NASA Technical Paper 2256 - CAFE Foundation

I
installation of an outboard leadipg-edge dr,:op on the _llght-test airplane. Both
! airframes were constructed using composite structures of full-depth foam core and
: fiberglass sanded to conform skins. accurately The airfoil to surfaces the airfo_l on the design wind-tunnel contours. model were filled and
!,i Both _e wind-tunnel and flight experiments with _%is configuration included _
_:_ , visual determination of transition on the wing, winglet, and canard surfaces, and
i:_ :_' measurement of the effect of fixed transition (using the method of ref. 30) of wing,
i,:_ winglets, and canard on airplane performance and stability and control. The flight
_: experiments included observation of the effect of flight through clouds on boundary"
layer transition (using acoustic transition detection). The calibrated airspeed
:: range of the flight tests was from 65 to 148 knots. Flight transition data using a
sublimation technique were taken at a unit Reynolds number of 1.4 x 106 ft -I .
Static-force data and boundary-layer flow visualization data were Collected with
i!: the wind-tunnel model mounted on an external balance system in the Langley 30- by
_ 60-Foot 'runnel as shown in figure 3. The canard mount was isolated from the model by
i_ an internal strain-gage balance, and canard force data were collected simultaneously
_!
-6 °
with
to 40 °
model
and a
force
range
data.
of sideslip
Tests were
from -15
conducted
° to 15 ° . The
over a range
nominal
of angle
dynamic-pres-
of attack from
sure of the tests was 10.5 psf which corresponds to a unit Reynolds number of
0.625 x 106 ft -I.
Chordwise pressure distribution data were recorded from four spanwise stations
on the canard at _ = 0.26, 0.53, 0.79, and 0.95. The effect of rain was simulated
in the wind tunnel by water spray from a horizontal airfoil-shaped boom located ahead
of the canard as diagrammed in figure 4. Nozzles pointed downstream and located on
the boom sprayed water droplets .of about 200-_m volume mean diameter at a total flow
rate of I gal/hr at 60 psi. The boom span of about 6 ft covered the right canard
semispan. The height of the boom was varied such that water spray enveloped the
canard throughout the angle-of-attack range.
Rutan Long-EZ.- Flight experiments were also conducted on a two-place, pusher-
propeller airplane type similar to the VariEze. The airplane configuration utilized
a high-aspect'ratlo canard with different wings and winglets than the VariEze. Two
different Long-EZ airplanes were tested to verify the repeatability of the transition
results. The only differences in these airplanes were _%e size of wheel fairing used
to aerodynamically fair the main wheels and the size and shape of the rudder sur-
faces. Figure 5 contains a sketch of the geometry of these airplanes as designed,
and table 5 is a list of the detailed geometric characteristics. Figure 6 is a pho- _I
tograph of one of the two Long-EZ airplanes tested. The design coordinates for the
L_I_I NLF airfoil on the wing and winglets are given in table 6. The canard airfoil is
identical to that of the VariEze (coordinates given in table 4). The composite air-
_l_ frame was built using full-depth foam core with fiberglass skins.
The experiments conducted with this airplane included visual observations of
transition on the wing, winglet, canard, fuselage nose, and wheel fairings. In addi-
tion, the effect of fixed transition on airplane performance and stability and con-
trol was determined. The indicated airspeed range for these tests was 65 to
158 knots at density altitudes of 4700 to 7500 ft. The maximum unit Reynolds number
dsring testing was 1.51 × 106 ft -I. When only V i was available for data reduction
purposes, it was assumed that the position error was zero.
i!_] Rutan Laser Biplane Racer.- A single-place biplane with large negative-stagger
and a tractor-propeller (figs. 7 and 8) was tested in flight. Detailed physical
t