Quote:
Originally Posted by kach22i
I'm assuming the laminar airflow over the top of the P51 wing would have quite the velocity, in a dive at least.
Notice the tiny turntable built into the wing.
Not sure if this disk would be adjustable in flight, or even how testing data would be accumulate.
Guess I have to read the paper. 
http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4302/ch2.3.htm
Reminds me of testing shapes/bodies on the roof of cars. |
They'd need some sort of 3-axis mechanical load cell inside the wind to measure pitch, yaw and roll,or detect flutter.
Since very sharp leading edges and the 'all-moving-tail' was the SOLUTION for supersonic flight,NACA may have just been concentrating on transonic shockwave/variable center-of-pressure related control surface issues.
Many test pilots died in near-supersonic dives when they lost all pitch control as shockwaves moved the wing's center -of-pressure and blocked airflow over control surfaces.They quite literally could not pull out of the dive.