ALBERT

Description: Buffet boundaries, buffeting-load increments for the stabilizers and elevators, and buffeting bending-moment increments for the stabilizers and wings as measured in gradual maneuvers for a jet-powered bomber airplane are presented. The buffeting-load increments were determined from strain-gage measurements at the roots or hinge supports of the various surfaces considered. The Mach numbers of the tests ranged from 0.19 to 0.78 at altitudes close to 30,000 feet. The predominant buffet frequencies were close to the natural frequencies of the structural components. The buffeting-load data, when extrapolated to low-altitude conditions, indicated loads on the elevators and stabilizers near the design limit loads. When the airplane was held in buffeting, the load increments were larger than when recovery was made immediately.

Description: A flight investigation has been made to determine the external drag and pressure recovery of a 1/8.25 - scale flight model of the Consolidated Vultee XF-92 from Mach numbers 0.7 to 1.4 and Reynolds numbers from 8.5 x 10(exp 6) to 19.2 x 10(exp 6) at or near zero lift. Relative mass flow, average pressure recovery, total drag, internal drag, and external drag are presented as functions of Mach number. Between Mach numbers of 0.90 and 0.975, the external drag of the configuration (including base drag of the inner body and additive drag) was about equal to that of a similar model with a faired nose and no mass flow; however, at supersonic speeds the drag coefficient for the faired-nose model remained relatively constant whereas the drag coefficient for the ducted model continued to increase sharply. The internal drag coefficient of the duct was roughly constant at 0.013 up to a Mach number of 1.20; after which it decreased to 0.0075 at a Mach number of 1.4. The over-all pressure recovery of the inlet and duct varied from 94 percent at a Mach number of 0.7 to about 91 percent at a Mach number of 1.4 at a relative-mass-flow ratio of about 0.30. The losses in pressure recovery were believed to be caused by the possible occurrence of separation of flow from the inner body and by an aerodynamically unclean internal configuration which did not duplicate the form proposed for the original XF-92 airplane.

Description: An investigation of the low-speed, power-off stability and control characteristics of a 1/10-scale model of the Douglas XF4D-1 airplane has been made in the Langley free-flight tunnel. The model was flown with leading-edge slats retracted and extended over a lift-coefficient range from 0.5 to the stall. Only relatively low-altitude conditions were simulated and no attempt was made to determine the effect on the stability characteristics of freeing the controls. The longitudinal stability and control characteristics of the model were satisfactory for all conditions investigated except near the stall with slats extended, where the model had a slight nosing-up tendency. The lateral stability and control characteristics of the model were considered satisfactory for all conditions investigated except near the stall with slats retracted, where a change in sign of the static- directional-stability parameter Cn(sub beta) caused the model to be directionally divergent. The addition of an extension to the top of the vertical tail did not increase Cn(sub beta) enough to eliminate the directional divergence of the model, but a large increase in Cn(sub beta) that was obtainable by artificial means appeared to eliminate the divergence and flights near the stall could be made. Artificially increasing the stability derivative-Cn(sub r) (yawing moment due to yawing) and Cn(sub p) (yawing moment due to rolling) had little effect on the divergence for the range of these parameters investigated. Calculations indicate that the damping of the lateral oscillation of the airplane with slats retracted or extended will be satisfactory at sea level but will be only marginally satisfactory at 40,000 feet.

Description: A flight investigation has been made to determine the drag and longitudinal stability of a 1/10- scale model of the Douglas XF4D-1 airplane from Mach numbers 0.7 to 1.4 at lift coefficients near zero. The drag rise occurred near M = 0.95. The external drag coefficient was a constant value of about 0.012 at subsonic speeds up to the point of drag rise where it increased abruptly to a value of 0.030 at M = 1.0 followed by a more gradual increase to a value of 0.038 at M = 1.25. The model indicated that, at 35,000 feet and a level-flight free-stream Mach number of 1.0, the drag of the full-scale airplane would exceed the thrust available from an XJ40-WE-8 engine with after-burning. The transonic trim change was small. The aerodynamic center moved gradually from the most forward location of 21.0-percent mean aerodynamic chord at M = 0.9 to the most rearward location of 40-percent mean aerodynamic chord at M = 1.25. The damping in pitch was low.