Review of forebody-induced wing rock

Abstract

Wing rock at moderate angles of attack is often generated by dynamic wing stall; however, the wing rock of most concern is generated by the vortices shed from the aircraft forebody at high angles of attack. The capability to understand and predict forebody-induced wing rock is a prerequisite for the successful design of agile aircraft and missiles that are required to perform maneuvers at high angles of attack. Available information on the wing rock experienced by advanced aircraft is reviewed and an explanation of the flow physics causing the wing rock is presented.