Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the F-16 Transonic Buffet Phenomenon

The paper presents an experimental investigation of the transonic shock buffet phenomenon based on wind-tunnel tests of a rigid F-16 model with various external store configurations. Unsteady pressure measurements were collected to identify and map the buffet envelope in terms of Mach number and angle of attack. The study characterizes the buffet phenomenon and compares it with that observed in transport aircraft. Analysis of the unsteady pressure data revealed significant fluctuations associated with shock motion and flow separation. Spectral techniques were applied to identify dominant frequencies related to the buffet phenomenon. A comparative investigation of multiple store configurations demonstrates that external stores substantially affect the buffet envelope boundaries, shifting the onset and persistence of buffet and leading to wider and more complex intensity trends. While external stores influence the Mach number and angle-of-attack ranges over which buffet occurs, their effect on the dominant buffet frequency is minor. The identified buffet characteristics show good agreement with available F-16 flight-test data, particularly in terms of buffet frequency and angle-of-attack range, thereby supporting the validity of the experimental approach. Overall, the study’s findings support the potential of using wind-tunnel test data to model unsteady aerodynamics for predicting buffet loads on fighter aircraft wings.