Unit-step motion of a wide delta-wing

• Main Author: Parkinson, Geoffrey Vernon
• Format: Others
• Published: 1951
• Online Access: https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1628/1/Parkinson_gv_1951.pdf; Parkinson, Geoffrey Vernon (1951) Unit-step motion of a wide delta-wing. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/73TW-ZE47. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05052006-090936 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05052006-090936>

The effect on a wide delta wing in supersonic flight of the sudden imposition of a small velocity perturbation normal to the plane of the wing is considered. The resulting pressure field on the wing is found in closed form in terms of elementary functions. The corresponding solution for the infinite swept wing with supersonic edges is obtained as a by-product, and for this the terms of the transient pressure coefficient are shown to have geometric significance. The force and moment coefficients are obtained by means of a method of descent, which simplifies the calculations and shows the nature of the dependence of these coefficients on the wing planform. Because of the short duration and moderate strength of the transient effects of the unit-step motion, it is considered to be of little practical importance. However, because of the simplicity of the solutions for the motion, it is also considered to be of possible theoretical value as a basis for Duhamel integration to obtain solutions for more general time-dependent motions of the wide delta wing.