Numerical calculation of flow fields about rectangular wings of finite thickness in supersonic flow

The calculation of the outer inviscid flow about a rectangular wing moving at supersonic speeds is reported. The inviscid equations of motion governing the flow generated by the wing form a set of hyperbolic differential equations. The flow field about the rectangular wing is separated into three regions consisting of the forebody, the afterbody, and the wing wake. Solutions for the forebody are obtained using conical flow techniques while the afterbody and the wing wake regions are treated as initial value problems. The numerical solutions are compared in the two dimensional regions with known exact solutions.