Supersonic Lift and Pitching Moment of Thin Sweptback Tapered Wings Produced by Constant Vertical Acceleration

Theoretical approximations to the nondimensional lift and pitching moment produced by constant vertical acceleration, the CL(alpha) and CM(alpha) derivatives, respectively, are derived for a series of thin sweptback tapered wings with streamwise tips. The analysis is essentially the application of a recently published solution of the linearized time-dependent wave equation for wings in accelerated motion. The results are independent of camber and thickness and are applicable for a range of supersonic speed for which the wing is wholly contained between the Mach cones springing from the wing apex and from the trailing edge of the root section (subsonic leading edge and supersonic trailing edge). Design curves are presented which permit rapid estimation of the derivatives CL(alpha) and CM(alpha) for given values of aspect ratio, taper ratio, Mach number, and leading-edge sweep.