Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Ailerons in a Low-Drag Airfoil. 2 - The Effect of Thickened and Beveled Trailing Edges
Abstract
An investigation was made in the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel of the effects of modifications to the trailing edge of a 0.20-chord plain sealed aileron on an NACA 66,2-216 (a = 0.6) airfoil. The modifications considered consisted of various amounts of symmetrical thickening and beveling of the aileron trailing edge. Aileron control characteristics were estimated for two high-speed airplanes equipped with normal-profile ailerons and with the modified ailerons. Thickening and beveling the trailing edge of the aileron was found to reduce the aileron effectiveness, reduce the slope fo the wing section lift curve, and reduce the hinge-moment coefficients. These effects were maximum for the bevel, the length of which was 20 percent of the aileron chord, and decreased for both increasing and decreasing bevel lengths. Thickening and beveling the trailing edge caused an increase of 0.0001 in the minimum profile-drag coefficient. The optimum beveled trailing edge on a typical aileron installation caused a reduction of 50 percent in the control force for a large rate of roll at high speed. When used in conjunction with internal balance, the thickened and beveled profile resulted in a 30-percent reduction in the nose balance required for a given control force at high speed. Under these conditions the variation of control force with rate of roll was more nearly linear for the aileron of normal profile than for the ailerons with thickened and beveled trailing edges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1944
- Accession Number
- ADA801557
Entities
People
- Ralph W. Holtzclaw
- Robert M. Crane
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration