Flight-measured buffet characteristics of a supercritical wing and a conventional wing on a variable-sweep airplane

Windup-turn maneuvers were performed to assess the buffet characteristics of the F-111A aircraft and the same aircraft with a supercritical wing, which is referred to as the F-111 transonic aircraft technology (TACT) aircraft. Data were gathered at wing sweep angles of 26, 35, and 58 deg for Mach numbers from 0.60 to 0.95. Wingtip accelerometer data were the primary source of buffet information. The analysis was supported by wing strain-gage and pressure data taken in flight, and by oil-flow photographs taken during tests of a wind tunnel model. In the transonic speed range, the overall buffet characteristics of the aircraft having a supercritical wing are significantly improved over those of the aircraft having a conventional wing.