Trends in the use of fairing shapes in winged missile designs

Abstract

The article provides an analytical review of the use of head fairing shapes for winged missiles of various classes and speed ranges. The study aims to identify trends in the use of fairing geometric shapes in the design of subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic aircraft, taking into account the characteristics of their thermal and aerodynamic loads. It is shown that when designing combat missiles with non-separable fairings, their aerodynamic heating is one of the most important factors determining the reliability, durability, flight and technical characteristics of the product. A review of scientific publications revealed that most studies are devoted to separable fairings of space launch vehicles, while the issue of optimizing the shape of non-separable fairings of combat missiles has not been sufficiently addressed.

Based on an analysis of methods for studying fairing parameters, the possibilities of three main approaches were summarized: numerical CFD modeling, wind tunnel experiments, and analytical statistical methods. The latter method was used as an initial stage to determine the patterns of fairing shapes use in modern rocket designs. A statistical study of 107 combat missiles of various types was conducted, during which the relationship between the shape of the nose section and other characteristics of the missile was determined. As a result, it was established that the ogive shape of the main fairing is the most promising for further research and optimization.

Based on the results obtained, a methodological sequence of further research stages is proposed, which includes the creation of analytical and physical heating models, CFD analysis, and validation of results using experiments in a wind tunnel. The results obtained are of practical importance for improving the effectiveness of combat missiles and improving the design of non-separable head fairings for supersonic and hypersonic aircraft. The work forms the scientific basis for further research aimed at optimizing the shape of ogive fairings in order to reduce the effects of aerodynamic heating and improve aerodynamic characteristics over a wide range of speeds.