Method for Determining the Aerodynamic Roll Damping of Blunt Bodies at Supersonic Speeds

A test rig for studying the free circular rotation of blunt bodies around their longitudinal axis is described. A method for determining the rolling moment in wind tunnel tests is presented. A method for determining the equivalent aerodynamic roll damping coefficient has been developed assuming that the viscous friction torque in rolling bearings is independent of the axial load. For a segmental-conical body, the experimental value of the coefficient is shown to be close to the calculated value determined by numerical integration of continuum equations in a quasi-steady approximation. This proposed method can be used to determine the roll damping moment of reentry vehicles, which is necessary for solving flight dynamics problems.