Effect of winglets on a first-generation jet transport wing. 5: Stability characteristics of a full-span wing with a generalized fuselage at high subsonic speeds

The effects of winglets on the static aerodynamic stability characteristics of a KC-135A jet transport model at high subsonic speeds are presented. The investigation was conducted in the Langley 8 foot transonic pressure tunnel using 0.035-scale wing panels mounted on a generalized research fuselage. Data were taken over a Mach number range from 0.50 to 0.95 at angles of attack ranging from -12 deg to 20 deg and sideslip angles of 0 deg, 5 deg, and -5 deg. The model was tested at two Reynolds number ranges to achieve a wide angle of attack range and to determine the effect of Reynolds number on stability. Results indicate that adding the winglets to the basic wing configuration produces small increases in both lateral and longitudinal aerodynamic stability and that the model stability increases slightly with Reynolds number. The winglets do increase the wing bending moments slightly, but the buffet onset characteristics of the model are not affected by the winglets.