Numerical Assessment of Leading- and Trailing-Edge Control on a Swept Lambda Wing

Abstract

The next generation of agile unmanned combat aerial vehicles has put focus on the stability and control of low observable platforms. Without the traditional fin for yaw control combined with delta wings, a challenging task has been presented to the research community. The NATO research group AVT-201 was formed to meet this challenge and build on previous knowledge gained on the complex vortical flow of rounded leading-edge delta wings. This paper presents two numerical studies made by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and the French Aerospace Lab (ONERA) on traditional trailing-edge control and a more unconventional type of leading-edge flap control. Results from the FOI-developed flow solver Edge, using trailing-edge control, on a low observable 53 deg swept lambda wing model are compared to experimental data. The effect of leading-edge control is investigated by ONERA with a slightly smaller-scaled model, using the in-house code elsA, and validated by experimental data. Additional static and dynamic derivatives are evaluated by ONERA for the clean configuration.