This volume contains a selection of the papers presented at the Fourth Symposium on Numerical and Physical Aspects of Aerodynamic Flows, which was held at the California State University, Long Beach, from 16-19 January 1989. It includes the Stewartson Memorial Lecture of Professor J. H. Whitelaw, and is divided into three parts. The first is a collection of papers that describe the status of current technology in two- and three-dimensional steady flows, the second deals with two- and three-dimensional unsteady flows, and the papers in the third address stability and transition. Each of the three parts begins with an overview of current research, as described in the following chapters. The individual papers are edited versions of the selected papers originally submitted to the symposium. Four years have passed since the Third Symposium, and certain trends be- come clear if one compares the papers contained in this volume with those of previous volumes. There are more three- than two-dimensional problems consid- ered in Part 1 and the latter address more difficult problems than in the past, for example, the extension to higher angles of attack, to transonic flow, to leading- edge ice accretion, and to thick hydrofoils. The large number of papers in the first part reflects the emphasis of current research and development and the needs of industry.
