Langley Full-Scale-Tunnel Investigation of the Fuselage Boundary Layer on a Typical Fighter Airplane with a Single Liquid-Cooled Engine

Investigations showed that for the range of angles of attack and boundary layer profiles at various fuselage stations the maximum displacement thickness was nearly 1.2 in and was at the most rearward station. The displacement thickness was found to be greatly affected by the pressure gradients over the windshield-canopy combination and in the wing-fuselage juncture. An average value for the shape parameter between 1.3 and 1.4 was obtained for the turbulent boundary layer.