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CONFIDENTIAL Copy
RM L53D3(

NACA
RESEARCH MEMSRAOD'I&

AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TWO DELTA WIN

AND TWO TRAPEZOIDAL WINGS AT MACH NUMBER 4.'4 1Y

r4
By Robert W. Dunning and Fred M. Smith
4'C
Langley Aeronautical Laboratory
Langley Field, Va.
1j

C.
0 .

0 43

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning
of the espionage laws Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. 795 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any
manner to an unauthorized person Is prohibited by law.

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

FOR AERONAUTICS
WASHINGTON
June 11, 1953

CONFIDENTIAL
NACA RM L73D30a CONFIDENTIAL

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS

RESEARCH MEMORANDUM

AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TWO DELTA WINGS

AND TWO TRAPEZOIDAL WINGS AT MACH NUMBER 1

By Robert W. Dunning and Fred M. Smith

SUMMARY

Tests were made to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of two

aspect-ratio-2.31 delta wings and two aspect-ratio-0.91 trapezoidal wings,
having modified hexagonal airfoil sections 3 percent thick at the root,
at Mach number 4.04 and Reynolds number 9.3 x 106 . Rounding the wedge
leading edges of the delta and trapezoidal wings decreased the lift of
the delta wing but had no effect on the lift of the trapezoidal wing.
For both wings the drag increased and the maximum lift-drag ratio
decreased. The pitching-moment coefficients and centers of pressure of
the delta wing were unaffected by rounding the leading edge, whereas for
the trapezoidal wing the pitching-moment coefficients were lower and the
chordwise centers of pressure more rearward for the round-leading-edge
wing than for the sharp-leading-edge wing. The wing-root bending-moment
coefficients were lower and the spanwise centers of pressure closer to
the wing root for both the delta and trapezoidal wings when the leading
edge was rounded. The removal of the wing tips of the two delta wings
produced lower lift and drag coefficients. The resultant maximum lift-
drag ratios were unchanged for the sharp-leading-edge wings and higher
for the round-leading-edge wings. The chordwise centers of pressure
moved forward when the wing tips were removed to produce increased
pitching-moment coefficients, while the percent-semispan centers of
pressure moved outward to produce increased wing-root bending-moment
coefficients.

INTRODUCTION

The bulk of the available design data for supersonic aircraft and
missiles lies in the speed range up to a Mach number of roughly 2. A
considerable increase has recently occurred in contemplated design speeds,
and thus the need for research data in the speed range from Mach number 2
to about 5 has greatly increased. In order to provide some of the needed
data, a wing program has been started in the Langley 9- by 9-inch Mach
number -l- blowdown jet. This program has two objectives: first, to

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2 CONFIDENTIAL NACA RN L53D30a

establish the performance at Mach number 4.04 of a number of related

wings of particular interest in this speed range; and, second, to develop,
if possible, means of correlation with the available results for other
supersonic Mach numbers. In this program the effects of plan form,
thickness ratio, maximum-thickness location (published in ref. 1), and
leading- and trailing-edge profiles on wing force characteristics are
being investigated.

This report presents the results of rounding the wedge-leading-edge

profiles of a delta wing and a trapezoidal wing and the effects on two
delta wings, differing only in that one has a wedge leading edge and the
other a round leading edge, of changing the plan form by removing the
tips at the 56.3- p ercent-semispan station.

SYMBOLS

Moments are presented about the wind or stability axes.

M free-stream Mach number

free-stream dynamic pressure

c wing root chord

b wing span, twice semispan

S semispan wing area

a angle of attack

R Reynolds number based on wing root chord

N normal force of semispan wing

L lift of semispan wing

D drag of semispan wing

pitching moment of semispan wing about two-thirds

root chord

B bending moment due to lift of semispan wing about

root chord

CN normal-force coefficient, N/qS

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NACA RM L53D30a CONFIDENTIAL 3

CL lift coefficient, L/qS

CD drag coefficient, D/qS

C, pitching-moment coefficient, Mt/qSc

Cb wing-root bending-moment coefficient, -p.-

4
fdC \.
2/3 - chordwise center of pressure at zero angle of attack
^TCmN)N=O
dC\
(7
spanwise center of pressure at zero angle of attack
L r,=o

APPARATUS AND TESTS

The tests were conducted in the Langley 9- by 9-inch Mach number 4

blowdown jet which is described, and for which test-section flow cali-
bration is presented, in reference 2. The settling-chamber pressure,
which was held constant by a pressure-regulating valve, and the corre-
sponding air temperature were continuously recorded on film during each
run. An external side-wall-mounted strain-gage balance was used to
measure the normal force, chord force, pitching moment, and wing-root
bending moment of the models. The semispan models were mounted through
a tunnel-wall boundary-layer bypass plate (fig. 1) shaped to preserve
the basic tunnel flow without introducing detrimental disturbances and
located far enough from the tunnel wall so as to eliminate tunnel-wall
boundary-layer effects. Balance deflections under load necessitated
about 0.10-inch clearance all around the models at the root chord. Force
tests of a rectangular wing equipped with pressure orifices on its sur-
face just outboard and inboard of the gap at the wing root showed that
air flow in and out of the 0.10-inch gap caused large changes in the wing
surface pressures at angles of attack,which caused erroneous force and
moment readings. A sliding-plate gap-sealing mechanism was therefore
developed (fig. 2) which allowed the wing to move freely under load and
reduced the effects of gap leakage to a negligible amount. Force tests
were made which showed that the small friction existing between the
sliding and the stationary plates did not produce any measurable forces
or moments.

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14 CONFIDENTIAL NACA EM L53D30a

The Reynolds number for the tests was 9.3 X io6, based on the model
root chord. Because of adverse effects from choking behind the bypass
plate at high angles of attack, the angle-of-attack range was limited to
± 1 41 0 . The tests were run at humidities below 5.0 x10 6 pounds of water
vapor per pound of dry air, which is believed to be low enough to elimi-
nate water condensation effects. The test-section static temperature
and static pressure did not reach the point where liquefaction of air
would take place.

MODELS

The models (fig. 3) consisted of two wings of delta plan form and
two wings of trapezoidal plan form. One delta wing had a 60 0 sweptback
leading edge, aspect ratio of 2.31, and a modified symmetrical hexagonal
section, 3 percent thick at the root, consisting of a wedge leading edge,
parallel-sided midsection, and a half-blunt wedge trailing edge and having
constant thickness out to the 56.3-percent-semispan station. The second
delta wing had the same plan form and thickness variation but had the
wedge leading edge replaced by a modified NACA 0003-63 section. The two
aspect-ratio-0.91 trapezoidal wings (fig. 3(b)) were obtained by removing
the tips of the two delta wings at the 56.3-percent-seinispan station.

PRECISION OF DATA

The uncertainties involved in measuring the forces and moments and

computing the aerodynamic coefficients and the center-of-pressure loca-
tions have been evaluated. The probable uncertainties are listed below.
The center-of-pressure inaccuracies refer to the centers of pressure
obtained by the slope method at zero angle of attack.

a, deg ................................tO.
cz..................................±0.05
CL................................±0.005
CD...............................±0.001
Cm ...............................±0.001
Cb................................±0.003

Chordwise center of pressure, (dCm

_), percent c ........±1
dCN

Spanwise center of pressure, percent b/2 .......±2

CONFIDENTIAL
NACA RN L 53D3 0a CONFIDENTIAL 5

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results (figs. ii. to 7) are presented as the variations of lift,

drag, pitching-moment, and wing-root bending-moment coefficients and
lift-drag ratios and centers of pressure with angle of attack. The cen-
ters of pressure at zero angle of attack, obtained by the slope method,
are indicated by the short horizontal lines on the a = 0 0 axis.

Rounding the wedge leading edges of the delta and trapezoidal wings
(figs. 4 and 5) had no effect on the lift coefficients of the trapezoidal
wing but for the delta wing it resulted in lower lift coefficients. As
shown in figures 4(b) and 5(b), the minimum drag coefficients were
increased by .51 percent for the delta wing and 32 percent for the trape-
zoidal wing when the leading edges were rounded, and the maximum lift-
drag ratios were 18 percent lower for the delta wing and 11 percent lower
for the trapezoidal wing. The chordwise centers of pressure and pitching-
moment coefficients of the delta wing were unaffected by rounding the
leading edge, but in the case of the trapezoidal wing the chordwise cen-
ters of pressure moved slightly rearward and produced lower pitching-
moment coefficients. The spanwise centers of pressure of the round-
leading-edge delta wing were in general closer to the wing root than
those of-the sharp-leading-edge delta wing and this, in combination with
the lower lift coefficients, resulted in lower wing-root bending-moment
coefficients for the round-leading-edge delta wing. The trapezoidal wing
exhibited the same inward movement of the spanwise centers of pressure
when the leading edge was rounded but as there was no change in lift
coefficients, the resultant decreases , in . -wing-root bending-moment coef-
ficients were much smaller than those of the delta wing.

The removal of the tips from the two delta wings at the 5 6. 3-percent
-semipanto(fgs.6and7)reultidconslift-urve
slope (figs. 6(a) and 7(a)) of 9 percent for the sharp-leading-edge wing
and 6 percent for the round-leading-edge wing. At the same time, the
minimum drag coefficient of the sharp-leading-edge wing (fig. 6(b)) was
reducedby 12 percent, whereas that of the round-leading-edge wing
(fig. 7(b)) was reduced by 23 percent. This is in the direction to be
expected and is a result of the removal of the 6.9-percent-thick tips.
The lower lift and lower dragproduced maximum lift-drag ratios that were
unchanged in the case of the sharp-leading-edge wing and 9 percent higher
for the round-leading-edge wing. The chordwise centers of pressure moved'
forward, increasing the pitching-moment coefficients, while the percent-.
semispan centers of pressure moved outward to produce higher wing-root
bending-moment coefficients.

CONFIDENTIAL
6 CONFIDENTIAL NACA RN L53D30a

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

An investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of two delta

wings and two trapezoidal wings, having modified hexagonal airfoil sec-
tions 3 percent thick at the root, has been made at a Mach number of 4.04
and Reynolds number of 9.3 x 1 6. The results have been analyzed and
indicate that:

1. Rounding the wedge leading edges of the delta and trapezoidal

wings decreased the lift of the delta wing but had no effect on the lift
of the trapezoidal wing. For both wings the drag increased and the maxi-
mum lift-drag ratio decreased. The pitching-moment coefficients and
centers of pressure of the-delta wing were unaffected by rounding the
leading edge, whereas for the trapezoidal wing the pitching-moment coef-
ficients were lower and the chordwise centers of pressure more rearward
for the round-leading-edge wing than for the sharp-leading-edge wing.
The wing-root bending-moment coefficients were lower and the spanwise
centers of pressure closer to the wing root for both the delta and trape-
zoidal wings when the leading edge was rounded.

2. Removing the tips from the two delta wings at the 5 6. 3-pe rcent-
semispan station produced lOwer lift and drag coefficients. The result-
ant maximum lift-drag ratios were unchanged for the sharp-leading-edge
wing and higher for the round-leading-edge wing. The chordwise centers
of pressure moved forward, increasing the pitching-moment coefficients,
while the percent-semispan centers of pressure moved outward to produce
higher wing-root bending-moment coefficients.

Langley Aeronautical Laboratory,

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics,
Langley Field, Va.

REFERENCES

1. Ulmann, Edward F., and Dunning, Robert W.: Aerodynamic Characteristics

of Two Delta Wings at Mach Number 4.04 and Correlations of Lift and
Minimum-Drag Data for Delta Wings at MachNumbers from 1.62 to 6.9.
NACA RN L52K19, 1952.

2. tJlmann, Edward F., and Lord, Douglas R.: An Investigation of Flow

Characteristics at Mach Number 4.04 Over 6- and 9-Percent-Thick
Symmetrical Circular-Arc Airfoils Having 30-Percent-Chord Trailing-
Edge 'Flaps. NACA RN L51D30, 1951.

CONFIDENTIAL
NACA 1M L53D30a CONFIDENTIAL 7

Air flow

//////////
Side view

Top view

Figure 1.- Schematic diagram of test section of Langley 9- by 9-inch

Mach number Ii. blowdown jet and balance arrangement. All dimensions
are in inches.
CONFIDENTIAL
8 CONFIDENTIAL NACA flM L53D30a

()
a)
CO

ctl

.. .;3 ..
0 o •g bO
•. cd
a) .,-. a) to
a)
cd a)
0.
0 Q_ to
0. 0 CO

bO
a) a)

.2 Qa) bo

CO a)0.
N
Cc

PA

- rd
o
I

r1r
I I

-
11111

) I
II -

- --6_---

CONFIDENTIAL
NACA RM L53D0a CONFIDENTIAL 9

L6T
C

To. C. \

\
I\

a,
biD

?aO
0
co

•0
U)
W

C)

P1-1

a)

Cl)

(I)

rd

Cd

rd

060 o1 Cc
a)

c-I
0

I1

U Cd
a, •r1

a,
ho I
•0

ho
ci)
a,
CL

Cd
.,-

CONFIDEMIAL
10 CONFIDENTIAL NACA RM L53D30a

060 LC61 081

-1
JLI\
4I
OD V

0
Co
L\ \ C
0
a)
ha
0a)
ha

Cd
W
C)

/2K\
•0
0
Cd
\

0
a)

•
a)

0
Cd
0C)
;
A (1) 'd
CO a)
Id
0 \ \\ .
H
C)
H
cd 0
.o
o i
a) pe'

oI.

0
0

Q)
ha
• 0a)
ha
C
•0Cd
a)

0.
-c'a
CO

co

CONFIDENTIAL
 NACA RM L53D30a CONFIDENTIAL 11

Delta wings
0 C
0 Cm] Sharp leading edge
CJJ -
Cmj Round leading edge
(>

-
'I
.02

'44
S
0
.01 .01
C-)

0
a) 8
C-,
0
8.3 a,
S
0
S
50
0
-.01 .01 •

W. .02

-.24
4,

-.32
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16

Angle of attack, a, deg

(a) Lift coefficients and pitching-moment coefficients.

Delta wings
.08,

.06
6
C
C-)
a
a)0
El .04
4-
a)0 0
0 a)
ho
a) 50
a)
C
2

op 1 1 1 1 1 1
-16 -12 Jo
-8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack,. , deg

(b) Drag coefficients and lift-drag ratios.

Figure #.- Aerodynamic characteristics of two 3-percent-thick delta wings.

M = 4.04; R = 9.3 x 106 based on wing root chord.

CONFIDENTIAL
12 COIFIDENTIAL NACA RM L73D30a

.15
Delta wings
o Round
Sharp leading edge
leading edge
.10
.0
0

.9 .05
0
C)
0
G)
8 0

-.05
0I-.
ho
0

-.10

-.15 I I I I
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, e , deg

(c) Wing-root bending-moment coefficients.

70
a)

00.0
2/3 dCN , sharp leading edge / 2/3 - (dCm\
leading edge
g 60 N=0 I - dCN)N' round
Delta wings
I
we
a) 0 Sharp leading edge I I
oa
50
Round leading edge I
-lb - -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack,a , deg

(d) Chordwise centers of pressure.

a. 50
Delta wings
Q Sharp leading edge cr
dCb)
('!C
round leading edge

A Round leading edge

j. 2i 40 L_!_______4___.__ 0
CL I
- Ca
0 ^(dCb
0
a) sharp leading edge
0
a
0
10 -1 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack , a , deg

(e) Spanwise centers of pressure.

Figure .— Concluded.
CONFIDENTIAL
NACA BM L53D30a COIFIDENTI.AL 13

.32
Trapezoidal wings
gC
C LSharp leading edge
.24
Ls CL
<) Cm Round leading edge

.16

C
0
0
C)
0 C)
1:1
0 8
C,

+ 0
C,
8 H
0- 0
H
ho

.0
-.08 C,

-.18

- -.24

-.32
--18 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 - 16
Angle of attack, , deg

(a) Lift coefficients and pitching-moment coefficients.

Trapezoidal wings
.08 8

.06
0
0
0
.04 4I
C)
C, CO
0
C) -C)
CO
C)

C .-1
.02 2

0
-18 -12 -8 -4 4 8 12 180
Angie of attack, , deg

(b) Drag coefficients and lift-drag ratios.

Figure 5.- Aerodynamic characteristics of two 3-percent-thick trapezoidal

wings. M = 4.04; B =9.3 x 106 based on wing root chord.

CONFIDENTIAL
14 CONFIDENTIAL NACA IN L53D30a

.15
I I
1
ITrapezoidal wings

I
I
I
II 0
L
Sharp leading edge
Round leading edge I I
I ]
.10

0
a)
0 .05

U
0
0
8

•0

-.05
0
0

-.15
II
-iS -o o 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a , deg

(c) Wing-root bending-moment coefficients.

Trapezoidal wings
70
fo Sharp leading edge
Round leading edge dc\
I I I
00 2/3 - (\dCN)N=o' round leading edge
/
.,
0
60
ee
K fdCm\
a)
2/3 - (—) , sharp leading edge
\dCNJN
50
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 .4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a , deg

(d) Chordwise centers of pressure.

70
Trapezoidal wings
0
0)
U 0 Sharp leading edge
0) Round leading edge
a 60
(dCb\
Sharp leading edge
0a)

50

4
y1ead
40
-16 - -u -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(e) Spanwise centers of pressure.

Figure 7.- Concluded.

CONFIDENTIAL
NACA PM 'L53D3Oa CONFIDENTIAL 17

.32 -
Sharp-leading-edge wings

Q CLj
Delta -
.24 ._DCm
A CL
1 Trapezoidal
CMJ

16
.02

6
.08 C)
C) .01 -
C

C C,

C,
0 0
C,
0
C, C
C,
6
-1 0
6
-.08
C
.01 0

-.16
.02

-.24

-.32 -
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 - 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(a) Lift coefficients and pitching-moment coefficients.

.08
Sharp-leading-edge wings 8

o 1, Delta A CD
3
Trapezoidal
C] L/DJ K L/Dj
.06
a 6
0 a
C
C,
0
.i .04 a
C, 4,-
0
a
0
C

.02

NACA
0
-16 - 0
-12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(b) Drag coefficients and lift-drag ratios.

Figure 6.-
Aerodynamic characteristics of a 3-percent-thick sharp-leading-
edge delta wing and 'a 3-percent-thick sharp-leading_edge trapezoidal
wing. M = 4.o4; R 9.3 X'106 based on wing root chord.

CONFIDENTIAL
16 CONFIDENTIAL NACA RM L53D30a

.15
Sharp-leading-edge wings
o Delta
10
A Trapezoidal

.05
a,
0
C)

0
S
as0
•0

-.05

I
-.10

-.15 L
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(c) Wing-root bending-moment coefficients.

70
a
o
2/3 - ^ delta wing
°g 60 V
C ) N=
.5,,
we,
0
Sharp -leading-edge

o Delta
wings A
(dC\
4
2/3 - t,, —) , trapezoidal wing
CL
Tr apezoidal N 1N=.0
50 I
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(d) Chordwjse centers of pressure.

60
Sharp-leading-edge wings
0
a,
C)
o Delta (dcb
trapezoidal wing
A Trapezoidal 1'JLO '

A
Ii a
.5 40
a,
0
a) /dCb\ o
U delta wing
30 o
-16 -f -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(e) Spanwise centers of pressure.

Figure 6.- Concluded.

CONFIDEN TIAL.
 NACA RM L55D30a CONFIDENTIAL 17

32
Round-leading-edge wings
OCL1
Delta
24 DCmJ
Cm
'], Trapezoidal

16 .02

0
.08 0
.01
() a,C

a,C a,0
0
a,0 C
0
C) 0
0
0
-.08 -.01

-.16 01-f -.02

-.24

-.32
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, e, deg

(a) Lift coefficients and pitching-moment coefficients.

.06 X
4N
I
0
Cj LID1
Round-leading-edge wings
CD Delta A CD Trapezoidal
(> LIDI
I— _j q 8

6
C C
C)

a, 0
.04 4
0 50
0 a,
C,
50 't
a,

C
.02 2

0 0
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(b) Drag coefficients and lift-drag ratios.

Figure 7.- Aerodynamic characteristics of a 3-percent-thick round-leading-

edge delta wing and a 3-percent-thick round-leading-edge trapezoidal
wing. M = 4.04; R = 9.3 x 10 6 based on wing root chord.

CONFIDENTIAL
18 CONFIDENTIAL NACA HM L53D30a

.15
Round-leading-edge wings
Q Delta
.10 Trapezoidal
U

C)

.05
C)
0
U

C)
80
O 0
00

•0
0,

-.05
ho
0,

-.10

-.15 -
-15 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(c) Wing-root bending-moment coefficients.

2/3 - ,.,
70 ________________________________________
CN)

Coo
0-6 60
° .-.
"C
Round-leading edge wings
Coo,
2/ fdCm\
o"a 0 Delta trapezoidal wing
Trapezoidal
50
-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(d) Chordwjse centers of pressure.

60
I I Round-leading-ede wings
0,
aU
trapezoidal wing 0 Delta
dCL)
(s-
50 Trapezoidal

Coo

'0 40-
0,
a Q)0 Ocb)
C
a
0
30
-16 -12 -8
'H -4
0
0 4
I

8 12 16
Angle of attack, a, deg

(e) Spanwise centers of pressure.

Figure 7.- Concluded.—

CONFIDENTIAL
NACA-Langley - 8-11-53 -
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