AERODYNAMIC CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT USING MINIATURE ROTATABLE NOSE-BOOM STRAKES

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS AN INNOVATIVE METHOD OF ENHANCING THE CONTROLLABILITY OF AIRCRAFT AT MODERATE-TO-HIGH ANGLES-OF-ATTACK (AOA) BY CONTROLLING THE FOREBODY VORTEX FLOW WITH ROTATABLE NOSE-BOOM STRAKES. THE IDEA IS TO CONTROL THE ASYMMETRY OF THE NOSE-BOOM WAKE BY PLACING SMALL, MOVABLE STRAKES ON THE NOSE-BOOM. THE WAKE THEN ACTS AS A CONTROLLED PERTURBATION ON THE FOREBODY FLOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY DICTATES THE FORM OF THE FOREBODY VORTEX ASYMMETRY. A PRELIMINARY, WATER-TUNNEL STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE CONCEPT IS HIGHLY PROMISING. THE NOSE-HOOM STRAKES PROVIDE EFFECTIVE CONTROLS ON THE FOREBODYVORTICES FOR AOAS FROM APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES TO 60 DEGREES OR ABOVE. THUS CONTROL FORCES MAY BE GENERATED TO AUGMENT THE CONTROLS PRESENTLY AVAILABLE ON THE F-16 OR OTHER AIRCRAFT TO ALLOW THE FULL CAPABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE UTILIZED. THE INNOVATIVE SYSTEM CAN POTENTIALLY BE VERY SMALL IN SIZE, RELATIVELY EASY OT IMPLEMENT AND OPERATE, AND EFFECTIVE OVER WIDE RANGES OF ANGLES-OF-ATTACK AND SIDESLIP. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS AN INNOVATIVE METHOD OF ENHANCING THE CONTROLLABILITY OF AIRCRAFT AT MODERATE-TO-HIGH ANGLES-OF-ATTACK (AOA) BY CONTROLLING THE FOREBODY VORTEX FLOW WITH ROTATABLE NOSE-BOOM STRAKES. THE IDEA IS TO CONTROL THE ASYMMETRY OF THE NOSE-BOOM WAKE BY PLACING SMALL, MOVABLE STRAKES ON THE NOSE-BOOM. THE WAKE THEN ACTS AS A CONTROLLED PERTURBATION ON THE FOREBODY FLOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY DICTATES THE FORM OF THE FOREBODY VORTEX ASYMMETRY. A PRELIMINARY, WATER-TUNNEL STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE CONCEPT IS HIGHLY PROMISING. THE NOSE-HOOM STRAKES PROVIDE EFFECTIVE CONTROLS ON THE FOREBODYVORTICES FOR AOAS FROM APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES TO 60 DEGREES OR ABOVE. THUS CONTROL FORCES MAY BE GENERATED TO AUGMENT THE CONTROLS PRESENTLY AVAILABLE ON THE F-16 OR OTHER AIRCRAFT TO ALLOW THE FULL CAPABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE UTILIZED. THE INNOVATIVE SYSTEM CAN POTENTIALLY BE VERY SMALL IN SIZE, RELATIVELY EASY OT IMPLEMENT AND OPERATE, AND EFFECTIVE OVER WIDE RANGES OF ANGLES-OF-ATTACK AND SIDESLIP.