Accurate aircraft delivery of unguided munitions requires that an aircraft onboard targeting algorithm account for the free-stream drag characteristics of a released store as well as the effects of ejection forces and aircraft-induced aerodynamic flow-field transients. Of the three, aerodynamic flow-field effects are the most difficult to predict. The current state of weapon delivery technology requires that many hours of flight testing be conducted and the test data analyzed to form a significant foundation upon which to build an accurate flow-field compensation algorithm. The proposed use of ground simulation techniques in lieu of flight test techniques to achieve accurate aircraft delivery of unguided weapons is the thesis of this paper. A method was developed to permit application of ground simulation techniques to the challenging arena of aircraft weapon delivery accuracy. The method was tested by correcting a flow-field compensation algorithm for a typical supersonic tactical aircraft and comparing the resultant aircraft bombing accuracy with that attained using traditional state-of-the-art flight testing techniques. Preliminary results indicate that good aircraft bombing accuracy can be achieved using only ground simulation techniques. Success of the method offers the potential to reduce the cost of producing an accurate aircraft weapon delivery algorithm by an order of magnitude and the time required by three-fourths. Planned future efforts will attempt to expand method validity into increasingly demanding regions of the flight envelope.
Technique for Predicting Aircraft Flow-Field Effects Upon an Unguided Bomb Ballistic Trajectory and Comparison with Flight Test Results
1992
12 pages
Report
No indication
English
A FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES TO DROP A SELF-RELEASING UNGUIDED BOMB
European Patent Office | 2024
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