Reported herein is a theoretical and experimental investigation of a nonimpulsively-started steady ambient flow, subsequently decelerating to rest at prescribed rates, about two-dimensional cambered plates (circular arcs with included angles of 120,180, and 240 deg) for the purpose of understanding the consequences of wake return and secondary separation on impermeable rigid surfaces. The numerical simulations are based on computational methods with vortices. Experiments are carried out in a vertical water tunnel. The results of the physical and numerical experiments are found to be in good agreement. NomenclatureA p = B 0 dU/dt/U*, or BS d"U/dt n /US +1 , acceleration parameters B 0 = opening width of cambered plate, = 2R sina = 4b B p = projected width of cambered plate b = B 0 /4 C d = drag coefficient, D/(2pbU%) c = radius of the circular cylinder D = drag force per unit length / = imaginary number Ksbr =B p /W t , solid blockage ratio q = velocity vector p = pressure R = radius of the camber R {} = real part of a complex quantity Re = Reynolds number, = B 0 U 0 /v r -radial distance T = U 0 t/c, normalized time T* = time at onset of deceleration t = time U = velocity U = d U/dt, acceleration U 0 = steady ambient velocity U s = velocity at separation point u =x component of velocity K! = tip velocity V 2 = velocity at the inner edge of the shear layer V t = tangential velocity component v -y component of velocity W t = tunnel width (24 in.) w = complex potential function z -x + iy, a point in the physical plane z n = location of the nth vortex z t = tip coordinate in the physical plane A* = time increment T n