Swerve Solution for Spin-Stabilized Projectiles with Canards: A Revisit

Abstract

The swerve response of spin-stabilized projectiles to the canard control problem is revisited in the present paper. The study is divided into three steps, including angle-of-attack response, velocity vector response of the projectile, and finally the swerving response. A complex deviation angle is used to describe the motion of the velocity vector of the projectile over the controlled trajectory. From a practical perspective, the deviation angle is usually small, and so studying the swerving motion essentially boils down to investigating the response of the deviation angle. A novel set of swerve solutions with concise expressions is obtained, taking into account the gravitational effect in a more comprehensive manner. The accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed solutions are validated using two spin-stabilized projectiles with canards. The effect of the distance between the center of pressure of the canard surface and the center of mass of the projectile on swerving motion is explained from the standpoint of the velocity vector response of the projectile. The results also demonstrate that gravity plays a pivotal role in predicting the swerve response. The results of this research are expected to be supplementary to those concerning dynamic behavior of spin-stabilized projectiles concluded in current literature.