Experimental Investigation of Flutter of Buckled Curved Panels Having Longitudinal Stringers at Transonic and Supersonic Speeds

Panel-flutter tests have been made at transonic and supersonic speeds With particular reference to buckled curved panels with longitudinal stringers. Other panel configurations were also tested in an attempt to determine effects of skin thickness, curvature, stringers, buckling, pressure differential, and Mach number on the dynamic pressure necessary to start flutter. For buckled curved panels with longitudinal stringers, the dynamic pressure required to start flutter was increased by increasing the skin thickness and increasing the pressure differential across the panel. There was no apparent effect of Mach number variation from 1.3 to 2.0. None of the curved panels failed because of flutter although the dynamic pressure at the start of flutter was exceeded by a factor of 3 in many cases. curved panels and four flat panels failed because of flutter. The flat panels fluttered at lower dynamic pressures than the curved panels and four flat panels failed because of flutter.