2024 Volume 2 Article ID: 154
Transportation efficiency of a reusable launch vehicle must be improved in order to realize low cost and frequent space transportation. Utilizing aerodynamic force instead of the engine thrust is effective during a return flight of a reusable vehicle. However, the feasibility of such a return flight is questionable since aerodynamic characteristics are not understood enough for a slender body in a pitching motion over a wide range of angles of attack. We investigated the surface pressure distribution of a slender body both in pitching motions and in the steady condition in a wind tunnel experiment, covering a range of angles of attack from 0° to 180°. Our results show the pitching motion has a significant influence in delaying the transition of surface pressure. From the measured surface pressure, we evaluated the variation of aerodynamic characteristics corresponding to various angular pitching velocities. We also found that, during the pitching motion, the transition in flow patterns around the body is related to the surface pressure distribution and, consequently, influences the aerodynamic characteristics.
