Experience with Prediction Techniques for Store Installed Drag and Store Release Characteristics

The first part of the paper describes the general framework and underlying philosophy of a UK method for the prediction of installed store drag. Examples are included to illustrate the application of the method to rack assemblies, underfuselage store arrays and wing-mounted installations. The second part of the paper contains a wide-ranging review of the different ground-based techniques, both experimental and computational, in use at different centres in the UK, for the prediction of the store release characteristics. Predictions by these different techniques are compared with each other and with full-scale flight data. The value of developing an integrated method in which data from different techniques are assembled to assess aircraft safety/store separation characteristics with added confidence is strongly emphasised. The paper ends with some thoughts on how it should soon be possible to use advanced CFD codes in association with existing methods.