An Experimental Study on Unmanned Scaled Supersonic Experimental Airplane

Abstract

Several kinds of wind tunnel tests for the National EXperimental Supersonic Transport (NEXST) program have been conducted since 1999 at the supersonic and transonic wind tunnels in NAL, the high speed wind tunnel in FHI and the large supersonic wind tunnel (S2MA) in ONERA. The main objectives of the tests for the NEXST-1 airplane were to confirm the supersonic natural laminar flow (NLF) wing design based on a CFD inverse design method, to collect aerodynamic data on the supersonic separation from a rocket booster and to demonstrate the transition measurement method applied at flight test. All the tests have already been completed. The tests on the NEXST-2 airplane have been conducted since 2001. The main objectives of them are to validate our CFD design tool for a complicated configuration with propulsion system, to supply effective aerodynamic data to be used in the detailed system design phase. In addition, some wind tunnel tests on fundamental research activities such as a HLD performance improvement technology and a low boom design technology have been continued. According to those tests, first of all, we experimentally confirmed the NLF wing design concept and transition measurement method for the flight test. Then we obtained lots of effective aerodynamic data for the supersonic separation and the complicated configuration with two large engine nacelles. Furthermore, some tests on the HLD and sonic boom research activities have provided good aerodynamic data in advancing their technologies.