Aerothermoelastic experimental design for the AEDC/VKF Tunnel C: Challenges associated with measuring the response of flexible panels in high-temperature, high-speed wind tunnels

There is a lack of carefully-crafted aerothermoelastic experimental data that can be used for validation purposes. To address this need, the Air Force Research Laboratory Structural Sciences Center is currently planning an experiment in the Arnold Engineering Development Center von Kármán Facility Tunnel C to examine the aerothermoelastic response of flexible models that are representative of high-speed aircraft outer mold line panels. The test will utilize an infrared camera and the stereo digital image correlation technique to provide simultaneous, full-field measurements of the surface temperature and panel motion. This paper provides an overview of the proposed experiment and addresses challenges relevant to aerothermoelastic testing in high-temperature, high-speed wind tunnels.