REPORT No. 763 TESTS OF AIRFOILS DESIGNED TO DELAY THE COMPRESSIBILITY BURBLE . By Jouw Szack SUMMARY Fundamental investigations of compressibility phenomena for airfoils have shown that serious adverse changes of aerodynamic, characteristice occur as the local speed over the eurface exceeds the local speed of sound. These adveree changes have been delayed to higher free-tream speeds by development of suitable airfoil shapes. The method of deriving such airfoil shapes is described, and aerodynamic data for a wide range of Mach mumbere obtained from teats of these airfoils in the Langley 2f-inch high-epeed tunnel are presented. These airfoils, desig- nated the NACA 16-series, have increased critical Mach nm- ber. The same methods by which these airfoils have been developed are applicable to other airplane components. INTRODUCTION Development of airfoil sections suitable for high-speed applications has generally beon difficult because little was nown of the flow phenomenon that occurs at high speeds. ‘A definite critical speed has been found at which serious dotrimental flow changes occur that lead to serious losses in lift and large increases in dreg. This flow phenomenon, called the compressibility burble, was originally e propeller problem but, with the development of high-speed aircraft, serious consideration has to be given to other parts of the airplane. Tt is important to realize, however, that the pro- poller wil continue to offor the most serious compressibility problems for two reasons: Tirst, because propeller-section speeds are higher than the speed of the airplane and, second, because structural requirements lead to thick sections near the root. Fundamental investigations of high-speed airflow phe- nomena recontly completed (references 1 to 8) have provided much new information. From practical considerations an important conclusion of theso investigations has been the determination of ‘the critical speed, that is, the speed at which the compressibility burble occurs. ‘The critical speed ‘was shown to bo the translational velocity at which the sum of the translational velocity and the maximum local induced valocity at the surface of the airfoil or other body equals the Jocal speed of sound. Obviously, thon, higher critical speeds can be attained through the development of airfoils that have minimum induced velocity for any given value of tho lift coefficient, Presumably, the highest critical speed will bo attained by an airfoil that has uniform chordwise distribution of induced velocity or, in other words, a flat pressure-distribution curve. All conventional airfoils tend to havo high negative pres- sures and correspondingly high induced. velocities near the nose, which gradually taper off to the air-stream conditions at the rear of the airfoil. If the same lift coefficient can be obtained by decreasing the induced velocity near the nose and increasing tho induced velocity over the rear portion of the airfoil, the eritical speed will be increased by an amount proportional to the decrease obtained in the maximum induced velocity. ‘The ideal airfoil for any given high- speed application is, then, that shape which at its operating lift cooffciont has uniform chordwise distribution of induced velocity. Accordingly, an analytical search for such airfoils hhas been conducted by members of the staff of the Langley ‘Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory and theso airfoils have been investigated experimentally in the Langley 24inch high-speed tunnel. ‘Tho first airfoils investigated showed marked improvement, over those shapes already available; not only was the critical speed increased but also the drag atlow speods was decreased considerably. Because of the marked improvement achioved, it was considered desirable to extend tho thickness and the lift-coefficient ranges for which the original airfoils had been designed to obtain data of immediate practical value before further extending the investigation of the fundamental aspects of tho problem. ‘SYMBOLS 2 abscissa of camber line % ordinate of camber lino 4 thickness, pereant of chord © aicfoil chord @ — defined by G, lift coefficient Cy drag coefficient Cogig Minimum drag coefficient pitching-moment coefficient about quarter-chord point P_ pressure coefficient ‘M = — Mach number critical Mach number B” Reynolds number @ angle of attack, degrees 1 3(—eos 8) 168164 DEVELOPMENT OF AIRFOM, SERIES ‘Tho aerodynamic characteristics of any airfoil are, in general, dependent upon the airfoil camber line and the thickness form. Mean camber lines were derived analyti- cally to obtain a uniform chordwise distribution of induced velocity or pressure for certain designated lift coefficients, and an analytical search for a thickness form that likewise hhas low and uniform chordwise induced-velocity distribution vwas then undertaken. Derivation of the camber line,—Glauert (reference 4) has derived expressions for the local induced velocity at a point ‘on an airfoil (zero thickness assumed) in terms of the eireu- letion“around an airfoil corresponding to a certain distribu- tion of vorticity along the airfoil surface. By assuming the distribution of vorticity to be constant, a line airfoil is determined that gives uniform chordwise pressure distribu- tion. ‘The form of the equation so derived is Ben w(toe y45+2 loz *5*) a where ysis the ordinate of the mean camber line, 2 is the abscissa, and the chord is taken as unity. ‘The idealized form described by this equation has discontinuities at. the nose and at the tail. This difficulty is circumvented by assuming very slight gradients in the chordwise Toad dis- tribution just at the noso and just at the tail. ‘This form, derived by using the Fourier series method, is given by the equation ‘Weak (0,3883-—0.8833 cos 20—0.0838 cos 48 0.0098 cos 68 —0.0040 cos 88 0.0020 eos 109—0.0012 cos 129) @ where 24 (1-cos #) and e is the airfoil chord. Equation (2) expresses the mean camber line chosen for airfoils of the series developed. Load or induced-velocity gradings derived from both equations (1) and (2) are actually identical for all practical purposes. Mesn-camber-ine ordinates are given in table I for C,=1.0. ~4 ao waca oro sel Wee @ $44 So 10 Baa of aw waa roms z ar [ to . te ‘ovas 1—Dase sea nd bert reacties REPORT NO. 763—NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS In order to obtain the mean camber lino giving uniform chordwise distribution of induced velocity for other values of the lift coefficient, the values given in table I aro multi- plied by the value of tho desired lift cocfliciant. TABLET CAMBER-LINE ORDINATES FOR NACA 1- AND 07-SERIES AIRFOILS WITH C,=1.0 (dat aac eared peat cord em chord eet g rec le 8 SeseassseRustunn ne & Derivation of the thickness form—The derivation of the ‘thickness form is not so’simplo or direct as the derivation of the mean camberline, ‘The theoretical pressure distribution was computed by the mothods of reference 6 for each of the several thickness forms investigated in referonce 8, Some of these forms approached the desired shape bub further modifications were investigated analytically and, finally, two shapes were chosen for tests. ‘These shapes, the NACA 07-009 and the NAA 16-009, and the theoretical pressure distribution for each are shown in figure 1. ‘The completo airfoil profile is derived by first calculating the mean cam- ber line for the desired lift coefficient and then laying out the thickness ordinates given in table II from the cambor line along perpendiculars to this line. Airfoll designation.—Becauso tho ideal sorios of airfoils requires an extramely lange variation of shape, it becomes practically impossible to use previous numbering systems ‘and, farther, because this new series of airfoils is designed to obtain « specific pressure diagram, these airfoils are desig- nated by a now sories of numbers that is related to the flow ‘and tho operating characteristics of tho airfoil. ‘Tho first number is @ serial number that describes the class of pressure distribution, the second number gives the loeation of tho maximum negative pressuro in percent of chord from the lending edge, the first number following the dash gives tho lift coefficient for which the airfoil was designed to operato, and th last two numbers give the airfoil thickness in percent of chord. ‘Thus the NACA 16-500 airfoil has the shape of tho NACA 16-009 disposed about: tho uniform chordwise Toad camber lino designed for a lift coeficiont of 0.6,‘TESTS OF AIRFOUS DESIGNED TO DELAY THB COMPRESSIBILITY BURELE 165 TABLE 11 ‘THICKNESS_ORDINATES FOR AIRVOILS WITH THICEN] 9 PERCENT OF CHORD! : atl yuo mesa n pent cor om a prpeadln fo ame ne Eessasssenes Slope of mcln treagh oad of anim ‘ommice 1 mon of NACA teat seit ‘osmanon® rote tiene (In pect) lp ordinate for NACA one by ‘an. Airfoils investigated.—As previously stated, two basic air foils wero investigated. (See fig. 1.) ‘The NACA 07-009 airfoil should, theoretically, give higher critical speed than tho NACA. 16-009 but an earlier investigation (referenca 3) indicated that, for pressures ocourring near the leading edge, the inerease in the pressure coefficient as a result of compressi- bility offects was gronter than that for pressures occurring farther back on the airfoil. Consoquently, it was believed that, at speeds as high as tho critical speed, the NACA. 07-009 airfoil might have, as a result: of compressibility offects, a pressure peak near the lending edge, The NACA 16-008 airfoil was therefore developed in an attempt to achieve the uniform chordwiso load distribution et high speeds. Both forms were tested and the results showed higher drag and lower critical speed for the NACA 07-000 airfoil. Accordingly, the NACA 16-009 airfoil was chosen 1s tho basic form for a series of airfoils designed to operate at various lift coefficients, For one valuo of tho lift coeffi- ciont the effect of thickness variation was also investigated. ‘Tho airfoils tested, of which profiles are shown in figure 2, are as follows: NACA 16-000 NACA 16-506 NACA 16-109 NACA 16-512 NACA 16-200 NACA 16-515 NACA 16-600 NACA 16-521 NACA 10-700 NACA 16-530 NACA 16-1009 NACA 16-106 NACA 07-000 NACA 07-500 400294829 APPARATUS AND METHOD The tests were conducted in the Langley 24-inch high speed tunnel, in which velocities approaching the speed of sound can be obtained. A brief description of this tunnel is given in reference 3. ‘Tho balance measures lift, drag, and pitching moment and, except for improvements that pemmit 2 more accurate dotermination of the forces, is similar in principle to the balance used in the Langley 11- inch high-speed tunnel. ‘The methods of operation are like- wise similar to those employed in the operation of the Langley 11-inch high-speed tunnel (reference 7). ‘The models were of S-inch chord and 30-inch span and were medo of duralumin. A complote deseription of the method of constructing the models is given in reference 8. ‘The model mounting is similar to that used in tho Langley Linch high-speed tunnel (referenco 7). ‘The model ex- tends across the tunnel and through holes cut in flexible brass end plates that preserve the contour of the tunnel walls, ‘The holes are of the same shape as the model but are slightly larger than it is. ‘Tho model ends are secured in the balance, which extends halfway around the test section and is enclosed in the airtight tunnel chamber similar to the installation in the Langley 11-inch high-speed tunnel (ceference 7). ‘The speed range over which measurements were mado extended, in general, from 25 parcant of tho speed of sound to values in excess of the critical speed. ‘The corresponding a. a WACA 2405-34 WAGA Coe ed WACA 07-009 NACA 16-106 —__— NACA 18-008 WACA 16-608 WA CA 16-109 WACA 16GB —— ee —___ ——___ NACA 16-85 WACA OF 609 ————- <> WACA 16-808 WACA 16-521 —___ WACA 16-708 WACA 16-1009 NACA 16-590 rovue 4—Proes for alae having gh etl apes166 Reynolds number range was from approximately 700,000 to nearly 2,000,000. ‘The lift-coefficient rango for which tests were made extended from zero lift for each airfoil to values approaching maximum lift. PRECISION Accidental errors are indicated by the seatter on tho plots showing the measured test data (figs. 3 and 23 to 25). These ‘errors are, in general, rather small and affect neither the application nor the comparison of the date. ‘Tunnel effects arising from ond leakage, restriction, and the usual type of tunnel-wall effect are important. Exact knowledge of these various effects is incomplete at the presont time. ‘The largest effects appear to arise from air leakage through the clearance between the model and the brass end plates in the tunnel wall through which the model passes. Investigations of the leakage effects have been made for the NACA 0012 air foil with « special type of internal gap or clearance that per- mits wide variation of the gap. Data obtained with various ‘gop settings of 0.01 inch and larger extrapolated to zero gap ‘ware used to evaluate the leakage correction for the stand- ard type of mounting. ‘These corrected data were thea chocked by means of wake-survey drag measurements with end leakage eliminated by rubber seals. Because the balance chamber is airtight, tho end-leakago condition is related to the pressure distribution around the model. It was there- fore considered advisable to check’ the method of correction for end leakage by wake-survey tests with end leakage elim- inated by rubber seals for these new airfoils, which have redi- cally different pressure distributions from the older airfoils such as the NACA 0012. Some of theso data are shown in figure 3. In general, the agreement is excellent, ‘The data have accordingly been corrected for end-leakage effects. 8 8 me A 8 _Mninum drag coeticient, Coun Mach rember, M ° ricon—conptensideiam angele y reads Other tunnel effects have not been completely investiguted and the data have not been corrected for such effects as restriction or the more usual type of wall effect. As pre- [REPORT No. 762—NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS sented, the dete aro therefore conservative, inasmuch as investigations miade thus far indicate that the coofficients are high and the critical speeds may be low. Strictly. com- parable data for two older airfoils, tho 308 and tho NACA 2409-84, for two Mach numbers are included so that com- parisons can be made. DISCUSSION Aerodynamic characteristics for several of tho NACA 16 series airfoils aro given in figures 4 to 18. Examination of these figures indicates"two important discrepancies between the theoretical design conditions and tho date obtained from tho tests: First, none of the airfoils attains the design lift coefficient at the design anglo of attack (0°) and, second, the departure inereases markedly with the design lift eooffcient. Drag costhcienl Cy 1 Te +s Lith cootcient C. (by ee seem oasae! Angle of olfock.t.deg. ere (romps, (ik aod moment dn, ‘Poon 4 —Aeiynamis chases of NACA 16-ibeares ala(Brag coelicienl ‘TESTS OF AIRFOILS DESIGNED TO DELAY THE COMPRESSIBILITY BURBLB Litt conlfvient G, 4g Aogle of attack. w.deg. oe (Poteet (0) Liab moment daa ‘loon S—Aeadyuimlo caresion of NAGA 1-0 ll brag coetivionl Za Litt coetivienh C, eae Bs 8 ==ee HES 4 S & $ 8.4 o2t(b) oa ye Angle of attack, 2.deg. a (o) Paarpio, (2) Lt asd moment data, Flovnr A—Aevdynanio chanetto of NAOA MDa srl, ea,168 RBPOR? NO. 763—NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS & dog coefcient, Gy g val 10 Litt cooticient G, iy “eT 0 ee Or Angle of obocke.deg. (Peary (0) at wb owent dat, {From TAtmdyoanle chistes of NACA 100ere as eae, (grog coefficient Gp & & g ae Lit coetizient G. val AC 15-005, Litt coeficient, Ce ) Shee tate Angle of tock et,de9. a eo Cae a Poarpnt, (2) tea rent ate Proves &—Amedynanie chester of NACA 10a a(Drag coeiizient ‘TESTS OF AIRFOILS DESIGNED TO DELAY THR COMPRESSIBILITY 8 & g a Lith coeficient C Litt coofizient en y aaron Omge tetaciaa| Angle of ack, 2, deg. ( Parpiw, (2) tend oman data, Pooks t—Aecodynmle haotrts of NAGA Seto srl, eee ta] ra BURDLE rag coefficient, 8 & a 8 o 2&6 10 Litt coeticient C a NAC ie 16-808 sol Ieee S685 al g 4 g 5 84 6 ame eres Aree oc Ol ‘angle of attack, ct.de9. Coe ( Po pte (2) 1 and moment data, oon S—Anodpsimle ccs ef ACK tsp, 169 72