Flow-field surveys on the windward side of the NASA 040A space shuttle orbiter at 31 deg angle of attack and Mach 20 in helium

Abstract

Pitot pressure and flow angle distributions in the windward flow field of the NASA 040A space shuttle orbiter configuration and surface pressures were measured, at a Mach number of 20 and an angle of attack of 31 deg. The free stream Reynolds number, based on model length, was 5.39 x 10 to the 6th power. Results show that cores of high pitot pressure, which are related to the body-shock-wing-shock intersections, occur on the windward plane of symmetry in the vicinity of the wing-body junction and near midspan on the wing. Theoretical estimates of the flow field pitot pressures show that conical flow values for the windward plane of symmetry surface are representative of the average level over the entire lower surface