An experimental investigation was conducted to better understand the
aerodynamics of magnetically levitated (MagLev) high speed vehicles operating in
ground effect. A high speed moving track system was designed and developed to be used
in the Virginia Tech Stability wind tunnel. Flowfield surveys confirmed the system was
providing proper flow simulation. Aerodynamic tests were conducted on two vehicle
geometries, Mag950 and Magl002. Tests included force and moment measurements,
surface pressure measurements, vehicle wake flowfield survey, and flow visualization
using tufts. The results showed a higher drag coefficient when the vehicle is operating InGround-
Effect (IGE) versus Out-of-Ground-Effect (OGE), with the Magl002 displaying
a slightly less drag than the Mag950 vehicle geometry. The experimental values showed
higher drag compared with the available computational results by Grumman. The brief
chart below shows the summary of force and moment results. Contrary to expectation, higher positive lift was observed with the vehicles operating IOE. The computational
results also showed a positive lift at IGE versus OGE. The hot-wire wake data and tuft
photos gave results consistent with Grumman's computational calculations. Overall, the
Mag 1 002 vehicle geometry seems to be a better candidate for further development.
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