A Method for Eliminating the Magnus Instability of a Finned Missile

摘要

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. (Author)