21st Congress of International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Melbourne, Australia, 13-18 September, 1998
Paper ICAS-98-3.7.4

WIND TUNNEL LNVESTIGATIONS ON RPV WING GLOVE CONFIGURATION

Darida M., Smrcek L.
University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Keywords: wind tunnel, rpv, wing glove configuration

A wind tunnel test investigation was conducted to evaluate the downwash effect of the flow around an RPV wing/glove combination and to build confidence in its pressure data acquisition system. The wing is part of an RPV (Remotely Piloted Vehicle) which the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Glasgow University plans to use as a flying laboratory for laminar aerofoil research. The wind tunnel tests used three glove endplates configurations and a wing extension to obtain pressure data. Pressure measurements were taken near the glove mid section. Data suggest that the downwash effect cannot be eliminated by screening the flow over the glove with endplates, although the flow might be nominally two-dimensional if there is negligible cross flow with endplates and wing extension on The pressure sensing equipment and its software code operated satisfactorily and as a consequence such a data acquisition system might be installed on board of thee RPV in the near future.

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