An investigation of rear empennage aerodynamics

The rear empennage of a fixed wing aircraft is critical for the stability and control of the aircraft. While much attention has been paid to the design of the aircraft wing, relatively little has been done for the evolution of the rear empennage such that better aerodynamic performance can be achieved through control concepts, material choice and aeroelastic tailoring, forward sweep and significant departures in basic layout. The aim of the research project is to use a suite of purpose-built wind tunnel models to investigate control effectiveness of a range of concepts. The emphasis will be on force and moment measurement combined with flow field investigation such that the underlying mechanisms can be understood. The data provided will be of direct relevance to companies like Airbus, and significant outcomes can be published in journals such as AIAA, Aerospace Science and Technology.