A Samara-Type Decelerator

Abstract

This report describes a simple decelerator which drives a submunition in a lunar motion while it descends vertically over a battlefield, scanning for armored targets. The decelerator consists of a single flexible fin with a weighted tip. The idea of using a flexible fin with a tip weight to generate a lunar scan motion was derived from the flight of maple seeds or samaras. Aerodynamic testing consisted of flying various configurations of the submunition in a vertical wind tunnel during which a nondimensional spin to velocity ratio of 0.110 and a drag coefficient of 3.21 (based on the submunition's diameter) were obtained. A simulation of the observed lunar motion of an axisymmetric model using a rolling body frame, six degree of freedom (6- DOF) computer program, and estimates of the aerodynamic coefficients that could not be measured are presented. Keywords: Samara; Flexible fin; Autogyro; Decelerator; and Maple seed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA167784

Entities

People

  • Roy Kline
  • Walter Koenig

Organizations

  • United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerodynamic Characteristics
  • Aerodynamic Forces
  • Aeronautical Laboratories
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Bodies
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Simulations
  • Cylindrical Bodies
  • Euler Angles
  • Molecular Dynamics
  • Munitions
  • Submunitions
  • Weapons
  • Wind Tunnel Models
  • Wind Tunnels

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Forest Ecology

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers