Wind Tunnel Results of the B-52B with the X-43A Stack

A low-speed wind-tunnel test was performed with a three-percent-scale model of a booster rocket mated to an X-43A research vehicle, a combination referred to as the Hyper-X launch vehicle. The test was conducted both in free-stream air and in the presence of a partial model of the B-52B airplane. The objectives of the test were to obtain force and moment data to generate structural loads affecting the pylon of the B-52B airplane and to determine the aerodynamic influence of the B-52B airplane on the Hyper-X launch vehicle to evaluate launch separation characteristics. The wind-tunnel test was conducted at a low-speed wind tunnel in Hampton, Virginia. All moments and forces reported are based either on the aerodynamic influence of the B-52B airplane or are for the Hyper-X launch vehicle in free-stream air. Overall, the test showed that the B-52B airplane imparts a strong downwash onto the Hyper-X launch vehicle, reducing the net lift of the Hyper-X launch vehicle. Also, pitching and rolling moments are imparted onto the booster and are a strong function of the launch-drop angle of attack.