Passive control of transition in three-dimensional boundary layers, with emphasis on discrete roughness elements

Abstract

A brief review of laminar flow control techniques is given and a strategy for achieving laminarization for transonic transport aircraft is discussed. A review of some flight-test results on swept-wing transition is presented. It is also shown that polished leading edges can create large regions of laminar flow because the flight environment is relatively turbulence free and the surface finish reduces the initial amplitude of the stationary crossflow vortex.