NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
A Numerical Method for Calculating the Wave Drag of a Configuration from the Second Derivative of the Area Distribution of a Series of Equivalent Bodies of RevolutionA method based on linearized and slender-body theories, which is easily adapted to electronic-machine computing equipment, is developed for calculating the zero-lift wave drag of single- and multiple-component configurations from a knowledge of the second derivative of the area distribution of a series of equivalent bodies of revolution. The accuracy and computational time required of the method to calculate zero-lift wave drag is evaluated relative to another numerical method which employs the Tchebichef form of harmonic analysis of the area distribution of a series of equivalent bodies of revolution. The results of the evaluation indicate that the total zero-lift wave drag of a multiple-component configuration can generally be calculated most accurately as the sum of the zero-lift wave drag of each component alone plus the zero-lift interference wave drag between all pairs of components. The accuracy and computational time required of both methods to calculate total zero-lift wave drag at supersonic Mach numbers is comparable for airplane-type configurations. For systems of bodies of revolution both methods yield similar results with comparable accuracy; however, the present method only requires up to 60 percent of the computing time required of the harmonic-analysis method for two bodies of revolution and less time for a larger number of bodies.
Document ID
19980228237
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Other - NASA Memorandum (MEMO)
Authors
Levy, Lionel L., Jr. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Yoshikawa, Kenneth K. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 1959
Subject Category
Aerodynamics
Report/Patent Number
NASA-MEMO-1-16-59A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available