Atmospheric Flight of a Variable-Bend Body

The concept discussed is that of steering a flying vehicle by bending its body. The analysis presented shows that the variable-bend body control technique is of special value where the system can be designed so that each element of the body roughly carries its own weight. Under these conditions hinge moments at the body's bend can be made low while high performance-is obtained. Furthermore, hinge moments remain low even when thrust vectoring is added to the system, while the versatility of the control system is increased. The analysis delineates the conditions needed for a thrusting bent body to attain optimum performance. Examples are given for a high-£ maneuvering surface-to-air missile illustrating the low hinge moments required.