A comparison of wing pressure distributions measured in flight and on a windtunnel model of the super VC. 10

Abstract

It is generally assumed--or at least, hoped--that pressure distributions measured on windtunnel models apply directly to the full-scale aircraft and that they can therefore be used for aerodynamic appraisal and for stressing or loading calculations. There are however various reasons why exact correspondence may not always be achieved and there is a continuing need for direct comparison between full-scale and model data for typical practical cases; only in this way can one obtain final validation of the techniques used in the tunnel tests. This report presents one such comparison--between pressure measurements in flight over the wing of a Super VC.10 and correspondingly, for a 1/15 scale half-model tested in the A.R.A. 9 ft x 8 ft transonic tunnel at a Reynolds number of 5.4 x 10power6.