ALBERT

Description: The theory of Taylor and Maccoll (Ref,1) gives the surface pressure on an infinite cone in supersonic flow as a function of the cone vertex angle and the free stream Mach number and static pressure for a gas of vanishing viscosity. When a slender conical probe is used together with an impact pressure probe to determine the static pressure and Mach number in a low density gas stream, it is desirable to have some theoretical estimate of the effect of viscous boundary layer on the probe readings. Theoretical and experimental results with respect to impact probes have been presented in Refs. 5 and 6. A simple approximation for a conical probe based on linearized supersonic flow and compressible boundary layer theory is presented here.

Description: An analysis has been made of available experimental data to show the effects of most variables that are predominant in determining base pressure at supersonic speeds. Two dimensional bases and bases of bodies of revolution, restricted to turbulent boundary layers, are covered.

Description: A wing-body combination having a plane triangular wing of aspect ratio 2 with NACA 0005-63 thickness distribution in streamwise planes, and twisted and cambered for a trapezoidal span load distribution has been investigated at both subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers. The lift, drag, and pitching moment of the model are presented for Mach numbers from 0.60 to 0.90 and 1.30 to 1.70 at a Reynolds number of 3.0 million. The variations of the characteristics with Reynolds number are also shown for several Mach numbers.

Description: The subject of this paper is the drag of the nose section of bodies of revolution at zero angle of attack. The magnitude of the nose drag in relation to the total drag is very distinctly a function of the body design and the Mach number. It can range from a very small fraction of the total drag of the order of 10 percent to a very large fraction as high as 80 percent. The natural objective of nose design is to minimize the drag, but this objective is not always the primary one. Sometimes other factors overshadow the desire for minimum drag. The most conspicuous example of this is the proposal of guidance engineers that large-diameter spheres and other very blunt shapes be used at the nose tip. This paper will attempt to discuss both phases of the problem, noses for minimum drag and noses with very blunt tips. The state of the theory will also be reviewed and recent theoretical developments described, since the theory still remains a very valuable tool for assaying the effects of compromises in design and departure from shapes for which experimental data are available.

Description: At present there is no satisfactory theory for calculating the pressure which acts at the blunt base of an object traveling at supersonic velocity. In fact, the essential mechanism determining the base pressure is only imperfectly understood. As a result, the existing knowledge of base pressure is based almost entirely on experiments. The main object of this paper is to summarize the principal results of the many wind tunnel and free flight measurements of base pressure on both bodies of revolution and blunt trailing edge airfoils. A relatively simple method of estimating base pressure is presented, and an indication is given as to how the characteristics of base pressure play an essential role in determining the shape of an aerodynamically efficient object for supersonic flight.

Description: The three papers collected here are: 'The Effect of Nose Shape on the Drag of Bodies of Revolution at Zero Angle of Attack.', 'Base Pressure on Wings and Bodies with Turbulent Boundary Layers', and 'Flow over Inclined Bodies'. The subject of the first paper is the drag of the nose section of bodies of revolution at zero angle of attack. The main object of the second paper is to summarize the prinicpal results of the many wind tunnel and free flight measurements of base pressure on both bodies of revolution and blunt trailing edge airfoils.

Description: The damping-in-Toll stability derivatives of a missile configuration and its components were determined both experimentally and theoretically. The tests were conducted at a Mach number of 1.52 and at a Reynolds number, based on the mean aerodynamic chord of the wing, of 0.82 x 10(exp 6). The experimental damping derivative of the wing-body combination was 67 percent of the theoretical value. The difference is believed to have resulted mainly from the fact that the theory is not strictly applicable when the Mach number normal to the leading edge is almost unity, which was the case in the present investigation. For the tail-body combination the damping derivative was 86 percent of the theoretical value. In this case, the difference is believed to have been caused partially by mutual interference between the tail surfaces and partially by the low Reynolds number of the flow over the tail. It was found that the damping of the complete configuration was not equal to the sum of the damping derivatives of the components because of the effect of the wing downwash on the damping of the tail.

Description: 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.

Description: The method for predicting wing- tail interference whereby the trailing vortex system behind lifting wings is replaced by fully rolled-up vortices has been applied to the calculation of tail efficiency parameters, lift characteristics, and center -of-pressure locations for a series of generalized missile configurations. The calculations have been carried out with assumed and experimental vortex locations, and comparisons made with experimental data. The measured spanwise locations of the vortices for the inline case were found to be in good agreement with the asymptotic values computed from the center of gravity of the vorticity using the method of Lagerstrom and Graham. For the interdigitated configurations the measured spanwise locations were in only fair agreement with the asymptotic locations computed for the inline case. The vertical displacement of the vortices with angle of attack for both inline and interdigitated configurations was small. The method utilizing the rolled -up vortex concept was shown to give good results in the prediction of tail efficiency variations with angle of attack for inline configurations. Not as good correlation with experiment was shown for the interdigitated configurations. Complete configuration lift -curve slopes and center -of-pressure locations, obtained using t ail efficiency calculations together with the characteristics of the components obtained from available theoretical methods, showed excellent correlation with experimental results.

Description: A flight investigation has been made to determine the longitudinal stability and control characteristics of a 60 0 delta-wing-canard missile configuration with an exposed wing-canard area ratio of 16:1. The results presented include the longitudinal stability derivatives, control effectiveness, and drag characteristics for a Mach number range of 0.75 to 1.80 and are compared with the results of a similar configuration having larger 6ontrols. Stability characteristics are also presented from the flights of an interdigitated canard configuration at a Mach number of 2.08 and a wing-body configuration at Mach numbers of 1.25 to 1.45. The stability derivatives varied gradually with Mach number with the exception of the damping-in-pitch derivative. Aerodynamic damping in pitch decreased to a minimum at a Mach number of 1.0 3, then increased to a peak value at a Mach number of 1.26 followed by a gradual decrease at higher Mach numbers. The aerodynamic-center location of the in-line canard configuration shifted rearward 13 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord at transonic speeds. The pitching-moment curve slope was 25 percent greater for the model having no canards than for the in-line configuration. No large effects of interdigitation were noted in the stability derivatives. Pitching effectiveness of the in-line configuration was maintained throughout the Mach number range. A comparison of the stability and control characteristics of two canard configurations having different area controls showed that decreasing the control area 44 percent decreased the pitching effectiveness proportionally, shifted the aerodynamic-center location rearward 9 to 14 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord, and reduced the total hinge moments required for 10 trimmed flight about 50 percent at transonic speeds.