A Method for Reducing the Base Drag of Wings with Blunt Trailing Edge

Summary To study the possibilities of reducing the base drag of profiles with a blunt trailing edge, experiments were performed in two low-speed wind-tunnels at the DFVLR-AVA, Göttingen, some on models between walls and some on rectangular wings with an aspect ratio of 2.5. The results show that the mean base pressure can be increased, and so the base drag reduced, by using a special form of the blunt trailing edge. The variation of local base pressure along the span, and the way in which this variation is influenced by the form of the trailing edge, is also shown. Some results for the total drag and lift are also indicated.