Typical thin aircraft skin samples were fabricated of aluminum and fiberglass and painted with black enamel and other coatings. The samples were exposed to fluence levels from 20 to 200 cals/sq cm to produce simulated nuclear thermal damage. Their skin friction was then measured at Mach numbers of 0.5 and 0.8 and Reynolds' numbers of 6 to 16 million. An equivalent sand roughness was calculated from the drag. Results showed an initial increase in roughness which then remained constant until the skin melted, debonded or suffered other severe damage.
