Flight Test Measurement Techniques for Laminar Flow. Volume 23(Les techniques de mesure en vol des ecoulements laminaires)

摘要

The advantages of laminar flow technology have been well known for decades. Experiments in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States date back to the 1930's. One application of some of the early research was the use of a laminar flow airfoil on the P-51 fighter aircraft. Laminar flow can be obtained on an aircraft by shaping the airfoil and creating a favorable pressure gradient resulting in 'Natural Laminar Flow,' (NLF). Another method, 'Laminar flow control,' (LFC) is to apply active suction through a porous surface, removing the local turbulence disturbances. A third method is to combine the two, using LFC near the leading edge and NLF on the aft portion of the airfoil. This is referred to as 'Hybrid Laminar Flow Control'.