Flow Visualization Studies of a Sideslipping, Canard-Configured X-31A-Like Fighter Aircraft Model

Abstract

A water tunnel flow visualization investigation was performed to study the vortex development and bursting phenomena on a 2.3% scale model of a X-31A-Like fighter aircraft. The main focus of this study was two-fold: First, to study the effects of angle of attack and static sideslip on the model vortical flow field. Secondly, to study the effects of dynamic sideslip motion at two reduced yaw rates. Results indicate that the wing root vortex bursting locations move upstream as the AOA increases; and at constant angle of attack (AOA < 30 degrees) the leeward side vortex bursting location moves backward and outboard with sideslip inputs while the windward side vortex bursting location moves forward and inboard. The vortex asymmetry switches sides at higher angle of attack (AOA > 30 degrees). The dynamic lag effects, which cause the leeward side vortex to burst earlier than in the static case during the positive sideslipping motion and later than in the static case during the negative sideslipping motion, increase with the magnitude of the sideslipping motion.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA245940

Entities

People

  • Chang H. Kim

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Aerodynamic Characteristics
  • Aerodynamic Configurations
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Models
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Boundary Layer
  • Cameras
  • Canard Configurations
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Flow Fields
  • Flow Visualization
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Leading Edges
  • Photographs
  • Photography

Readers

  • Aerodynamics/Aeronautics.
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.