The reason for sharp leading edged wings on high speed aircraft is to
- enable the shockwave to be accurately positioned.
- enable the shockwave to be pushed aft and reduce wave drag.
- reduce the laminar boundary layer thickness on the wing surface.
Explanation from PART66Online
A sharp leading edge lets the shock wave attach precisely at the edge as an attached oblique shock rather than forming a detached, higher-drag bow shock. This fixes (accurately positions) where the shock forms, which is desirable on supersonic aircraft for predictable flow and reduced wave drag.
M
max.steelame asked · 24 Jan 2019
Please explain
Community Comments (1)
J
Jordi
26 Jun 2020
I think it means the shockwave of the airflow during the downwashing will be positioned better and thus the a/c will be better stabilized.This is mostly used for fighter a/cs
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