IN-FLIGHT PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS ON A SUBSONIC TRANSPORT HIGH-LIFT WING SECTION

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.