Influence of flexibility on the steady aeroelastic behavior of a swept wing in transonic flow

When the model is rigid in the transonic regime and at moderate angles of incidence the pressure distribution exhibits a single shock system, in contrast for the flexible wing there is a double shock system. For the flexible wing up to about Ma=0.82 the curves of global lift, moment and their derivatives are rather smooth and are remaining on nearly the same level. Beyond there are moderate deviations up to the end of the transonic regime. However examining the corresponding curves of the rigid wing the changes are drastic, particularly in the transonic range. Obviously the structural wash-out, particularly of the outer wing leads to an attenuation of the transonic effects.