Transonic flow calculations around isolated inlet configurations

Summary A numerical method for calculating transonic flow around general inlet configurations is presented. The method is based on a finite volume potential flow algorithm with enhancements to reduce truncation errors. An approximate factorisation iterative scheme is employed and the computer code is written to take advantage of the architecture of a vector computer. The method has also been coupled with an integral boundary layer method to take into account viscous effects on the inlet surface. Results are presented for a number of configurations which are representative of current design trends, at both take-off and cruise conditions. Comparison with experimental data shows favourable agreement. The method is shown to be accurate, reliable and cheap to run.