EC99-45278-2
The primary goal of the SuperSonic Natural Laminar Flow experiment was to investigate the extent and stability of natural laminar flow at supersonic speeds on a specially designed airfoil. Additional goals were: a) to refine the technique of using infrared (IR) thermography to identify and locate transition fronts and shocks, and obtain flight data to validate analytical techniques for aerodynamic and thermal predictions.
Using an aircraft mounted infrared camera, laminar flow was measured on a test wing mounted on the centerline pylon of an F-15B aircraft. An infrared camera was used to measure surface temperatures that change with the different boundary layer states. The surface beneath the turbulent boundary layer was warmer due to the higher convection of the turbulent layer.December 3, 1999NASA Photo / Jim Ross› F-15B Project Description