Review and Extension of Computational Methods for Noncircular Cross-Sectional Weapons

Abstract

Areview of current state-of-the-artmethods for computing aerodynamics of noncircularcross-sectional weapon conceptshasbeenperformed.Inaddition,an improvedengineeringmethodhasbeendevelopedto computeaerodynamics of these nonaxisymmetric body cone gurations. The improved method is based on extending current stateof-the-art methods for computing aerodynamics of noncircular wing ‐body shapes based on circular wing ‐body methods. Specie cadditions to the state-of-the-art methods currently in use include extensions to a broader class of cross-sectional bodiesand to ahigherangleof attack;extensionsto allow improved accuracyatlowcrosse owMach numberand to allowbody cross-sectional shape to impact the critical crosse owReynoldsnumber;and a method to treatwing‐body interferencefactorcorrections as a function of body geometry, Machnumber, and angleof attack. The new methodswere applied to a broad classof noncircularbody alone and wing ‐body cone gurations for which wind-tunneldatawereavailable.In general,resultsfornormalforce,axialforce,andcenter-of-pressurepredictions werequitegoodforasemiempiricalmethodology,overtheMachnumberandangle-of-attackrangewheredatawere available. Range of variables included Mach numbers as low as0.3 and ashigh as 14 and angles of attack to 60 deg.