Three-degree-of-freedom dynamic tests of reentry vehicles with unsymmetrical stability derivatives

A blunt conical wind tunnel model with an asymmetric nosetip and a radial center of gravity offset was tested under dynamic conditions using a three-degree-of-freedom balance at a Mach number of 8. The roll torque produced by the compound aerodynamic and mass asymmetry was used to roll the vehicle into resonance, and the magnitude and orientation of the amplified trim was experimentally determined. These data were compared to theoretical predictions that were made using linear theories. A dynamic analysis technique was used to establish differences in magnitudes between the pitch and yaw stability derivatives.