanwise axis can be added at the wing tips to permit the use of high lift devices. Wind tunnel tests of the free wing/free trimmer model with the trimmer attached to the wing tips aft of the wing chord were conducted to validate a mathematical model developed to predict the dynamic characteristics of a free wing/free trimmer aircraft. A model consisting of a semispan wing with the trimmer mounted on with the wing on an air bearing and the trimmer on a ball bearing was displaced to various angles of attack and released. The damped oscillations of the wing and trimmer were recorded. Real and imaginary parts of the characteristic equations of motion were determined and compared to values predicted using the mathematical model

Development of flight testing techniques

A list of students involved in research on flight analysis and development is given along with abstracts of their work. The following is a listing of the titles of each work: Longitudinal stability and control derivatives obtained from flight data of a PA-30 aircraft; Aerodynamic drag reduction tests on a box shaped vehicle; A microprocessor based anti-aliasing filter for a PCM system; Flutter prediction of a wing with active aileron control; Comparison of theoretical and flight measured local flow aerodynamics for a low aspect ratio fin; In flight thrust determination on a real time basis; A comparison of computer generated lift and drag polars for a Wortmann airfoil to flight and wind tunnel results; and Deep stall flight testing of the NASA SGS 1-36

The performance evaluation of a jet flap on an advanced supersonic harrier

The performance concept of a supersonic vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) fighter, model 279-3, modified to utilize a jet flap was evaluated. Replacing the rear nozzles of the 279-3 with the jet flap favorably alters the pressure distribution over the airfoil and dramatically increases lift. The result is a significant decrease in takeoff distance, an increase in payload, and an improvement in combat performance. To investigate the benefit in increased payload, the 279-3 and the jet flapped 279-3JF were modeled on the NASA Aircraft Synthesis (ACSYNT) computer code and flown on a 250 feet takeoff distance interdiction mission. The increase in payload weight that the 279-3JF could carry was converted into fuel in one case, and in another, converted to bomb load. When the fuel was increased, the 279-3JF penetrated into enemy territory almost four times the distance of 279-3, and therefore increased mission capability. When the bomb load was increased, the 279-3JF carried 14 bombs the same distance the 279-3 carried four. The increase in mission performance and improvements in turning rates was realized with only a small penalty in increased empty weight

A microprocessor based anti-aliasing filter for a PCM system

Described is the design and evaluation of a microprocessor based digital filter. The filter was made to investigate the feasibility of a digital replacement for the analog pre-sampling filters used in telemetry systems at the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (DFRF). The digital filter will utilize an Intel 2920 Analog Signal Processor (ASP) chip. Testing includes measurements of: (1) the filter frequency response and, (2) the filter signal resolution. The evaluation of the digital filter was made on the basis of circuit size, projected environmental stability and filter resolution. The 2920 based digital filter was found to meet or exceed the pre-sampling filter specifications for limited signal resolution applications

Application of a low order panel method to complex three-dimensional internal flow problems

An evaluation of the ability of a low order panel method to predict complex three-dimensional internal flow fields was made. The computer code VSAERO was used as a basis for the evaluation. Guidelines for modeling internal flow geometries were determined and the effects of varying the boundary conditions and the use of numerical approximations on the solutions accuracy were studied. Several test cases were run and the results were compared with theoretical or experimental results. Modeling an internal flow geometry as a closed box with normal velocities specified on an inlet and exit face provided accurate results and gave the user control over the boundary conditions. The values of the boundary conditions greatly influenced the amount of leakage an internal flow geometry suffered and could be adjusted to eliminate leakage. The use of the far-field approximation to reduce computation time influenced the accuracy of a solution and was coupled with the values of the boundary conditions needed to eliminate leakage. The error induced in the influence coefficients by using the far-field approximation was found to be dependent on the type of influence coefficient, the far-field radius, and the aspect ratio of the panels

Aerodynamic drag reduction tests on a box-shaped vehicle

The intent of the present experiment is to define a near optimum value of drag coefficient for a high volume type of vehicle through the use of a boattail, on a vehicle already having rounded front corners and an underbody seal, or fairing. The results of these tests will constitute a baseline for later follow-on studies to evaluate candidate methods of obtaining afterbody drag coefficients approaching the boattail values, but without resorting to such impractical afterbody extensions. The current modifications to the box-shaped vehicle consisted of a full and truncated boattail in conjunction with the faired and sealed underbody. Drag results from these configurations are compared with corresponding wind tunnel results of a 1/10 scale model. Test velocities ranged up to 96.6 km/h (60 mph) and the corresponding Reynolds numbers ranged up to 1.3 x 10 to the 7th power based on the vehicles length which includes the boattail. A simple coast-down technique was used to define drag

Flutter prediction for a wing with active aileron control

A method for predicting the vibrational stability of an aircraft with an analog active aileron flutter suppression system (FSS) is expained. Active aileron refers to the use of an active control system connected to the aileron to damp vibrations. Wing vibrations are sensed by accelerometers and the information is used to deflect the aileron. Aerodynamic force caused by the aileron deflection oppose wing vibrations and effectively add additional damping to the system

The use of a panel code on high lift configurations of a swept forward wing

A study was done on high lift configurations of a generic swept forward wing using a panel code prediction method. A survey was done of existing codes available at Ames, frow which the program VSAERO was chosen. The results of VSAERO were compared with data obtained from the Ames 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel. The results of the comparison in lift were good (within 3.5%). The comparison of the pressure coefficients was also good. The pitching moment coefficients obtained by VSAERO were not in good agreement with experiment. VSAERO's ability to predict drag is questionable and cannot be counted on for accurate trends. Further studies were done on the effects of a leading edge glove, canards, leading edge sweeps and various wing twists on spanwise loading and trim lift with encouraging results. An unsuccessful attempt was made to model spanwise blowing and boundary layer control on the trailing edge flap. The potential results of VSAERO were compared with experimental data of flap deflections with boundary layer control to check the first order effects

Flight determination of the aerodynamic stability and control characteristics of the NASA SGS 1-36 sailplane in the conventional and deep stall angles-of-attack of between -5 and 75 degrees

The flight test procedure and the preliminary analysis of the results obtained from twenty manned flights of the SGS 1-36 in the high angles of attack Deep Stall region are discussed. A comparison of the flight determined stability and control derivatives, those of the wind tunnel, and the estimated aerodynamic data is also presented. Furthermore, deep stall dynamics response of the SGS 1-36 is discussed briefly to explain some of the unexpected flight observations

A comparison of computer-generated lift and drag polars for a Wortmann airfoil to flight and wind tunnel results

Computations of drag polars for a low-speed Wortmann sailplane airfoil are compared to both wind tunnel and flight results. Excellent correlation is shown to exist between computations and flight results except when separated flow regimes were encountered. Wind tunnel transition locations are shown to agree with computed predictions. Smoothness of the input coordinates to the PROFILE airfoil analysis computer program was found to be essential to obtain accurate comparisons of drag polars or transition location to either the flight or wind tunnel results