The Use of a Panel Method in the Prediction of External Store Separation

A computer program, developed to predict the separation characteristics of external stores after release from the carrier aircraft, is discussed The aircraft is represented by panel singularity distributions along the line of Woodward's USSAERO code In order to treat external stores of arbitrary geometry, the store is represented in the same manner Computer times per trajectory are reduced drastically by employing a flow grid method in combination with approximations regarding the aircraft store interaction These approximations are compared with the exact solution Computations are presented regarding the flowfield below a carrier aircraft and the aerodynamic loads on an external store close to the aircraft Store separation predictions are presented also The agreement with experimental data is satisfactory and the store separation predictions compare favorably with those obtained with the Nielsen Goodwin Dillenius separation computer code