Contents
1 The Experimental Approach in Aerodynamic Design . . . . . . . . . . .
1
1.1 Aerodynamics, What for? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
1.2 Review of the Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
1.3 Limitations and Constraints of Numerical Methods . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.4 Some Constraints for Wind Tunnel Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.5 Deformation of Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.6 Industrial Aerodynamics Testing: Combining Tests
and Numerical Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.7 Flight Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.7.1 Flight Test Beds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.7.2 Catapulted Flight Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.7.3 Aeroballistics Flight Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.8 Simulated Altitude Test Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.8.1 Impact of Altitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.8.2 How Does an Altitude Test Cell Work? . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1.8.3 Benefits of Simulated Altitude Tests in Addition
to Ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2 Wind Tunnels and Other Aerodynamic Test Facilities . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.1 Background of Wind Tunnels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.1.1 Wind Tunnel Principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.1.2 The Eiffel Type or Open Circuit Wind Tunnel . . . . . . . 28
2.1.3 The Prandtl Type or Closed Circuit Wind Tunnel . . . . 29
2.2 From Wind Tunnel Test to Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.3 Reynolds Number Effect and Laminar to Turbulent
Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.4 Dynamics Similarity and Dimensionless Parameters . . . . . . . . . 33
xv