Flying Wing Research Articles

Flying wing—problems and decisions

Traditionally, one of the priority directions in TsAGI's research activity is searching for new concepts in the field of aviation technologies. In the context of these studies basic problems related to the development of advanced large-capacity aircraft of a flying-wing (FW) configuration have been studied at TsAGI since the late-1980s (Symposium on “Aeronautical Technology in XXI Century”, Moscow, September 1989; Conceptual design for passenger airplane of very large capacity in “flying wing” layout, ICAS 96-4.6.1, 1996). In the present paper primary emphasis is placed on the rationale of selecting FW main design solutions, aerodynamic configuration, structural concept as well as on development and analysis of alternative configurations. Consideration is also given to the problem, which is in the opinion of experts the most critical for this airplane type, namely, meeting FAR-25 standards with respect to airplane operation in emergency situations. At present the work on this concept is being conducted under the International Scientific and Technical Center grant No. 548. The project collaborators are AIRBUS INDUSTRIE and Boeing.

Aerodynamic Design of a Flying Wing Using Response Surface Methodology

The design of a subsonic e ying wing with maximized lift is considered. A novel method of surface generation, known as the partial differential equation (PDE) method, is used to parameterize the e ying wing. Because this method is able to parameterize complex geometries in terms of a small number of shape parameters, the computational costs that are normally associated with optimal aerodynamic design are dramatically reduced. The lift data, which are estimated using a low-order potential e ow panel method, are subject to numerical noise and yield, therefore, a design space that contains many spurious noise-induced local maxima. Standard methods of local optimization are severely hampered by this noise and may converge prematurely in nonoptimal plateau regions where the variation of the lift is small relative to that of the noise. To combat this inefe ciency, techniques from response surface methodology (RSM) are used to construct smooth analytic approximations of the noisy lift data, which can be optimized successfully. This combination of the PDE method and RSM results in a design approach that is both efe cient and robust. Three e ying-wing design problems areinvestigated, and the results are presented.

ARMSTRONG-WHITWORTH TAILLESS GLIDER

INFORMATION has just been released that an experimental glider of the 'Flying Wing' type, known as the A.W.52G., has been in operation since March 1945. It was designed and built in Messrs. Armstrong-Whitworth's works for experiment upon the behaviour of this kind of aircraft in those respects in which only full-scale tests give reliable data, particularly control and stability, without the mop conventional tail surfaces. Experience gained upon this will be used possibly for the design of larger tailless machines of multi-engined and jet-propelled types. Flying has been carried out by Mr. C. Turner-Hughes, followed by Mr. E. G. Franklin, and the design was due to the firm's chief designer, Mr. J. Lloyd.

Stability of Tailless Aeroplanes

IN a series of articles entitled “Tailless Aircraft and Flying Wings”, concluded last month, the evolution of the tailless aeroplane and the flying wing was treated. The different trends of the development were classified, and a short discussion of the difficulties which had been experienced during experimental work given.