Traditional long range cruise class missiles fly at low altitudes and subsonic speed. To meet operational requirements, the next generation missiles will fly at relative high altitudes and supersonic or hypersonic speeds. Because of economic constraints, low cost design and development approaches must be used. To illustrate these approaches, the results of the U.S. Air Force sponsored Aerodynamic Configured Missile (ACM) Program and the subsequent Low Cost Aerodynamic Configured Missile Demonstrator Program are summarized with emphasis on the impact of these studies on future missile concepts. The ACM program objective was to exploit the aerodynamic potential of supersonic cruise and maneuvering missiles to achieve significant improvements in performance. During three phases of effort over a 30 month period, configuration development, wind tunnel testing, and performance analyses were performed. The major uses of the program results to date are described. A low cost approach is described which uses existing equipment, standard airframe structural design, the existing ACM data base, trajectory shaping, and aggressive program planning. Two flight test options are then identified. Program plans, costs, and subset experimental programs are identified including growth versions with higher Mach number capability.
Next Generation Missile Design
1988
12 pages
Report
No indication
English
Next Generation Missile Design
NTIS | 1988
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