32th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences

03.1 - Aerodynamics – CFD Methods and Validation

LONGITUDINAL AND LATERAL-DIRECTIONAL AERODYNAMICS OF A RE-USABLE HIGH-SPEED VEHICLE

T. Bykerk, Honorary Associate, the University of Sydney, Australia, Australia; G. Pezzella, University of Campania, Engineering Department. , Italy; D. Verstraete, University of Sydney, School of Aerospace, Australia; A. Viviani, University of Campania, Engineering Department., Italy

Re-usable, unmanned re-entry vehicles are an efficient way to experimentally validate next generation re-entry technologies. During the descent phase, the aircraft will encounter free-stream velocities ranging from hypersonic to low subsonic, which requires a careful choice of aeroshape. For the mission to be successful, the vehicle will need to be stable and maneuverable during both low and high-speed phases of flight. In this framework, the paper focused attention on both experimental and numerical flowfield investigations carried out on an innovative spatuled-body vehicle aeroshape. Wind tunnel results from an early low speed test campaign, carried out by the University of Sidney, performed to validate subsonic CFD studies are provided and discussed in Ref. [1,2]. Results of Mach 7 CFD simulations carried out so far, shown to understand the high-speed behavior of the aircraft. Findings of this study pointed out that the vehicle requires a MRC location at 45% of its length for static stability at both high and low speed. Control deflection studies showed that the first estimate of elevon sizing is sufficient and the aircraft can easily be trimmed at both high and low speeds.rnAeroshape aerodynamics assessment is further on-going. Analyses are focusing on vehicle longitudinal and lateral-directional performance appraisal for different angles of sideslip, ailerons and ruddervators deflections. Results will be detailed reported and discussed in the present paper.rnReferencesrn1. T. Bykerk, D. Verstraete, G. Pezzella, A. Viviani. “High and Low Speed Analysis of a Re-usable Unmanned Re-entry Vehicle”. HISST. International Conference on High-Speed Vehicle Science and Technology. Moscow. Russia. November 25-29, 2018. hisst-2018_1620897.rn2. T. Bykerk, G. Pezzella, D. Verstraete, A. Viviani. “Lateral-Directional Aerodynamics of a Re-Usable Re-En


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