Effects of Spanwise Blowing on Two Fighter Airplane Configurations

NASA Langley Research Center has recently conducted an investigation to determine the effects of spanwise blowing on two configurations representative of current fighter airplanes. This research examined not only the longitudinal or performance effects but was especially oriented toward determining the lateral-directional effects, particularly in the stall/departure angle-of-attack range. The wind-tunnel tests included measurement of static and forced-oscillation aerodynamic data, visualization of the airflow changes over the wing created by the spanwise blowing, and free-flight model tests. Effects of blowing rate, chordwise location of the blowing ports, asymmetric blowing, and the effects of blowing on the effectiveness of conventional aerodynamic controls were investigated.