A Method for Eliminating the Magnus Instability of a Finned Missile

Abstract

Subsonic one-degree-of-freedom and three-degrees-of-freedom wind tunnel tests were performed to determine whether N-vanes attached to a spinning, statically stable missile would eliminate the Magnus instabilities which can occur at high spin rates. The clean configuration missile that was tested had a large precession limit cycle of about 35 degrees amplitude. With N-vanes at + 15 degrees, it was possible to eliminate the precession limit cycle. With the N-vanes at -15 degrees, the precession limit cycle was eliminated, and a nutation limit cycle of 25 degrees was created. The motion of the missile with and without N-vanes was photographed with a high speed camera. The angular data obtained were fit using the WOBBLE computer program to obtain the coefficients of pitching moment, pitch damping moment, and Magnus moment.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0742229

Entities

People

  • Edward S. Sears

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Amplitude
  • Angular Motion
  • Cameras
  • Coefficients
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Data Reduction
  • Equations
  • Frequency
  • Instability
  • Measurement
  • Moment Of Inertia
  • Precession
  • Three Dimensional
  • Wind Tunnel Tests
  • Wind Tunnels

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics/Aeronautics.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.