An Investigation of the McDonnell XP-85 Airplane in the Ames 40- by 80-foot Wind Tunnel. Force and Moment Tests

Wind-tunnel tests of the McDonnell XP-85 airplane were conducted to determine its longitudinal, lateral, and directional stability and the characteristics of the aileron, the ruddervator, the leading-edge droop nose flap, and the stall control vanes. The directional stability of the airplane with numerous skyhook modifications and with a ventral fin was also investigated. The results of the tests showed that the effectiveness of the droop nose flaps and the stall control vanes was negligible with regard to either the maximum lift or longitudinal stability of the airplane. Contrary to any previous small-scale results, extension of the skyhook caused a 75-percent reduction in the directional stability of the airplane for both low and high values of lift coefficient. The simplest solution to the problem short of a major redesign of the skyhook appears to be the adoption of a ventral fin.