An Investigation into the use of floating-tip ailerons on skew-wing aircraft
Date
2015-01-19
Authors
Davis, Robert Jocelyn
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Abstract
Wind-tunnel tests were conducted on a rectangular platform
skew wing, fitted with floating-tip ailerons. Rolling criteria
calculated from static rolling moment and lift results
showed good aileron performance in the low incidence cruise
regime. Trends were for favourable yawing moments to be
generated; the usual asymmetric pitch/roll cross-coupling
was observed. Rolling performance in the unskewed position
was reasonably well predicted by lifting-line theory - the
resulting lift distribution appeared very non-elliptic
towards the wing-tips, resulting in higher induced drag
than the optimum elliptic distribution. Tests on a second
wind-tunnel model indicated that the effect of the incidence
discontinuity at the wing/aileron interface spread further
span wise chan was expected. Conclusions were that the
improved roll performance of floating-tip ailerons might
be outweighed by the increase in induced drag. Further
research was required in the transonic regime to determine
effects on wave drag. Research into the dynamic performance
was also required. It is suggested that lifting-surface
theory be used for performance prediction of the skewed case.