Wind tunnel and flight performance of the YF-12 inlet system

Abstract

The steady-state internal performance from 1/3-scale and full-scale wind tunnel models of the YF-12 inlet system is compared with results from flight tests. All systems were thoroughly instrumented for static and total pressure measurements. Results obtained included the inlet mass flows, surface pressure distribution, boundary layer profiles, and detailed total pressure measurements at the engine face. Inlet performance is compared at Mach numbers 2.1 and 2.8 and at several Reynolds numbers over a wide range of inlet operating conditions. Analysis generally shows good agreement in the results between the three systems when inlet conditions are closely matched.