Wind-tunnel tests of the stalling properties of an 8 per cent thick symmetrical section with nose suction through a porous surface

Abstract

Summary.--The stalling properties of an 8 per cent thick symmetrical aerofoil with large leading-edge radius of curvature and continuous (distributed) suction over the nose have been tested in the 4-ft No. 2 Wind Tunnel of the National Physical Laboratory. It was found that suction postponed the stall to higher angles of incidence by suppressing separation at the leading edge. The suction also produced beneficial effects in delaying transition. Moreover it prevented the development of boundary-layer turbulence behind a single excrescence or spanwise corrugation, provided the suction was applied over a sufficient chordwise extent of the aerofoil surface.