MAGNUS EFFECTS ON STABILITY OF WRAPAROUND-FINNED MISSILES

Wraparound fins are widely used as aerodynamic stabilizers for unguide d missiles. Wraparound-finned configurations have more complicated fli ght dynamics when compared with configurations with planar fins. Gener al linear free flight dynamic stability criteria of unguided missiles with wraparound fins are well known. However, until now simplified cri teria that consider a static side moment due to wraparound fins as the only significant out-of-plane effect have been utilized in design. It is shown that the simplified stability criteria are not reliable, and more general stability criteria that take both the classical Magnus s ide moment and the static side moment due to wraparound fins into acco unt have to be used. Another outcome is that the roll direction is ext remely important in terms of stability of wraparound-finned configurat ions. A linear free flight dynamic stability analysis of the U.S. Air Force research model is performed as a case study by using available a eroballistic range test data.