Low-speed wind tunnel tests of two waverider configuration models

A definitive measurement of the low-speed flight characteristics of waverider-based aircraft is required to augment the overall design database for this important class of vehicles which have great potential for efficient high-speed flight. Two separate waverider-derived vehicles were tested; one in the 14- by 22-Foot Tunnel and the other in the 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel at Langley Research Center. These tests provided measurements of moments and forces about all three axes, control effectiveness, flow field characteristics and the effects of configuration changes. This paper will summarize the results of these tunnel tests and show the subsonic aerodynamic characteristics of the two configurations.