Static Lateral Characteristics at High Subsonic Speeds of a Complete Airplane Model with a Highly Tapered Wing having the 0.80 Chord Line Unswept and with Several Tail Configurations

An investigation was made at high subsonic speeds of a complete model having a highly tapered wing and several tail configurations. The aspect-ratio-3.50 wing had a taper ratio of 0.067 and an unswept 0.80 chord line. The complete model was tested with a wing-chord-plane tail, a T-tail, and a biplane tail (combined T-tail and wing-chord-plane tail). The model was tested in the Langley high-speed 7- by 10-foot tunnel at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 0.92 over a range of angle of attack of about +/- 20 deg. and a range of sideslip of -15 deg. to 13 deg. Some data were obtained with the horizontal stabilizer deflected. A few tests were also made with the wing tips clipped to an aspect ratio of 3.00. The data show that shock-interference effects between the tail surfaces (T-tail) can have considerable influence on the directional stability and effective dihedral. For example, the T-tail configuration with horizontal-tail leading-edge overhang showed a considerable loss in directional stability as the angle of attack was reduced to zero or negative values; whereas, the T-tail with zero leading-edge overhang showed the loss to be considerably less. The directional stability of the model with the low tail was essentially constant over a range of angle of attack of +/- 50 deg. All configurations tested showed a large reduction in stability at positive and negative angles of attack larger than about 15 deg., probably because of adverse sidewash associated with wing stall. The data show that a wing-chord-plane horizontal tail (low tail) tends to give a positive pitching-moment increment with increase in sideslip angle; whereas, a high tail (T-tail) tends to give negative increments in pitching moment.