INFLUENCES OF ANGLES OF ATTACK DURING THE SEPARATION OF AN AIR-TO-AIR MISSILE FROM THE AIRCRAFT

In order to ensure the safe separation of an air-to-air missile from the aircraft, it is of great importance to study the process of missile separation under different angles of attack. Based on the coupling solutions of the computational fluid dynamics governing equations and the six-degree of freedom (6DOF) exterior ballistic equations, the missile separating process of a typical air-to-air missile at different angles of attack have been calculated numerically. The results show that the angle of attack has influence on the separation flow field, the aerodynamic parameters of the missile, and the movement of the missile. The angle of attack has an effect of blocking the separation of the missile from the aircraft. A greater angle of attack leads to a stronger hindrance and an more intense missile pitching. When the angle of attack is small (α=0°, 5°), the missile is safely and steadily separated from the aircraft. When the angle of attack is large (α=10°, 15°, 20°), the distance between the missile and the aircraft is small, which is a threat to the safe and stable separation process of the missile.