THE DISPERSION OFFINNED ANTI-TANK ROCKETS

This chapter presents a study of the relationship between the dispersion of anti-tank rockets and their design parameters. Ways of improving the dispersion are discussed. It is shown that during the short powered flight of finned anti-tank rockets, the aerodynamic forces and moments have practically no effect on the angular deviation at the end of powered flights. Therefore, simple algebraic formulae can be obtained in this case, linking the amount of dispersion with the fundamental design parameters. The results produced in this chapter for anti-tank rockets are directly applicable to any finned rocket having a very short period of powered flight. The term “anti-tank rockets” is hereafter intended to refer to all rockets, regardless of their purpose, whose path-length of powered flight is considerably less than that of the critical section. Finned anti-tank rockets have a very short path-length of powered flight, rather less than that of the critical section. This circumstance leads to dispersion considerations that differ somewhat from those in the case of field rockets.