An aerodynamic arrangement and method for providing a required air pressure coefficient at an area of location of an air port of an internal cooling system of a flying platform is described. The air port is selected from an air inlet port and an air outlet port, and arranged at a desired area in an external surface of the flying platform. The aerodynamic arrangement includes at least one airfoil-shaped body arranged on the external surface at the area of the air port for providing a negative pressure coefficient at the corresponding desired area on one side of the airfoil-shaped body and a positive pressure coefficient at the corresponding desired area on the other side of the airfoil-shaped body, when the airfoil-shaped body is oriented at a suitable angle of attack to an oncoming air flow.

A flying machine includes: a flying machine body that includes a rotor blade; a protective member that forms a frame shape inside which the rotor blade is disposed, that is rotatably fixed to both end portions of the flying machine body, and that is pipe shaped; and a connecting wire that passes through an inner portion of the protective member to connect the flying machine body and an external device together.

The aerodynamic element includes an ionization system which ionizes flow of air flowing over the top face of the aerodynamic element and a control system which generates at least one electromagnetic force associated with an electrical current and a magnetic field, the at least one electromagnetic force being oriented in the direction opposite to that of the flow of the ionized air flow such that the electromagnetic force reduces the instabilities of the flow of the airflow.

A method and system delay the laminar-to-turbulent transition of a supersonic or hypersonic boundary layer flow moving in a flow direction over a surface. For supersonic boundary layer flow, oblique first-mode instability waves present in the boundary layer and propagating at an oblique angle relative to the flow direction cause a laminar-to-turbulent transition in the boundary layer flow. These instability waves have a wavelength associated therewith in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction. Flow disruptors are used to generate modulations within the boundary layer flow wherein a wavelength of the modulations along the direction perpendicular to the flow direction is less than one-half of the wavelength of the instability waves. For hypersonic boundary layer flow, the flow disruptors generate modulations within the boundary layer flow wherein the wavelength of the modulations is less than streak spacing for optimal transient growth or, equivalently, in the range of one to two times the boundary layer thickness.

An arrangement for mechanically changing a surface includes an insulating layer, a pair of electrodes, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer, and a piezo element, which is arranged on or in the insulating layer. The piezo element is separated from the pair of electrodes by the insulating layer. The pair of electrodes is designed to generate in a region of the piezo element an electric field, which causes the piezo element to carry out a mechanical change of shape, in order in this way to mechanically change a surface of the arrangement. The pair of electrodes is also designed to generate the electric field such that the electric field has a minimum field strength in a surrounding area of the arrangement, in order in this way to generate a plasma in the surrounding area of the arrangement.

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for mitigating the formation of concentrated wake vortex structures generated from lifting or thrust-generating bodies and maneuvering control surfaces wherein the use of contour surface geometries promotes vortex-mixing of high and low flow fluids. The methods and apparatuses can be combined with various drag reduction techniques, such as the use of riblets of various types and/or compliant surfaces (passive and active). Such combinations form unique structures for various fluid dynamic control applications to suppress transiently growing forms of boundary layer disturbances in a manner that significantly improves performance and has improved control dynamics.

An aircraft surface cover is provided. The aircraft surface cover includes a cover member that is configured to be removably secured to an aircraft structure. The cover member includes an exterior surface that has a microtextured surface including microtexture ribs that are configured to improve aerodynamic performance of the aircraft structure.

Method and apparatus for controlling the aerodynamics of an aircraft using an active flow control system is disclosed herein. In one example, the active flow control system includes an airframe and a plurality of fluidic oscillators. The airframe includes an inlet configured for flight speeds ranging from subsonic to hypersonic. The plurality of fluidic oscillators is mounted about a curvature of the airframe. Each fluidic oscillator includes a body and an integral nozzle coupled to the body. The body has an inflow portion and a narrow nozzle inlet formed opposite the inflow portion. The integral nozzle is coupled to the body by the narrow nozzle inlet. The narrow nozzle inlet forms a single fluid flow path from the inflow portion to the narrow nozzle inlet.

This patent provides for a method and apparatus for mitigating the formation of concentrated wake vortex structures generated from lifting or thrust-generating bodies and maneuvering control surfaces wherein the use of contour surface geometries promotes vortex-mixing of high and low flow fluids. The method and apparatus can be combined with various drag reduction techniques, such as the use of riblets of various types and/or compliant surfaces (passive and active). Such combinations form unique structures for various fluid dynamic control applications to suppress transiently growing forms of boundary layer disturbances in a manner that significantly improves performance and has improved control dynamics.

A free-streamline airfoil includes a front portion, the front portion including a leading edge geometry configured to force a sudden separation of the flow, and a contoured