An unsteady lifting-line theory (Q1105410)

An unsteady lifting-line theory is developed for unswept wings of high aspect ratio forced to oscillate time-harmonic uniformly from high to low frequencies. In the theory the matched asymptotic expansion method is used. The outer disturbance velocity potential for far field is represented by distribution of normal dipoles on the mean position of the wake with moment varying sinusoidally in the stream direction. The inner expansion of the outer solution leads to an expression for oscillatory downwash. Near the wing surface the flow is approximated in a two- dimensional manner. A particular solution is obtained by strip theory supplemented by a homogeneous component which accounts for the spanwise interaction. The matching of the outer and inner solutions yields an integral equation to determine the circulation distribution along the wing axis. For zero and high frequencies the theory reduces to Prandtl's lifting-line theory and to strip theory, respectively. In the paper some results are compared with three-dimensional lifting surface numerical calculations. The agreement is very good at moderate and low frequencies but less so at high frequencies.