Boundary Layer Control for Low Drag: A Review of the Present Situation and an Assessment of the Potentialities of Laminarization Techniques

Abstract

OPTIMIZATION of wing design aims at finding the best compromise between conflicting aerodynamic requirements and considerations of structure weight and stiffness. Since the profile drag of a laminarizcd aircraft is very small, the induced drag has to be correspondingly reduced for proper matching. Reduction of induced drag can only be obtained, for a given dynamic pressure at the cruise, by increasing the span, and that reflects on structure weight.

Citation

Lachmann, G.V. (1962), "Boundary Layer Control for Low Drag: A Review of the Present Situation and an Assessment of the Potentialities of Laminarization Techniques", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 34 No. 4, pp. 108-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb033548