NAVWEPS 00-801-80 
HIGH SPEED AERODYNAMICS 
Chapter 3 
HIGH SPEED AERODYNAMICS 
Developments in aircraft and powerplants 
have produced high performance airplanes 
with capabilities for very high speed flight. 
The study of aerodynamics at these very high 
flight speeds has many significant differences 
from the study of classical low speed aero- 
dynamics. Therefore, it is quite necessary 
that the Naval Aviator be familiar with the 
nature of high speed airflow and the charac- 
teristics of high performance airplane 
configurations. 
GENERAL CONCEPTS AND SUPERSONIC 
FLOW PATTERNS 
NATURE OF COMPRESSIBILITY 
At low flight speeds the study of aero- 
dynamics is greatly simplified by the fact 
that air may experience relatively small 
changes in pressure with only negligible 
changes in density. This airflow is termed 
incompressible since the air may undergo changes 
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