Experimental and numerical studies were conducted on flow friction and heat transfer in short channels of triangular and sinusoidal cross-section assuming developing laminar air flow. Reynolds numbers range of 13-2880 was examined. Spatial distribution of the gas velocity, as well as the rates of local heat transfer between channel walls and gas stream, were determined on the basis of the computational fluid dynamics. It was shown that there is no flow stabilization over the whole channel length under the study conditions. The most intensive transfer and friction appears near the channel inlet, which causes the highest local heat transfer rates at the channel walls. It was also demonstrated that velocity profile is not entirely flat at channel inlet due to drag forces caused by frontal surface of channel wall. The numerical results based on the CFD tool FLUENT (R) agree reasonably well with the experimental data. 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.