Effects of airframe-inlet integration on half-axisymmetric and two-dimensional supersonic inlet performance

Diagnostic data from large-scale, airframe-inlet model wind-tunnel tests have been analyzed to facilitate understanding of both axisymmetric and two-dimensional inlet performance in different installation configurations of highly maneuverable supersonic aircraft. Distortion pattern shifts have been used to identify duct swirl, apparently due to duct offset and loft. Examinations of total pressure surveys through the ducts of various inlet installations have been used to show the influence of flow separation at the inlet aperture and in the throat on performance degradation in various inlet configurations. Benefits and limitations of inlet shielding in supersonic maneuvering flight have been explored, showing performance advantages of half-axisymmetric inlets over two-dimensional inlets in the wing-shielded flowfields and more general performance advantages associated with fuselage shielding. Data comparisons have incorporated total pressure recovery, duct turbulence, and compressor face steady-state and dynamic flow distortion index showing, in particular, the importance of dynamic flow distortion measurement and sophisticated, high-speed analysis capability.