Aerothermodynamic environment for a generic missile

There are a variety of computer codes of varying degrees of rigor that can be used by the designers of highspeed missile systems to define the aerothe rmodynamic environment at flight conditions, It is assumed that the how mod els and the numerical algorithms used in these codes have been validated by their developers. However, the users of such codes must exercise them agai nst a quality database, gaining knowledge of the intricacies in the use of such codes and calibrating the range of conditions over which the code can be used to predict specific parameters that are important to the design obj ectives without necessarily verifying that all of the features of the flow are correctly modeled, Forces and moments, surface pressures, surface tempe ratures, and flow-visualization photographs have been obtained in the Tri-S onic Wind Tunnel at the US. Air Force Academy at Mach 4.28, When comparing the flowfield parameters computed using state-of-the-art codes with the cor responding experimental parameters, streamwise oscillations were observed i n the computed pressure distribution on the windward surface of the missile at angle of attack, These anomalous results were eliminated by modifying t he grid to cluster points for capturing the bow shock wave.