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The Part Played by Wind Tunnels in Modern Aeronautics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

G. M. Lilley
G. M. Lilley*
Affiliation:
College of Aeronautics
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Summary:

The wind tunnel has been the main instrument for experimental research in aeronautics since the turn of the century and its history is as brief as powered flight itself. It has always played a leading rdle in aeronautics right from the time of the Wright Brothers to the present day.

The early form of wind tunnels as developed at the National Physical Laboratory and other research establishments have been replaced over the years by larger and more elaborate facilities, each having a particular speed range and specific role in aeronautical research and development. Modern wind tunnels having continuous operation of the type installed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment involve powers of up to 100 000 h.p. and cost in the neighbourhood of £10 000 000. In spite of this cost it is a sobering thought that, if anything, the overall cost of each data point is less today than it was in the early days of aeronautics. Such tunnels are highly complex instruments for research and development and although they play a rôle similar in many respects to that of a computer, they have the advantage of always dealing with a real fluid. Indeed no known computer could cope with the range of problems that can be solved in a wind tunnel, ranging from such complex problems as the structure of turbulent flow to the pressures in separated flow regimes, to quote just two examples. This fact must always be kept in perspective when arguments are presented for more and more work on digital computers to solve basic fluid motion problems. Of course we cannot overlook the problems of interpretation of wind tunnel data and the difficulties encountered in extrapolating these data to flight conditions.

The development of theories for such problems together with answers is of ever increasing importance, especially as the problems in aeronautics are becoming more and more complex. These solutions have the important function not only of high-lighting certain aspects of the flow, but of pin-pointing the important parameters in a problem together with providing better than order of magnitude results. However, theories must be based on physical facts and these can only be determined in the final analysis from experiments.

The wind tunnel has three highly significant roles in modern aeronautics:

  • (i) Experimental research as a forerunner to future theoretical research.

  • (ii) Experimental research as a confirmation and extension of theory.

  • (iii) Current research and development work on a given aircraft.

The current trend in bringing strong theoretical and experimental groups together, plus the employment of rapid measurement techniques in wind tunnels, promises the greatest possible productive utilisation of these highly important and expensive facilities. In most cases today they are playing a strong, if not the leading, role in aeronautical development.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 67 , Issue 632 , August 1963 , pp. 463 - 475
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1963

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