The recent methods for surface pressure and skin friction measurements on the models

The authors present experimental and theoretical evaluations of the ultimate measurement possibilities and application fields of PSP technology and mechanical skin friction gages. PSP provides visualization and measurement of the pressure distribution on a model surface without the usual pressure taps. Mechanical skin friction gages have been developed for point measurements of friction stresses on the surface. The authors attempt to unite the small size of the hot-wire film gage with the possibility for direct measurements of skin friction as in balances with a floating element. The results of the evaluations are illustrated by the examples of pressure distribution measurements on the surface of different aircraft models, propeller blades in transonic and supersonic wind tunnels, and by measurements of the skin friction on the test section walls of wind tunnels and on the wing surface of the supersonic transport aircraft model.