Experimental Investigation of a Suborbital Reusable Booster Concept with Canards

The stability and maneuverability analysis of a small scale subsonic reusable booster concept design was performed through wind tunnel testing, using the USAF Academy subsonic wind tunnel, of a model with various deflections on several control surfaces. Control surfaces included flaps, canards, rudders, and a combined elevon/aileron. Testing conducted at Mach 0.15 and Mach 0.3 simulated landing, while Mach 0.5 modeled the first seconds of take-off. Data acquired provided values for analysis of the pitch, yaw, and roll stability coefficients as well as several performance factors for the reusable booster concept. The results showed that for most configurations and Mach numbers, the model stalled past +10 to +12 degrees angle of attack (AoA). The model had strong roll stability, but poor yaw stability for most configurations. The model exhibited an average L/D ratio of 6 to 8. In general, the trim AoA for stability were low, suggesting the need to adjust the center of gravity of the model to trim at a higher AoA. As AoA increased for landing configurations, the model became unstable in yaw, suggesting the need for larger vertical surfaces. The canard effect of flow over the wing was examined. The canard was rotated azimuthally about the center axis of the model at 0, 15, and 30 degrees. This data showed that the zero degree canard location experience wake interference with the wing. The 30 degree rotation caused unfavorable yaw stability, suggesting a 15 degree optimal rotation. The data reduced from this experimentation was tested for reliability through an uncertainty analysis.