The unsteady, compressible, Reynolds‐averaged Navier‐Stokes equations are solved numerically for an oblique shock‐wave‐induced turbulent boundary layer sepration. For the freestream Mach number 6 and the freestream Reynolds number 66·1 × 106 m−1, a time‐dependent computation is performed, using MacCormack's explicit‐implicit finite difference method with 82 × 42 grid points. A two‐layer eddy viscosity turbulence model is employed in conjunction with a relaxation modification. Comparisons of the mean wall pressure and the mean heat transfer coefficient with the available experimental results are made and the evaluation of unsteady data for surface pressure and heat flux fluctuations is presented. It is found that the fluctuations in heat flux have qualitatively the same features as those of wall pressure but are different quantitatively. Copyright © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd