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Abstract:

An investigation to determine the performance of eight NACA 1-series inlets at massflow ratios near 1.0 was conducted in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel. The inlet diameter ratios (ratio of inlet diameter to maximum diameter) were 0.85 and 0.89 for an inlet length ratio (ratio of inlet length to maximum diameter) of 1.0. Inlet lip radius varied from 0.061 cm to 0.251 cm, and internal contraction area ratio (ratio of inlet area to throat area) varied from 1.006 to 1.201. Reynolds number based on model maximum diameter ranged from 3,600,000 at a Mach number of 400,000 to 5,900,000 at a Mach number of 1.29. The results indicate that nearly uniform pressure distributions on a given inlet were obtained over a limited range of mass-flow ratios and Mach numbers. When inlet lip thickness was increased by means of lip radius or contraction ratio, the inlet critical Mach number decreased. Drag-divergence Mach number inferred from forebody pressure integrations was above 0.94 for most of the inlets tested.

Author(s):
R.J. Re