Title

Supersonic Channel Airfoils for Reduced Drag

Author Info

Stephen M. Ruffin, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Anurag Gupta, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
David D. Marshall, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusFollow

Recommended Citation

Published in AIAA Journal, Volume 38, Issue 3, March 1, 2000, pages 480-486.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author David Marshall was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.2514/2.985.

Abstract

A proof-of-concept study is performed for a supersonic channel-airfoil concept,which can be applied to the leading edges of wings, tails, fins, struts, and other appendages of aircraft, atmospheric entry vehicles, and missiles in supersonic flight. It is designed to be beneficial at conditions in which the leading edge is significantly blunted and the Mach number normal to the leading edge is supersonic.The supersonic channel-airfoil concept is found to result in significantly reduced wave drag and total drag (including skin-friction drag) and significantly increased lift/drag although maximum heat-transfer rate was increased for the geometries tested.

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering

Copyright

2000 Stephen M. Ruffin, Anurag Gupta and David Marshall. Published by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc..