Calculations of asymmetric separated flow past circular cones at large angles of incidence

The results of calculations of the flow over slender circular cones at large angles of incidence are presented. The vortices which form above the cone as a result of boundary layer separation are represented by two inviscid models: as isolated line vortices and as vortex sheets with line vortex cores. For each model, a family of solutions is revealed in which the flow remains asymmetric even when the separation lines are specified to lie symmetrically about the incidence plane. The side force which is predicted by this second family of solutions is very much larger than the side force which can be obtained by specifying asymmetric separation lines in the first family of solutions and corresponds to the maximum side force levels found experimentally. The existence of an essentially inviscid mechanism for the generation of side force at zero yaw is concluded.