Experiments with a two-dimensional aerofoil designed to be free from turbulent boundary-layer separation at small angles of incidence for all mach numbers

Abstract

The present investigation was designed primarily to check the validity of a simple method which had been suggested for designing an aerofoil section on which, for a limited range of incidence, turbulent boundary-layer separation is absent at all values of the free-stream Mach number. Assuming that this method proved successful, a second object was to study the transonic flow past the aerofoil, and to compare the results with previous speculations concerning the nature of the flow when separation is absent. Since separation was expected to occur when the angle of incidence was increased to a sufficiently large value, a third object was to study the flow when separation was present and, in particular, to confirm whether the effects of separation are less severe for the present section than for most previous sections.