A Swept Stroke Experiment With a Rocket Sled

Abstract

A new method of simulating the sweeping of a lightning stroke has been developed using a moving test vehicle and stationary arcs. Realistic aircraft landing and approach speeds were obtained by using the rocket driven sled installation at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), Farnborough. The sled was used to carry a simulated 'wing' at speeds up to 160 mph. A simple arrangement was used to vary the boundary layer.