Calibration of Thermal Paints for Hypersonic Flight Test

*† A number of techniques for the transient calibration of permanent-change thermal paints intended for use on short-duration hypersonic flight tests are described and tested. These include the convective heating of painted test samples using an oxy-acetylene torch and the resistive heating of test samples. Both of these methods are shown to be able to induce both the magnitudes and trajectory of temperature rise likely to be experienced on a flight vehicle. The use of a laser to radiatively heat the samples is also discussed but not tested. Methods to analyse the calibration data and apply it to interpret hypersonic flight test measurements are also discussed.