The Stability of an Isolated Rectangular Surface Embedded in Uniform Subsonic Flow

Abstract

This paper examines the stability of a rectangular surface lying in isolation in an inviscid fluid in uniform subsonic motion when the surface, in its undeformed state, lies in a plane with its edges aligned parallel and perpendicular to the flow direction. The problem is formulated in the form of an integral equation which is solved approximately using the one-term Galerkin method so that expressions for the stability parameter are determined in the form of asymptotic series for the high and low aspect ratio limits. Surfaces supported on all edges as well as those whose edges are only partially supported are investigated. The results are compared with those for an infinite array of panels and an isolated panel replacing part of a rigid surface.