Store Trajectory Response to Unsteady Aerodynamic Loads

M4 Engineering proposes enhance the Phase I method for predicting store trajectory response subject to unsteady aerodynamic loads. This method combines low-fidelity data with high-fidelity data in a novel way to represent the deterministic and probabilistic portions of the unsteady aerodynamic response. This development enables increased efficiency in the use of test and time-accurate Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) data allowing for more accurate simulations to be calculated using fewer resources. This technique will be an excellent compliment to modern test and analysis methods. BENEFIT: Demand for a store separation analysis tool that considers unsteady aerodynamic effects has existed for a considerable time. RUSAT will satisfy this demand with a tool that is not only technically capable and computationally inexpensive, but is easy to understand and use. The variable fidelity coupled analyses in the proposed effort will allow accurate and rapid prediction of the overall performance in order to avoid unpleasant “surprises” during vehicle development and testing. Satisfying this existing demand will provides a tremendous commercial potential for RUSAT. In addition to store separation applications, the technologies of the RUSAT System could be valuable to other aircraft systems subjected to unsteady aerodynamic effects such as aeroelasticity. Additionally, this system poses modules that are of use to any program where reduced order modeling or stochastic simulation is important. The interest we have received from industry and other government sources indicates that there is a large potential for follow-on research and development activities, and this project has a high potential of reaching Phase III.