Numerical Simulation of the F-16XL at Full-Scale Flight Test Conditions Using Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation

Abstract

The F-16XL flight test data has been used for many years in the CAWAPI program series as a challenging test case for numerical prediction of military aircraft at full-scale flight conditions. The complexity of the configuration and the variety of flight test conditions available challenge most computational fluid dynamics codes and turbulence models. This study documents the use of the Kestrel flow solver with its solution-based mesh refinement capability and Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation turbulence models for the F-16XL Flight Condition 25, a subsonic, high angle-of-attack flight condition that has proved particularly challenging for computational researchers. Spectral content of pressure data and the integrated lift, drag and pitching moment coefficients is also presented. The more advanced turbulence models, coupled with the more refined meshes, show very good agreement with flight test data and reasonable resolution of the unsteady frequency content.