Fifty years of laminar flow flight testing

Laminar flow flight experiments conducted over the past 50 years are reviewed. The emphasis is on flight testing conducted under the NASA Laminar Flow Control Program, which has been directed towards the most challenging technology application, the high-subsonic-speed transport. The F111/TACT NLF Glove Flight Test, the F-14 Variable-Sweep Transition Flight Experiment, the 757 Wing-Noise Survey and NLF Glove Flight Test, the NASA Jetstar Leading-Edge Flight Test Program, and the recently initiated Hybrid Laminar-Flow-Control Flight Experiment are discussed.