What is the ideal airfoil for supersonic flight?
Double-Wedge and Bi-convex airfoils are the most common designs used in supersonic flights. Wave drag is the simplest and most important component of the drag in supersonic flow flight regions.
Why are supersonic airfoils thin?
Supersonic aircraft wings are thin to avoid drag, but can create lift with a swept leading edge, much like a paper air plane. This type of lift is called vortex lift. As seen from the formula above, Velocity is squared.
How do supersonic wings work?
Supersonic planes fly at speeds faster than the speed of sound, about 1 200 km/hr at sea level. Their flight generates so-called sonic booms. A shock wave is formed as the plane essentially pushes air molecules out of the way much like a boat creates a wave on its bow as it moves through the water.
What is X C airfoil?
x/c. x/c varies from 0 at the leading edge to 1.0 at the trailing edge. Cp is plotted “upside-down” with negative values (suction), higher on the plot. (This is done so that the upper surface of a conventional lifting airfoil corresponds to the upper curve.)
Why is it important to study supersonic airfoil?
For the supersonic airfoil, the study should focus on aerodynamic performance because a well-designed aerodynamic airfoil can distribute the load uniformly as well as reduce air resistance to meet either economic or performance requirements.
How to analyze the characteristics of an airfoil?
The computational analysis of the airfoil are done using JAVA FOIL software.in this analysis thickness of the airfoil and the chord to thickness ratio has kept constant and the value of CL and Cd are found for different angle of attack .The area of focus include : Cl, Cd, CM/4 and flow field and lift to drag curve .
How is the Mach wave of an airfoil estimated?
Thus, linearization can be adopted. The waves on the airfoil, including the Mach wave on the airfoil leading edge and trailing edge as well as the expansion wave, are estimated based on the wing flow Mach wave which is never disturbed.
What is the Mach range of a double wedge airfoil?
The present work is based on the effects of change in physical parameter for the Double wedge airfoil. Mach number range taken is for transonic and supersonic. Physical parameters considered for the Double wedge case with wedge angle (ranging from 5 degree to 15 degree.