The Aerodynamics of Store Drag and Trajectory Prediction

Store aerodynamics dominates the value of an airforce in two respects. Firstly store drag may severely reduce performance and agility. Secondly, release disturbances may vitiate missions by causing weapons to miss their targets, or cause empty containers to damage or destroy the parent aircraft.

This paper first reviews the significance of store drag and progress towards reducing drag, and then reviews ground-based methods for predicting store trajectories.