PRORA-USV: Two Flight Mission Exploring Transonic Conditions

This paper gives a description and objectives of the first two Dropped Transonic Flight Tests of the USV Program, and highlights aerodynamic, structural and flight mechanics results obtained during the first DTFT mission executed on 24 February 2007. The vehicle reached the target 20 km altitude by means of a stratospheric balloon system and, after release, accelerated by gravity up to a maximum Mach number of 1.07.