HIGH SPEED FLIGHT

DESIGN AND CALCULATIONS

Lesson 3 shockwave prevention and calculations specific objective

a) Explain design factors of preventing shockwave formation

b) Calculations on high speed flight
a)Content
sonic barrier
compressibility
• (i) aerofoil
• ii) vortex generators
• iii) wing fences
• b)Content
• i) g factor
• ii) load factor
Method of increasing Mcrit
• This tends to move the structure to which it is attached, about its
flexural centre line.
• Slab tailplane's, powered flying controls etc., may help overcome
some of these problems. Increasing the Mcrit of an Aircraft
• If the fuselage and wings are kept as slim as possible this will increase
the Mcrit.
• On a wing this is called thickness/chord ratio - and
• a wing with a lower % t/ c ratio has a higher Mcrit.
Method of increasing Mcrit
Method of increasing Mcrit
• If the wing is swept this will also
increase MCrit.
• This is because the shock wave is
caused by that component of the airflow
running parallel to the chord line (i.e. V
cos a ) - so the greater the sweepback
the higher the Merit.
Sweep back wing
COMPONENTS OF VELOCITY ON A SWEPT WING
• Another advantage of the swept wing is that
it has a lower Cd (Ref. to the graph Fig 8).
• Sweepback also helps to keep the wing tips
within the leading edge shock waves (shock
cone) created by the nose of the aircraft.
• Swept wings also help to maintain lateral
stability about the longitudinal axis at low
speed.
Fig 8. GRAPH OF Cd AGAINST MACH
NUMBER
Disadvantages of sweepback wings

The swept wing has, however, several

disadvantages:
(a) It is prone to tip stalling.
(b) Cl max. is low therefore landing speeds are
high.
(c) Angle of attack is high for Cl max.
(d) Bending stresses are high.
Area Rule
• In an attempt to keep the drag as low as possible during the transonic
period the area rule may be applied to the design of the aircraft.

• This states that the total frontal cross sectional area of the aircraft
(including wings, tailplane, and engines) should increase gradually
from the front of the aircraft to the middle,
• then reduce slowly to zero at the rear.
• Thus where additions are fitted to the fuselage, such as wings and
tailplane, the fuselage should be wasted.
Wasted fuselage
 the load factor
• In aeronautics, is the
• ratio of the lift of an aircraft to its weight and
• represents a global measure of the stress ("load") to which the
structure of the aircraft is subjected:
the load factor CONT
• where
n is the load factor,
L is the lift
W is the weight.
since the load factor is the ratio of two forces, it is
dimensionless. However, its units are traditionally
referred to as g,
because of the relation between load factor and
apparent acceleration of gravity felt on board the
aircraft.
the load factor

A load factor of one, or 1 g, represents

conditions in straight and level flight,
where the lift is equal to the weight.
Load factors greater or less than one (or
even negative) are the result of maneuvers
or wind gust
Load factor and lift
• n the definition of load factor, the lift is not
simply that one generated by the aircraft's wing
• instead it is the vector sum of the lift generated
by the wing, the fuselage and the tailplane
• or in other words it is the component
perpendicular to the airflow of the sum of all
aerodynamic forces acting on the aircraft.
• The lift in the load factor is also intended as having a sign,
• which is positive if the lift vector points in, or near the same direction
as the aircraft's vertical axis,
• or negative if it points in, or near the opposite direction
What is g factor in aircraft?

•The use of g units refers to the fact that

an observer on board an aircraft will
experience an apparent acceleration of
gravity
•(i.e. relative to their frame of reference)
equal to load factor times the
acceleration of gravity.
• Due to the shape of an aircraft's wing (aerofoil), and Bernoulli's
principle, when the air flows over a wing,
• it creates a region of low pressure over the wing and high pressure
under it.
So naturally the high pressure air is trying to enter the low pressure
region.
• This is what makes it push the wing up and create lift enabling the
aircraft to fly.
Now, there are other ways the high pressure air can reach the low
pressure region.
• Vortex generators are used where other aerodynamic surfaces have
more disruptive flow characteristics causing loss of lift,
• aerodynamic flow or a control surface interruption.
• Newer designs include retractable vortex generators for use when
slower speeds such as takeoff on landing and approach,
• flow characteristics over the wings require the generators for better
control.
• At cruising speeds the generators may create more drag.
• Characteristics of vortex generators can offer better airflow over the
wing’s portion past the thickest point to better maintain laminar flow
thereby increasing lift at certain airspeeds