Divergence experiment prediction techniques of flat-plate forward-swept wing in wind tunnel

The divergence experiment prediction technique of flat-plate forward-swept wings is presented. The Southwell method, a subcritical divergence experiment technique, was used for the prediction of divergence dynamic pressure. By testing, some key techniques in the prediction experiment and the critical experiment are introduced. In these experiments, three flat-plate forward-swept wings were tested, of which two are composite flat-plate wings and one is aluminum flat-plate wing. In order to predict and validate the result of the subcritical experiment, the divergence dynamic pressures were calculated before experiment and the critical divergence wind-tunnel experiments are carried out. Both the calculation result and the testing result indicate that better results can be attained by using the Southwell method. The divergence pressures of these models were calculated by the flexibility method of MSC/NASTRAN and the mode method developed by the authors, while the steady aerodynamics of the subsonic Double-Lattice method is used for the aerodynamic calculation in the two methods. By making some comparisons among the results of calculation, prediction experiment and critical experiment, it can be seen that all the three methods can achieve better results.