Advanced transport aircraft aerodynamics in cooperation with Airbus Industrie

The aim of this article is to present some investigations dealing with new technologies for transport aircraft applications which have been conducted at ONERA during the last decade in close cooperation with Airbus Industrie. The work described is devoted to the important task of drag reduction. After a short analysis of the drag breakdown as observed on a typical configuration different approaches for reducing wave drag, induced drag and skin friction drag will be discussed. As it will be shown, the approach used starts from basic investigations and may lead to flight tests when their interest is demonstrated. This was already the case for the final evaluation of riblets which enable the turbulent skin friction drag to be reduced and at present the flight testing of the A320 HLF fin is under preperation to evaluate the hybrid laminar flow concept. The mutual interest for such a cooperation in the present economic context is underlined.