A comparison of the measured and predicted flutter characteristics of a series of delta wings of different aspect ratios

Abstract

The report gives the results of tests to investigate the aerodynamic effects of aspect ratio on the flutter of delta wings that are virtually rigid but are flexibly supported at the root. A function representing the aerodynamic effects of aspect ratio on wing flutter speeds is derived from the experiments. Flutter calculations are made using this function as a correction to the derivatives obtained from two-dimensional theory, and there is good agreement between measured and calculated results. Calculations are also made using derivatives obtained from three-dimensional theory, but the agreement between measured and calculated results is poor.