Pressure-sensitive paint in aerodynamic testing

Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is a relatively new aerodynamic measurement tool with the unique capability of providing a field measurement of pressure over a test surface. An introductory review of this technology is presented, which is confined to the application of the PSP method to aircraft development wind tunnel testing. This is at present the primary application area and thus the focus of research on the use of the method, and is the authors' own area of research. Described are PSP fundamentals, the various elements comprising PSP technology, and current limitations and considerations in applying this technology. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the present capability of the method. The few publications currently available on this subject in the open literature are also referenced.