Effects of a Leading-Edge Fillet on the Flow Past an Appendage-Body Junction

Oil-flow visualizations and pressure and velocity measurements are presented to demonstrate the effects of a leading-edge fillet on the flow of a turbulent boundary layer past an idealized appendage-body function. The fillet, a large fairing in the corner between the appendage nose and body surface, modifies the flow in a way that is desirable in many applications. With the appendage at zero angle of attack, it eliminates leading-edge separation and thus the formation of a horseshoe vortex around the wing nose. It greatly improves the stability of the flow close to the junction and the nonuniformity of its wake