Wing rock mode and its mechanism of a flying-wing aircraft

The flying wing is an aerodynamic configuration with high efficiency, but the lack of lateral-directional stability has always been an obstacle that limits its application. In this study, the wing rock motion of a 65 degrees swept flying-wing aircraft is studied via wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations at a low speed, and various unsteady motion phenomena are focused on. Both the experimental and numerical results show that the flying wing has a bicyclic C-l-phi hysteresis loop during its wing rock, different from the slender delta wing, rectangular wing, generic aircraft configuration, etc., which have a tricyclic hysteresis loop. This form of hysteresis loop implies a different energy exchange manner of the flying wing in the wing rock oscillation. Further analysis shows that the flying wing forms a unilateral leading-edge vortex (LEV) under a high roll angle, with its wing rock oscillation driven by the 'vortex-shear-layer' structure, which is different from that of slender and non-slender delta wings. Moreover, the quantitative dynamic hysteresis characteristics of the LEV's strength and location for the flying wing and the slender delta wing are also different. These results have proven the existence of a wing rock mode which is different from previous investigations, which enriches the understanding of self-induced oscillation. Present discoveries are also conducive to the aerodynamic shape design and flight manipulation of a flying-wing aircraft, which is significant for its wider application.