Pressure measurements on a proposed optical window fairing for the ALTUS II Unmanned Air Vehicle

Abstract

Low-speed wind tunnel tests were conducted to determine surface pressure measurements on a proposed aerodynamic fairing for the Altus II UAV. These tests were conducted at various angle-of-attack and sideslip positions to determine the effect on the surface pressures for the optical window portion of the fairing. Of particular interests were the pressure contour field located over the optical window region and the total force exerted on this area. Scaled- up loads (lbf) as calculated on the window ran from 1.0 to 1.6 times the freestream dynamic pressure (psf). Pressure measurements were also taken on the upper fuselage of the Altus II UAV model to determine the location of the peak suction area. These measurements provided the data to optimize the placement of external vents on the full-scale version of the airframe.