The Lift of Thin Airfoils at High-Subsonic Speeds

Author: Willmarth, William Walter

Year: 1954

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisors: Liepmann, Hans Wolfgang; Cole, Julian D.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Aeronautics; Physics

DOI: 10.7907/DFFC-8041

Abstract

Experimental results are presented for the lift characteristics of thin, two-dimensional airfoils at high-subsonic speeds and small angles of attack. Symmetrical airfoils with different locations of maximum thickness were investigated using a surface pressure probe technique which should find use in other applications.

The flow fields over each airfoil are discussed and the quantitative results for the lift and location of the center of lift are compared with theory whenever possible. The effects of flow separation caused by boundary-layer shock-wave interaction are noted and discussed. In particular, the possibility of the forced oscillation of control surfaces due to boundary layer separation is mentioned.

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