Accession Number:

AD0255712

Title:

AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PARACHUTES AT MACH NUMBERS FROM 1.6 TO 3

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON D C

Personal Author(s):

• MAYNARD,JULIAN D.

Report Date:

1961-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

1.0

Abstract:

A wind-tunnel investigation was conducted to determine the parameters affecting the aerodynamic performance of drogue parachutes in the Mach number range from 1.6 to 3. Flow studies of both rigid- and flexible-parachute models were made by means of high-speed schlieren motion pictures and drag coefficients of the flexible-parachute models were measured at simulated altitudes from about 50,000 to 120,000 feet. Porosity and Mach number were found to be the most important factors influencing the drag and stability of flexible porous parachutes. Such parachutes have a limited range of stable operation at supersonic speeds, except for those with very high porosities, but the drag coefficient decreases rapidly with increasing porosity. Author

Descriptors:

• *PARACHUTE DESCENTS
• *PARACHUTES
• ALGEBRA
• BOOSTER ROCKET ENGINES
• DECELERATION
• DRAG
• GUIDED MISSILES
• HIGH SPEED PHOTOGRAPHY
• MODEL TESTS
• POROSITY
• POROUS MATERIALS
• RECOVERY
• RIBBON PARACHUTES
• ROTORCHUTES
• ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
• SCHLIEREN PHOTOGRAPHY
• STABILITY
• SUPERSONIC WIND TUNNELS

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE