ALBERT

Description: An investigation has been conducted in the NACA Cleveland icing research tunnel to determine the aerodynamic and icing characteristics of several recessed fuel-vent configurations. The vents were investigated aerodynamically to obtain vent-tube pressures and pressure distributions on the ramp surface as functions of tunnel-air velocity and angle of attack. Icing investigations were made to determine the vent-tube pressure losses for several icing conditions at tunnel-air velocities ranging from 220 to 440 feet per second. In general, under nonicing conditions, the configurations with diverging ramp walls maintained, vent-tube pressures greater than the required marginal value of 2 inches of water positive pressure differential between the fuel cell and the compartment containing the fuel cell for a range of angles of attack from 0 to 14deg at a tunnel-air velocity of approximately 240 feet per second. A configuration haying divergIng ramp sldewalls, a 7deg ramp angle; and vent tubes manifold,ed to a common plenum chamber opening through a slot In the ramp floor gave the greatest vent-tube pressures for all the configurations investigated. The use of the plenum chamber resulted in uniform pressures in all vent tubes. In a cloud-icing condition, roughness caused by ice formations on the airfoil surface ahead of the vent ramp, rather than icing of the vent configuration, caused a rapid loss in vent-tube pressures during the first few minutes of an icing period. Only the configuration having diverging ramp sidewalls, a 7 ramp angle, and a common plenum chamber maintained the required vent-tube pressures throughout a 60-minute icing period, although the ice formations on this configuration were more severe than those observed for the other configurations. No complete closure of vent-tube openings occurred for the configurations investigated. A simulated freezing-rain condition caused a greater and more rapid vent-tube pressure loss than was observed for a cloud-icing condition.

Description: The results of wind tunnel tests at NASA Langley targeted at the performance and configurational characteristics of 0.1 and 0.13 scale model spanwise blowing (SWB) jet wing concepts are reported. The concept involves redirection of engine compressor bleed air to provide SWB at the fuselage-wing juncture near the wing leading edge. The tests covered the orientation of the outer panel nozzles, the effects of SWB operation on the performance of leading and trailing edge flaps and the effects of SWB on lateral stability. The trials were run at low speeds and angles of attack from 24-45 deg (landing). Both lift and longitudinal stability improved with the SWB, stall and leading edge vortex breakdown were delayed and performance increased with the SWB rate. Lateral stability was degraded below 20 deg angle of attack while instabilities were delayed above 20 deg due to roll damping.

Description: The mechanics of laminar boundary layer transition are reviewed. Drag possibilities for boundary layer control are analyzed using assumed conditions of transition Reynolds number, inlet loss, number of slots, blower efficiency, and duct losses. Although the results of such analysis are highly favorable, those obtained by experimental investigations yield conflicting results, showing only small gains, and sometimes losses. Reduction of this data indicates that there is a lower limit to the quantity of air which must be removed at the slot in order to stabilize the laminar flow. The removal of insufficient air permits transition to occur while the removal of excessive amounts of air results in high power costs, with a net drag increases. With the estimated value of flow coefficient and duct losses equal to half the dynamic pressure, drag reductions of 50% may be obtained; with twice this flow coefficient, the drag saving is reduced to 25%.