Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing of a Laser Propelled Vehicle

An investigation was conducted to determine the low speed aerodynamic characteristics of a 9-in. diameter laser Lightcraft. The vehicle rotational velocity and deflection angle were varied to determine the effects on the Lightcraft’s aerodynamic performance. For the case of zero deflection angle, it was observed that the rotational velocity has no effect on the aerodynamic coefficients, with the drag coefficient remaining constant at 0.51. However, the aerodynamic center appeared to move aft when the model was rotated at higher velocities. For a yaw angle of 25° the lift and drag coefficients remained constant at 0.0 and 0.60, respectively, while the effects of rotation manifested themselves in the side force coefficient.