Pressure-distribution investigation of an N.A.C.A. 0009 airfoil with a 50-percent-chord plain flap and three tabs

Pressure-distribution tests of an N.A.C.A. 0009 airfoil with a 50-percent-chord plain flap and three plain tabs, having chords 10, 20, and 30 percent of the flap chord, were made in the N.A.C.A. 4- by 6- foot vertical tunnel. The tests supplied aerodynamic section data that may be applied to the design of horizontal and vertical tail surfaces. The results are presented as resultant-pressure diagrams for the airfoil with the flap and the 20-percent-chord tab. Plots are also given of increments of normal-force and hinge-moment coefficients for the airfoil, the flap, and the three tabs. The experimental results and values computed by analytical methods are in good agreement for small flap and tab deflections. The results of the tests indicated that the effectiveness of all three tab sizes in reducing flap hinge moments decreased with increasing flap deflection.