An experimental study on examining aerodynamic characteristics of fuselage cross
sections for RLVs (Reusable Launch Vehicles) was conducted at Mach number 0.3,
0.9 and 4.0 in the wind tunnel of ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science),
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Three bodies, having the same projected
area and length, with and without a set of fins, were tested. Their cross sections
are a circle, a square and a triangle with rounded corners. The results showed
that the fuselage cross sections had large effects on aerodynamic characteristics in
subsonic and transonic flow. The lift coefficient of the model having the triangular
cross section with a set of the fins was larger than that of the others in high angles of
attack region due to contributions of the separation vortices generated from the fuselage
expanding to the wing surface.
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Tadakuma, K., Wataru, M., Tani, Y. and Aso, S. (2007) Effect of Fuselage Cross Sections on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Reusable Launch Vehicles in Subsonic Flow. Journal of the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, 55, 288-292. http://dx.doi.org/10.2322/jjsass.55.288
