Aerodynamics of inclined cylindrical bodies free-flying in a hypersonic flowfield

Abstract The influence of the flight attitude on aerodynamic coefficients and static stability cylindrical bodies in hypersonic flows is interest understanding re/entry space debris, meteoroid fragments, launch-vehicle stages other rotating objects. Experiments were therefore carried out wind tunnel H2K at German Aerospace Center (DLR) Cologne. A free-flight technique was employed H2K, which enables a continuous rotation cylinder without any sting interferences broad angular range from 0 $$^{\circ }$$ ? to 90 . high-speed stereo-tracking measured model motion during schlieren provided documentation flow topology. Aerodynamic determined careful post-processing, based 6-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) data. Numerical simulations by NASA’s solvers Cart3D US3D performed for comparison purposes. As result, experimental numerical data show good agreement. inclination strongly effects both flowfield loads. with concave cylinders showed marked difference behavior due presence shock–shock interaction (SSI) near middle model. Graphic abstract