CLASS

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

In aerodynamics, the critical Mach

number (Mcr) of an aircraft is the
lowest Mach number at which the
airflow over some point of the aircraft
reaches the speed of sound.

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

For all aircraft in flight, the airflow

speed around the aircraft is not
exactly the same as the airspeed of
the aircraft due to the airflow
speeding up and slowing down to
travel around the aircraft structure.

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

At the Critical Mach number, local

airflow in some areas near the
airframe reaches the speed of sound,
even though the aircraft itself has an
airspeed lower than Mach 1.0. This
creates a weak shock wave

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

At speeds faster than the Critical Mach
number:
in an aircraft not designed
for transonic or supersonic speeds, changes to
the airflow over the flight control surfaces lead
to the problem in control of the aircraft
the drag coefficient increases suddenly,
causing dramatically increased drag

PROBLEMS AT THE CRITICAL MACH

The

phenomena associated with problems

at the Critical Mach number became
known as compressibility. Compressibility
led to a number of accidents involving
high-speed military and experimental
aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER (SOUND BARRIER)

Although unknown at the time, compressibility
was the cause of the phenomenon known as
the sound barrier. Subsonic aircraft hase
relatively thick, unswept wings and are
incapable of reaching Mach 1.0.
In 1947 the sound barrier was finally broken.

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

Early transonic military aircrafts were designed to
fly satisfactorily faster than their Critical Mach
number.
They did not possess sufficient engine thrust to
reach Mach 1.0 in level flight but could be dived to
Mach 1.0.
Modern passenger-carrying jet aircraft such
as Airbus and Boeing aircraft have Maximum
Operating Mach numbers slower than Mach 1.0.

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

Supersonic aircraft, such
as Concorde, Lockheed F-104, and MiG
21 are designed to exceed Mach 1.0 in level
flight and therefore are designed with very thin
wings.
Their Critical Mach numbers are higher than
those of subsonic and transonic aircraft but
still less than Mach 1.0.

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER

The actual Critical Mach number varies from
wing to wing.
In general a thicker wing will have a lower
Critical Mach number, because a thicker wing
accelerates the airflow to a faster speed than a
thinner one.
For instance, the fairly thick wing on the P-38
Lightning has a Critical Mach number of about
.69.

P-38 LIGHTNING

CRITICAL MACH NUMBER, MCR

Flow over airfoil may have

sonic regions even though
freestream M < 1
INCREASED DRAG!

14

Stagnation to Static Density Ratio

Cp/Cv=1.4
12
10

0 1 2
1
M

2

1
1

6
4
2
0
0

0.5

1.5
Mach Number

2.5

14
WHEN
IS FLOW COMPRESSIBLE?
Cp/Cv=1.4

1.2

12
Stagnation to Static Density Ratio

Stagnation to Static Density Ratio

Cp/Cv=1.4

10
8
6
4

0 1 2
1
M

2

1.15

1.1

1
1

1.05

0.95
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

Mach Number

2
0
0

0.5

1.5
Mach Number

2.5

COMPRESSIBILITY SENSITIVITY WITH G

30

Stagnation to Static Density Ratio

Cp/Cv=1.4
Cp/Cv=1.2
25

20

15

10

0
0

0.5

1.5
Mach Number

2.5

CRITICAL FLOW AND SHOCK WAVES

M CR M Drag Divergence 1.0

MCR
Sharp increase in cd is combined effect of shock waves and flow separation
Freestream Mach number at which cd begins to increase rapidly called DragDivergence Mach number

CRITICAL FLOW AND SHOCK WAVES

bubble of supersonic flow

CRITICAL FLOW AND SHOCK WAVES

MCR

AIRFOIL THICKNESS SUMMARY

Which creates most lift?

Which has higher critical Mach number?

Thicker airfoil

Note: thickness is relative

to chord in all cases
Ex. NACA 0012 12 %

Thinner airfoil

Which is better?

Application dependent!

CAN WE PREDICTA MCR?

C p, A

M 2

1 2
1
M
p0
pA
2

p p
1 1 M 2
A
p0
2

pA

Pressure coefficient defined in terms of

Mach number (instead of velocity)
PROVE THIS FOR CONCEPT QUIZ

pA

1
p

In an isentropic flow total pressure, p0,

is constant
May be related to freestream pressure,
p, and static pressure at A, pA

CAN WE PREDICT MCR?

C p, A

2
1

M
2
2

1
2

M 1 1 M 2
A

C P ,CR

2
2
M CR

2
1

M CR
2

1
1

Combined result
Relates local value of CP to local
Mach number
Can think of this as compressible
flow version of Bernoullis equation

Set MA = 1 (onset of supersonic flow)

Relates CP,CR to MCR

HOW DO WE USE THIS?

1.
2.
3.

Plot curve of CP,CR vs. M

Obtain incompressible value of CP at minimum pressure point on given
airfoil
Use any compressibility correction (such as P-G) and plot CP vs. M

Intersection of these two curves represents point corresponding to sonic

flow at minimum pressure location on airfoil
Value of M at this intersection is MCR
1

C P ,CR

2
2
M CR

2
1

M CR
2

1
1

Cp

C p,0
1 M 2

IMPLICATIONS: AIRFOIL THICKNESS

Note: thickness is relative

to chord in all cases
Ex. NACA 0012 12 %

Thick airfoils have a lower critical Mach number than thin airfoils
Desirable to have MCR as high as possible
Implication for design high speed wings usually design with thin
airfoils

Supercritical airfoil is somewhat thicker

ROOT
TO TIP AIRFOIL THICKNESS TRENDS
Boeing 737

Root

Mid-Span

http://www.nasg.com/afdb/list-airfoil-e.phtml

Tip

SWEPT WINGS

All modern high-speed aircraft have swept wings: WHY?

PAKFA T 50

F - 35

WHY WING SWEEP?

Wing sees component of flow normal to leading edge

WHY WING SWEEP?

V,n
V

V,n < V
Wing sees component of flow normal to leading edge

SWEPT WINGS: SUBSONIC FLIGHT

Recall MCR
If M > MCR large
increase in drag
Wing sees
component of
flow normal to
leading edge
Can increase M
By sweeping
wings of
subsonic aircraft,
drag divergence
is delayed to
higher Mach
numbers

SWEPT WINGS: SUBSONIC FLIGHT

Alternate Explanation:

Airfoil has same thickness but

longer effective chord
Effective airfoil section is thinner
Making airfoil thinner increases
critical Mach number

Sweeping wing usually reduces

lift for subsonic flight

WING SWEEP DISADVANTAGE

At M ~ 0.6, severely
reduced L/D
Benefit of this design
is at M > 1, to sweep
wings inside Mach
cone

Wing sweep beneficial in that it increases drag-divergences Mach number

Increasing wing sweep reduces the lift coefficient