A computational and experimental study of high Reynolds number viscous/inviscid interaction about a cone at high angle of attack

The flow over a 5 deg semi-angle cone at incidence in supersonic flow is studied as a model problem for the flow over aircraft forebodies. A computational method utilizing the conically symmetric Navier-Stokes equations is used to obtain theoretical flow results which are compared with experimental data from the Ames Research Center 6- by 6-Foot Wind Tunnel and with results from a cone model sting mounted on an F-15 aircraft. The computed results agree well with the wind-tunnel data but less well with the flight data. Modification of the algebraic turbulence model was necessary to reflect an apparent lower turbulence level in flight than was present in the wind tunnel.