Effect of Underwing Frost on a Transport Aircraft Airfoil at Flight Reynolds Number
M.B. Bragg and D.C. Heinrich
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
and
W.O. Valarezo
McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, Long Beach, California 90846
and
R.J. McGhee
NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 23681
ABSTRACT
The effect of underwing frost on a transport aircraft airfoil in a takeoff configuration was studied. Underwing
frost can occur when the lower surface of the wing is cooled by fuel cold-soaked in the wing tanks during cruise.
Frost may accrete on the wing lower surface while the aircraft is awaiting takeoff. A two-dimensional test was
performed in the NASA Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel on a representative high-lift airfoil with a
leading-edge slat and trailing-edge flap. Frost was simulated on the lower surface using distributed roughness
particles. The test was conducted at M = 0.2 and Re = 5 x 106 to 1.6 x 107. The effects of the frost on
performance were generally small, with the largest effects occurring for the open-slat case with the frost starting
at 12% chord. In this situation, it was found that the frost contaminated the upper surface boundary layer at
high angles of attack, increasing drag and reducing maximum lift.