The NASA Langley Transport Systems Research Vehicle (B737-100 aircraft
) was used to obtain in-flight flow characteristics including surface
pressures and surface shear stresses for a full-chord wing section, in
cluding the slat, main-wing, and triple-slotted, Fowler-flap elements.
Chordwise pressure distributions were obtained at the 58% semispan st
ation using thin pressure belts. Flow characteristics observed in the
chordwise pressure distributions included leading-edge regions of high
-subsonic flows, leading-edge attachment-line locations, slat and main
-wing cove-flow separation and reattachment, and trailing-edge flow se
paration. In addition, surface sheer-stress measurements were made usi
ng Preston-tube probes on each element. Computational analysis of the
in-flight pressure measurements using two-dimensional, viscous-flow, m
ultielement methods and simple-sweep theory showed reasonable agreemen
t. However, overprediction of the suction pressures on the flap elemen
ts indicates a need for more detailed (off-surface) measurements of th
e flow and the in-flight flap geometry to aid modeling of the complex
three-dimensional flowfield.