Objectives, approach, and scope for the AVT-183 diamond-wing investigations

A roughly six-year investigation of blunt-leading-edge vortical separation has recently been completed. Principles from a hierarchical complexity approach were used to develop a simple diamond wing configuration with vortex flow properties that were relevant to those of a complex Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle concept, known as SACCON. The focus of this paper is to present an overview of the project including the basic flow of interest, the approach used to develop the specific research investigation, and the scope of the results. Subsequent papers address specific experimental and numerical findings. This work was conducted under the NATO Science and Technology Organization, Applied Vehicle Technology panel.