FLOW MECHANISMS ACTIVE IN WING ROCK OF COMBAT AIRCRAFT

Whereas the wing-rock problem in general is well known, its high sensitivity to configuration details and flow conditions is not, handicapping the designer of combat aircraft that operate at high angles of attack. The present paper reviews the literature describing the flow mechanisms present in the observed wing-rock of various combat aircraft. This provides the source knowledge needed for inclusion of wing rock considerations in future combat aircraft designs and indicates the direction for future research. Nomenclature b wing span c airfoil chord or delta wing center chord d maximum body diameter f oscillation frequency Magnus lift, coefficient c = /q ∞ db