Numerical modeling of the effect of geometric asymmetry on the damping aerodynamic characteristics of supersonic sectional flight vehicles

A method for calculating the steady inviscid supersonic flow past equivalent bodies is applied to the analysis of the time-dependent aerodynamic characteristics of sectional flight vehicles with an asymmetric rear stabilizer. The stabilizer asymmetry can be caused by either its deflection or a change in its shape due to heat-shield coating removal, boundary layer displacement thickness, developed separation flow zones, local deformations, or other distortions in the baseline form. Amathematical apparatus for modeling asymmetric sectional configurations by means of ruled surfaces with arbitrary contours of the reference cross-sections is developed. The uniform perfect-gas M∞ = 6 flow past sectional vehicles performing plane oscillations about the zero angle of attack is calculated (the adiabatic exponent γ = 1.4). The calculated results demonstrate the effect of various asymmetries in the body shape on the aerodynamic coefficients.