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National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Technical Notes - Wind Tunnel Investigation of Effects of Various Aerodynamic Balance Shapes and Sweepback on Control Surface Characteristics of Semispan Tail Surfaces with NACA 0009, 0015, 66-009, 66(215)-014, and Circular Arc Airfoil Sections

A summary of force data on unswept and sweptback airplane control
surfaces is presented. Lift and hinge—moment characteristics were
determined for four unswept, semispan control surfaces, and lift, drag,
hinge moment, and pitching moment were determined for_two semispan,
sweptback control surfaces. These control surfaces were tested in the
9-foot wind tunnel of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aeronautics at
the Georgia Institute of Technology and were of the wide—chord type
suitable for use as elevators or rudders.

Measured values of the various parameters are compared with those
obtained from section data by application of lifting—surface and
lifting—line theory.

The data presented herein are the results of two wind—tunnel
investigations in the Georgia Institute of Technology 9-foot wind
tunnel. These tests were conducted under the sponsorship and with the
financial assistance of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
as part of an extensive wind-tunnel investigation to determine the
aerodynamic characteristics of balanced control surfaces in order to
supply data for design purposes.

Force—test measurements were made in three-dimensional flow to
determine the aerodynamic characteristics of the following control-
surface arrangements:

(l) A series of tail models having NACA 0009, 66-009, 0015, and
66(215)-Olh profiles, a sweep angle of 13.50 at the 25-percent—chord
line, a tail aspect ratio of 3.36, and a taper ratio of 0.h with
various unswept trailing-edge flap configurations. The flap configura-
tions tested included 30-percent-chord elliptic and sharp-nosed aeroa_
dynamically balanced flaps and internal-balance flaps, as well as some
30-percent-chord plain (radius—nose) flaps._ The balanced flaps had a
nose balance overhang of 35 percent of the local flap chord and a
constant flap nose gap. Plain tabs and two sizes of unshielded horn
balances were tested with some of the models.

The NACA 66-009 and 66(2l5)-Olh airfoil models were also constructed
without the cusp to give straight-contour flaps.

(2) A series of tail models having NACA 0009 or 9-percent-thick
circular-arc profiles, a sweep angle of h0° at the 25-percent—chord
line, a tail aspect ratio of 3.30, and a taper ratio of O.h with
balanced and plain flaps which were swept back 30.70 at the hinge line.
The model flaps were 30 percent of the tail chord measured parallel to
the air stream and had a 35-percent—flap-chord overhang. The flap nose
gap was held constant for the various overhangs tested. Only one size
of shielded horn was tested in conjunctiOn with the plain flap.