Does it do much for you when you get into the hypersonic regime?
-----Original Message-----
From: Pierce Nichols [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 10:26 AM
To: Bill Clawson; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [ERPS] Pointy Protruberances
At 09:51 AM 8/12/02 -0700, Bill Clawson wrote:
>So what does the sharp spike do exactly? I could speculate, but I would
>prefer a less speculative answer.
AIUI, it causes the sonic shock to form forward of the main body
(i.e. on the tip of the spike), and this reduces transonic and supersonic
drag.
-p
> -----Original Message-----
>From: Pierce Nichols [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 7:48 PM
>To: Adrian Tymes; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [ERPS] Variable geometry rockets
>
>At 05:06 PM 8/10/2002 -0700, Adrian Tymes wrote:
> >I was going over the recent debate of "VTVL wants to be short and
> >squatty, but in-flight aerodynamics say no", and I'm trying to remember
> >why the solution that immediately occurs to me - vary the geometry based
> >on what phase of the flight you're in - isn't the best of ideas (seeing
> >if maybe I can find solutions to those problems).
>
>
> It's because the biggest reason that a VTVL wants to be short and
>squat, namely structural efficiency, it hard to finesse that way. In
>addition, variable geometry is a poor failure risk. However, there is a
>good way to deal with the aerodynamic issue, known (confusingly) as an
>aerospike. It's a long, sharp spike protruding from the front end of the
>vehicle. It can be made quite light with current technology, and is really
>simple to make, maintain, and operate once it is designed. The use them on
>the Trident sub-launched missiles, and they cut the drag in half or so.
>
> -p
>
>
>Mars or Bust!
>www.marssociety.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>ERPS-list mailing list
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
>_______________________________________________
>ERPS-list mailing list
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
_______________________________________________
ERPS-list mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
