Recent experience with different methods of drag prediction

During the recent past the process of engineering design has changed entirely because of rapid developments in computational simulations. In aerodynamic design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods are slowly superseding empirical methods and design engineers are spending more and more time applying CFD tools to analyze and predict the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles. The purpose of this paper is to review recent experiences in CFD-based drag prediction with an emphasis on flow solutions governed by the Euler and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. For these types of flow solutions, various drag analysis methodologies are outlined and applied to determine the drag of components of as well as whole-body airplanes, helicopters, and ground-based vehicles at subsonic and transonic flow conditions. The review demonstrates that although significant progress has been made, CFD-based drag prediction still faces a number of hurdles that must be dealt with before it will become more widely accepted.