A hypersonic shock tunnel test of the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle at high altitude test conditions

Abstract

The Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle is a 4.26 m-diameter raked and blunted elliptic cone that is intended to obtain aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic data on blunt bodies at velocities near 10 km/s and altitudes above 75 km. Previous wind tunnel tests of this configuration have been at Mach numbers of 10 or lower. The present test program consisted of five test conditions at Mach numbers between 15 and 20 and simulated altitudes from 75 km to 97 km. Static longitudinal aerodynamic coefficients, the lift-to-drag ratio, and the trim angle-of-attack were obtained for angles-of-attack between 7 deg and 27 deg. The effects of angle-of-attack and shock Reynolds number, Re2, have been studied. These results indicate the AFE configuration is longitudinally stable. The variation of normal force slope, CNalpha and lift-to-drag slope, (L/D)alpha as well as the trim angle-of-attack with Re2 are documented. The trim angle-of-attack increases with decreasing values of shock Reynolds number (increasing altitude) while the lift-to-drag ratio at the trimmed conditions is relatively constant.