DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL-SCALE SUPERSONIC FLIGHT EXPERIMENT VEHICLE AS A FLYING TEST BED

摘要

Innovation in technologies for high-speedatmospheric flights is essential for establishmentof both supersonic/hypersonic and reusablespace transportations. It is quite effective toverify such technologies through small-scaleflight tests in practical high-speed environments,prior to installation to large-scale vehicles. Thuswe are developing a small-scale supersonic flightexperiment vehicle as a flying test bed. Twogenerations of aerodynamic configuration with acranked-arrow main wing are proposed.Concerning their propulsion system, twincounter-rotating axial fan turbojet (CRAFT)engines are proposed for the 1st generation,whereas an air-turbo ramjet gas-generator cycle(ATR-GG) engine is proposed for the 2ndgeneration. Their aerodynamics are analyzedintensively through wind tunnel tests and arefound to be favorable. On the basis of theaerodynamic characterization and propulsiondesign analysis, flight capability is predicted tobe appropriate for realization of supersonicflights up to Mach 2. Prior to the construction ofthe supersonic vehicles, a full scale prototypevehicle and subscale vehicles are designed andfabricated in order to verify the subsonic flyingcharacteristics through flight tests. Preliminaryflight tests of the 1st-generation prototypevehicle are carried out and good flight capabilityin subsonic regime is demonstrated.Development of the engine, airframe structure,and autonomous guidance/control system isunderway. This prospective flight experiment vehicle will be applied to flight verification ofinnovative fundamental technologies for highspeedatmospheric flights such as turbo-ramjetpropulsion with endothermic or biomass fuels,MEMS and morphing techniques foraerodynamic control, aero-servo-elastictechnologies, etc.