The problem of panel flutter in a supersonic flow is treated in three parts. In the first the flutter of a simply supported rectangular plate is studied. Only small deflections are considered so that linear plate theory may be used. The flutter mode is described by a series expansion in terms of the normal modes of oscillation of the plate in a vacuum. Linearized aerodynamic theory is used. The exact aerodynamic solution as well as two simplifications--strip theory and quasi-steady theory--are discussed. Numerical calculations were made to determine flutter boundaries for plates of varying aspect ratio using strip theory aerodynamics for M = 2 and M = √2. The flutter mode was described by considering only two or three normal modes in the calculations.
The flutter of a two-dimensional buckled panel with clamped edges is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The flutter mode is described by a series expansion of functions which satisfy the boundary conditions for clamped edges. Quasi-steady linearized aerodynamics is used. Large deflections of the panel are considered. Numerical calculations have been made considering only the first two terms of the series expansion. The theoretical and experimental results are compared.
