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The aerodynamic coefficients characteristics over a lambda-shaped flying wing aircraft with 55°-30° leading edge sweep angles have been investigated in a closed circuit low speed wind tunnel. The experiments were conducted at tunnel velocity of 90 m/s, the angles of attack of -6 to 17 and the side-slip angles of -8 to 8 degrees. All forces and moments were measured using an external six-component force balance located below the wind tunnel. The wall corrections were also performed for all test conditions. To improve the aircraft longitudinal stability characteristics, a new model with an increased leading edge sweep angle of 2 degrees were also tested and compared with the original model. A “pitch-up” phenomenon identified to occur at a rather low angle of attack of α=7.7 degrees, although it occurred at the higher angle of attack of α=8.7 degrees for the increased swept angle model which means an increase in useable lift of the aircraft. Moreover, off-surface pressure measurement over the wing surface was conducted to examine the onset and development of the flow separation over the wing surface. The results showed that the flow separation started at the trailing edge crank location and extended to the other parts of the wing, especially the outer wing.

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In during take-off and landing phases, flow structures and aerodynamics forces differ from the unbounded flow field. Computational fluid dynamics were used to study the flow field of a cranked kite wing with the focus on studying vortices treatment. Different Angles of attack and heights at free stream equal to 70 m/s were investigated at Mach number 0.2. Q-criteria shows that in ground effect, vortices treatment is at angles of attack 2° similar to 0° and angle of attack 8° similar to angles 4° and 6°.According to the topology of pressure gradient vectors at the angle of attack 2°, the center of all vortices in ground effect is fixed approximately. Axial residual vorticity, axial velocity and induced suction of all vortices increase and isosurfaces of Q-criteria become thicker. At the angle of attack 8° with height decreasing, axial residual vorticity of the primary vortex and the wing kink location vortex increase and decrease respectively. Also, the kink location vortex approach to the primary vortex and it takes away from the wing surface. At the angle of attack 8°, the coherent structure of vortex between leading edge and the kink location vortex breakdown in ground effect and recirculation bubble form on the wing surface. With height decreasing, the most drag and the lift coefficients increment occur on the lower surface.