On the prospects for increasing dynamic lift

Abstract

Summary A review is given of some recent research, mainly at low speeds, into the development of dynamic lift. Sudden movement of aerodynamic surfaces can generate dynamic lift due to the transient development of separated flow. These dynamic effects are large and well established for aerofoils. They are considered likely to be small for highly swept wings and negligible for slender wings, but there is little experimental evidence to support this inference. The dynamic lift might be increased if conventional sinusoidal motions can be replaced by appropriate periodic saw-tooth motions. The control of large-scale flow separations by rapid movements of aerodynamic surfaces requires further investigation to resolve some of the controversial issues raised in the review.