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F-16XL Ship #2 Supersonic Laminar Flow Control experiment

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NASA

Sep 27, 2009
Image Article
F-16XL Ship #2
The perforated titanium overlay mounted on the upper surface of the left wing is clearly evident on this view of NASA 848, a highly modified F-16XL aircraft flown by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in the Supersonic Laminar Flow Control (SLFC) research program.

EC96-43831-1
The perforated titanium overlay mounted on the upper surface of the left wing is clearly evident on this view of NASA 848, a highly modified F-16XL aircraft flown by NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in the Supersonic Laminar Flow Control (SLFC) research program, which was managed by Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA.
The two-seat, single-engine craft, one of only two “XL” F-16s built, concluded the SLFC project with its 45th data collection mission. The project demonstrated that laminar-or smooth-airflow could be achieved over a major portion of a wing at supersonic speeds by use of a suction system. The system drew a small part of the boundary-layer air through millions of tiny laser-drilled holes in the “glove” fitted to the upper left wing.October 25, 1996NASA Photo › F-16XL-2 Project Description