Ground Support Equipment Technology Lightweight Launchers for Shoulder- Fired Rockets

This report describes methods which may be used to define rocket exhaust flow fields, launch tube internal pressure profiles, recoil forces, and effects on missile launch due to launcher-missile interactions. Computer programs have been written which will calculate relevant data for input into other programs giving plots of the stagnation pressure and temperature profiles in a given rocket exhaust field. A program was written which will give a plot of internal tube pressure at the rocket nozzle exit plane as a function of missile travel. A method for estimating recoil is explained and a program was developed which simulates the launcher in the pitch plane for use in determining the launcher and missile motions in this plane and the effects on the missile of thrust misalignment and center of gravity offsets.