Half-body and wing combinations in supersonic flow a review of some principles and possibilities

Abstract

A brief review is made of simple theory for predicting the maximum lift-to-drag ratio for combinations of half-body and wing in supersonic flow, allowing for the so-called favourable interference. A comparison is given of experimental and calculated results obtained using this theory. The calculations are extended to show trends (comparing asymmetric and equivalent symmetric configurations) with design Mach number, body and wing shape, etc. The role of the engine nacelle in this context is also examined. Some sketches are included to show how interference principles might possibly be used in the design of supersonic aircraft.