The aerodynamic loads on a Canard Rotor/Wing vehicle are investigated using inviscid numerical simulations in order to understand the flight characteristics of the vehicle during conversion from rotary to fixed-wing flight. A series of numerical simulations at seven azimuthal rotor indices are presented covering a quarter turn of the rotor. With symmetry arguments, these simulations produce 25 ...

The structural and aerodynamic performance of the air inlet volute has an important influence on the performance of the gas turbine. On one hand, it requires the airflow flowing through inlet volute as even as possible, in order to reduce the pressure loss, to avoid a decrease in the effective output power and an increase of the fuel consumption rate of the internal combustion engine which indi...

A multidisciplinary research effort that combines aerodynamic modeling and gain-scheduled control design for aircraft flight at post-stall conditions is described. The aerodynamic modeling uses a decambering approach for rapid prediction of post-stall aerodynamic characteristics of multiple-wing configurations using known section data. The approach is successful in bringing to light multiple so...

A study was undertaken at NASA Langley Research Center to establish, demonstrate, and apply methodology for modeling and implementing the aerodynamic effects of MANPADS damage to a transport aircraft into real-time flight simulation, and to demonstrate a preliminary capability of using such a simulation to conduct an assessment of aircraft survivability. Key findings from this study include: su...

The aerodynamic characteristics of the Coleopteran beetle species Epilachna quadricollis, a species with flexible hind wings and stiff elytra (fore wings), are investigated in terms of hovering flight. The flapping wing kinematics of the Coleopteran insect are modeled through experimental observations with a digital high-speed camera and curve fitting from an ideal harmonic kinematics model. Th...

This paper participates in the development of a unified approach to the control of aerial vehicles with extended flight envelopes. More precisely, modeling for control purposes of a class of thrust-propelled aerial vehicles subjected to lift and drag aerodynamic forces is addressed assuming a rotational symmetry of the vehicle’s shape about the thrust force axis. A condition upon aerodynamic ch...

It is desired to simulate natural rain in a wind tunnel in order to investigate its influence on the aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft. Rain simulation nozzles have been developed and tested at JPL. Pulsed laser sheet illumination is used to photograph the droplets in the moving airstream. Digital image processing techniques are applied to these photographs for calculation of rain statist...

The widespread use of aerosol therapy in the treatment of pulmonary diseases is based on optimizing drug properties and aerodynamic behavior of airborne particulates. In order to understand drug properties and aerodynamic behavior, it is important to recognize that each category of inhaler delivers a product with different physicochemical characteristics, and that these properties determine the...

This work describes the design and construction of a fully adaptive aircraft configuration used as an experimental testbed for aerodynamic modeling and flight control. The adaptive model is designed to achieve large scale shape changes in order to investigate morphing for multi-mission UAVs. There are five independent planform changes along with independent twist control for each wing. Wind tun...