ANALYTICAL ESTIMATION OF THE PROJECTILE TRAJECTORY AND DRAG CHARACTERISTICS IN THE INTERIOR AND TRANSITIONAL BALLISTIC REGIMES

Abstract

The highly complicated and unsteady flow phenomena associated with a moving projectile in the interior and the transitional ballistic regimes are modelled analytically. It is attempted to estimate the unsteady aerodynamic forces generated on a supersonic projectile launched from an aero-ballistic range using a Lagrangian approach. A comprehensive analytical model is proposed to predict the entire projectile motion right from its start in the launch tube until it enters the exterior ballistic regime. Inviscid axisymmetric flow is considered in the interior and the intermediate ballistic regimes with isentropic assumptions except at the shock locations. The model provides a first-hand estimate of the projectile aerodynamic characteristics launched from a ballistic range with less than 5% error when compared to the computational results in the muzzle properties, which provides valuable design data for the ballistic range designers.