Experimental Study of Aerodynamic Performance of Arrows with JAXA's 60cm Magnetic Suspension and Balance System

Abstract

In order to elucidate the aerodynamic characteristics of arrows, which have a marked effect on their flight, two 10-mm-diameter and 750-mm-long cylindrical models are tested in a low speed wind tunnel with the JAXA 60 cm magnetic suspension and balance system. The two models have different nose shapes. One has a blunt cylindrical nose and the other has a cone-shaped nose. Drag and lift were measured at flow speeds ranging from 8 m/s to 45 m/s. Test results obtained for the cone nose model show that the drag coefficient increases rapidly with increasing Reynolds number in the range from 0.82 million to 1.38 million due to a boundary layer transition and also show the drag bucket in the relation of drag coefficient versus incidence at a Reynolds number of 0.65 million, which is popular in laminar airfoils. The reasonable data sets obtained suggest that it is possible to measure aerodynamic characteristics of ultra fine slender bodies, such as arrows, with the system.