DRAG REDUCTION TECHNIQUE FOR LARGE TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

The techniques for the drag reduction of large transport aircraft are reviewed in this paper. The techniques intended to reduce the friction drag, the induced drag and the wave drag are reviewed specifically. Techniques like the suction control for delay boundary layer transition, the riblets for reducing turbulent friction drag, and the winglet are relatively mature for practical application. Distributed roughness, plasma actuators and the contour bump are most like to be used in the newly designed large transport aircraft. These newly developed techniques might be useful in further improving the drag characteristic of the next generation aircraft.