Controlled supercritical crossflow on supersonic wings - An experimental validation

Leading edges of wings with high lift at supersonic speeds are discussed. Under these conditions, the leading edge must generate a controlled supercritical crossflow such that high lift is obtained without boundary layer separation. The leading edge concept that accomplishes this is the supersonic counterpart of the leading edge of the 2-D supercritical airfoil at transonic speeds. Wind tunnel test results on a cambered wing with a controlled supercritical crossflow leading edge successfully validated the concept. The main results are presented at the M = 1.62 design point, with off-design results given for the range of Mach numbers from 1.60 to 2.00. Surface pressure, oil flow photographs, and force data are presented and analyzed. A flat wing with the same thickness distribution was also tested and the results were used both for comparison with the designed wing and to illustrate the development of the supercritical crossflow region which, for the flat wing, is terminated by a distinct crossflow shock wave.