LOW SUBSONIC AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A MEDIUM HYPER SONIC L/D REENTRY SPACECRAFT WITH A VARIABLE GEOMETRY WING

摘要

A wind-tunnel investigation was conducted at low subsonic Mach numbers between 0.21 and 0.41 and at Reynolds numbers based on body length from about 4.9 x 106 to 29.5 x 106 to determine the basic longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a variable geometry spacecraft having a hypersonic lift-drag ratio near 2. The configuration represents one approach to improving the subsonic lift-drag ratio of a lifting body by incorporation of severe afterbody boattailing to decrease the base drag and by the addition of an internally stowed variable-sweep rigid wing. The model was tested with the wings deployed to 20° and 90° (stowed) at angles of attack from about -6° to 16°.