Note on the influence of aspect ratio on the variation with mach number of the lift and hinge-moment characteristics of a wing and full-span control

Abstract

It is shown on the basis of the linearised theory that the effects of compressibility on the lift and hinge-moment characteristics of a wing and full-span control are functions of aspect ratio. With reduction in aspect ratio the increase of the lift characteristics with Mach number is reduced appreciably (see equation 12 and Table 1). The same effect is noted for the hinge-moment characteristic b1 (equation 13). The effects on the hinge-moment characteristics b2 and b3 are rather more complicated (equations 14 and 15), but in many practical cases the influence of aspect ratio will be very small.