A single dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator is employed for flow control on the pressure side of a natural laminar flow wing section under free-flight conditions. A full sized motorized glider is equipped with the flow control device and data acquisition hardware to quantify the impact of the actuator on boundary-layer transition. A transition delay of approximately 3% chord is achieved, quantified by microphone and hot-wire measurements. Simultaneously, the influence of the variable ambient conditions on the flow control performance is characterized. A closed-loop control algorithm enables constant actuator performance, despite varying humidity, temperature and density throughout the test flights. The energy efficiency of the flow control approach is estimated, providing a positive outlook for further improvements and a net benefit of transition control.
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