Experimental study on the effects of nose geometry on drag over axisymmetric bodies in supersonic flow

A new nose shape that was determined using the penetration mechanics to have the least penetration drag has been tested in the supersonic wind tunnel of the University of Alabama to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of this nose shape. The aerodynamic drag measured on the new nose shape and on four additional nose shapes are compared to each other. The results show that the new nose shape has the least aerodynamic drag. The measurements were made at Mach numbers ranging from 1.85 to 3.1. This study also required the maintenance of several components of the University of Alabama's 6-inch by 6-inch supersonic wind tunnel and modification of the existing data acquisition programs. These repairs and modifications included the repair and recalibration of the supersonic wind tunnel, repair of the four component force balance, and the modification of the tunnel's control program.