Atmospheric gusts a review of the results of some recent R.A.E. research

Abstract

Recent R.A.E. research on gusts has been particularly concerned with severe gusts and the situations in which they occur. In the stratosphere, mountain wave conditions and those in the vicinity of thunderstorm tops have been investigated. At lower altitudes, gusts in and near thunderstorms have also been studied, as have wind and gust effects likely to be significant during take-off and landing. This work has relevance both to aircraft operations and to aircraft design. In the latter connection, recent work on mathematical models of severe gusts is also described. Mention is made of the effects of pilot control activity during flight through gusts.