Canard flow improvement in a split canard configuration

Extensive low-speed wind-tunnel tests are performed to study the flow field structure over a dual-surface canard, known as split canard, in comparison to the conventional configurations. Surface pressure for both steady deflections and unsteady oscillations of the canard are measured and compared for both canard-alone and split-canard cases. The split canard shows a superior advantage at high angles of attack, where a delay in the vortex breakdown phenomena on the canard surface is observed. For the split-canard configuration, the downwash of the front canard reduces the effective angle of attack at the inboard section of the rear element which postpones formation of the leading-edge vortex. Furthermore, a region of considerably high suction was observed at front portion of the rear canard when compared with the isolated canard case. This can be thought of as the main mechanism of performance enhancement in split canards comparing to the conventional configurations.