Calculation of Hypersonic Flow over Bodies of Revolution at Small Angles of Attack

A method-of-characteristics computer program is used to study the first-order effects of angle of attack on the flow about bodies of revolution moving through air at speeds for which real-gas effects arising from dissociation and ionization need to be considered. First-order perturbations of the surface pressure, density, enthalpy, and crossflow velocity are presented for several body shapes to illustrate differences between perfect-gas and equilibrium real-gas flows. The body shapes considered are pointed cones, a pointed ogive, and a spherically tipped cone. Ambient conditions correspond to those at 100,000-ft alt. Flight velocities range from 5000 to 75,000 fps for the pointed cones; ogive and sphere-cone results are presented for 20,000 fps flight velocity.