Investigation of the aerodynamic properties and flow field around hypervelocity objects in a ballistic test range

The equipment of a ballistic test range for research on hypersonic motion a nd flow around typical models of explosion-propelled projectiles. A method for obtaining instantaneous interferograms of the flow around an object and a procedure for calculating the radial density distributions from measurem ents made on them are briefly set forth. The values of the aerodynamic drag at zero angle of attack are obtained for three models in trajectory experi ments, and a comparative assessment of their stability is made. The princip les for performing numerical aerodynamic calculations of hypervelocity flow around objects typically having a compound shape are formulated. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7842(99)00212-3].