Influences of Sway Braces and Mounting Gaps on the Static Aerodynamic Loading of External Stores
Abstract
As the scale factor applied in the design of wind tunnel models is reduced, many details of the configuration being simulated are customarily omitted. A series of experiments was conducted in the Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel (4T) of the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility at the Arnold Engineering Development Center to evaluate the effect on captive store loading of model details such as sway braces and mounting gaps existing between store and aircraft components. Six components of aerodynamic loads acting on both pylon- and rack-mounted stores in the captive position were measured, a limited number of store separation trajectories was predicted using the captive trajectory system, and a brief comparison of wind tunnel and in-flight measurements of captive loads was made. It was determined that the effects of mounting gaps or flow ventilation passages were generally small, but that sway braces can significantly influence both captive loads and separation trajectories. It was also observed that better agreement between wind tunnel and in-flight measurements of captive store loading resulted when mounting gaps and sway braces were simulated on the wind-tunnel models.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA054963
Entities
People
- R. E. Dix
Organizations
- Arnold Engineering Development Complex