The Osculating flowfield method of waverider geometry generation

Abstract

A new method to quickly generate waverider configurations has been developed. The new method is an extension of the popular Osculating Cone Method, and is called the "Osculating Flowfield Method.". In this new method the constraint of imposing a conical flowfield to each osculating plane is removed. A more generalized flowfield (e.g. concave or convex power law bodies) is permitted on each plane. The requirement to keep the crossflow terms small remains in effect and limits the range and distribution of the applicable flowfields. However, the additional flexibility in vehicle design permits certain planes feeding a propulsion system to be designed for increased pressure recovery, while other planes can be adjusted to improve aerodynamic performance. Additional advantages may include; tailoring of lift distribution to reduce trim drag, increased vehicle volume for the same drag, forward movement of the center-of-gravity due to reshaped nose regions, reduced skin friction and heat load due to delayed boundary layer transition, and improved aft body close-out. Copyright © 2005 by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.