The aim of this paper is to introduce and validate a coupled Navier-St
okes Boltzman approach for the calculation of hypersonic rarefied flow
s around manoeuvering vehicles. The proposed strategy uses locally a k
inetic model in the boundary layer coupled through wall friction force
s to a global Navier-Stokes solver. Different numerical experiments il
lustrate the potentialities of the method. (C) 1996 Academic Press, In
c.