Low-Speed Characteristics of Supersonic Transport Aircraft

Abstract

Compliance of Supersonic Commercial Transport, SCT, with community noise regulations is a critical design requirement. Previous European aerodynamic SCT research indicates that efficient low-speed performance is as important as the cruise performance for a viable aircraft. The present paper addresses verification and validation Navier-Stokes solutions for SCT configurations with leading edge flaps used as high lift devices. The effects of numerical resolution and of the turbulence model on the ability to simulate the aerodynamic characteristics at high-lift conditions are presented in detail. Emphasis is placed on the prediction and understanding of flow separation onset. Also the aerodynamic effects of the slender fuselage are assessed by using comparisons between wing alone and wing/body cases. The results indicate that Navier-Stokes codes have become useful tools for future aerodynamic design work that will aim to optimize low-speed performance by delaying and minimising flow separations. However, it also appears that useful numerical solutions are only obtained if care is taken to resolve the fine details of curvature variation over the configuration, if numerical dissipation levels are under control and if the choice of the turbulence model is validated by using representative experimental flow data. Research work can now proceed to using Navier-Stokes codes for the exploration the design space of SCT low-speed configurations for building and validating a physically sound aerodynamic methodology.