Extended Formation Flight at Transonic Speeds

Aerodynamics of a highly irregular body at transonic speeds—Analysis of STRATOS flight data

In this paper, we analyze the trajectory and body attitude data of Felix Baumgartner's supersonic free fall through the atmosphere on October 14, 2012. As one of us (UW) was scientific advisor to the Red Bull Stratos team, the analysis is based on true body data (body mass, wetted pressure suit surface area) and actual atmospheric data from weather balloon measurements. We also present a fully ...

Free-Flight Measurements of Control Effectiveness on Three Wing Planforms at Transonic Speeds

Fluid Structure Interaction on AGARD 445.6 wing at Transonic Speeds

Aircraft is a complex structure, but a very efficient man made fly ing machine. An aircraft is a machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. It counters the force of grav ity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet. In this project the flu id–structure inte...

Adaptive Airfoils for Drag Reduction at Transonic Speeds

Adaptive airfoils and wings can provide superior performance at the expense of increased cost and complexity. In this paper, an aerodynamic optimization algorithm is used to assess an adaptive airfoil concept for drag reduction at transonic speeds. The objective is to quantify both the improvements in drag that can be achieved and the magnitude of the shape changes needed. In an initial study, ...

Budgerigar flight in a varying environment: flight at distinct speeds?

How do flying birds respond to changing environments? The behaviour of budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus, was filmed as they flew through a tapered tunnel. Unlike flying insects-which vary their speed progressively and continuously by holding constant the optic flow induced by the walls-the birds showed a tendency to fly at only two distinct, fixed speeds. They switched between a high speed ...