Status of a higher-order panel method for nonlifting three-dimensional potential flow

The work described in this report consisted of developing a method for calculating potential flow about arbitrary three-dimensional configurations that is a great improvement over existing methods in regard to computational speed and accuracy. The approach adopted is the so-called higher-order formulation of the general three-dimensional 'panel method' that represents a numerical discretization of the fundamental surface-singularity technique for potential flow. The method has been developed for the nonlifting case. A computer program based on this method has been constructed and check-out and is considered operational. This report describes the approach used and presents the results of calculations that have been performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the technique. While the method is described completely, for brevity, detailed formulas are not given for every phase of the calculation. Instead, examples are presented to indicate the level of complexity. Similarly, the previously existing panel method for calculating low-speed flow is described to put the present work in its proper perspective, but details are relegated to the references.