The Effect of Simulated Ablation on the Longitudinal Stability of an 8% Scale Model Re-Entry Vehicle.

Abstract

Wind tunnel tests were conducted to study the effect of simulated ablation on the longitudinal stability of an 8% scale model re-entry vehicle. As suggested in a previous study, commercial emery cloth was used to provide the roughness. When ablated, the model (designated as the FDL-8) pitched up at angles of attack above 16 deg, whereas without ablation instability was delayed until 21 deg. It is known that, when breakdown of leading-edge vortices occurs over a wing, there is a certain loss of lift, drag, and nose-down pitching moment. Using the tuft grid photograph technique and the total head survey technique, it was shown that the presence of the simulated ablation causes premature breakdown of lifting vortices found above the model and thus the early onset of instability.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0913746

Entities

People

  • James H. Manly

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ablation
  • Instability
  • Leading Edges
  • Models
  • Photographs
  • Photography
  • Roughness
  • Scale Models
  • Wind Tunnel Tests
  • Wind Tunnels

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.