Wind tunnel tests were carried out to characterize the RAE 2822 supercritical airfoil and implement an active flow control technique. Tests were carried out at various subsonic and transonic Mach numbers and angles of attack. Two load cells connected to the airfoil ends along the quarter chord axis were used to quantify the aerodynamic forces acting on the airfoil. The transonic airfoil was integrated, and the control technique successfully implemented at the Florida State University Polysonic wind tunnel. The paper presents a few preliminary experimental results and describes the lessons learned during the implementation process. Oil flow visualizations revealed the presence of corner vortices on the airfoil suction surface and wedge-like patterns on the lower surface, which indicates a combination of localized regions of transitional and turbulent flow with no shocks or very weak shocks. The measured lift coefficient on the baseline airfoil is much lower than the estimated value based on literature. These results indicate that the airfoil tested need to be modified both regarding its aspect ratio and cross-sectional area to suit the facility. The active flow control technique based on co-flow jet show promise in the improvement of aerodynamic performance.
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