Flight Simulation of a Hybrid Projectile to Estimate the Impact of Launch Angle on Range Extension

A Hybrid Projectile (HP) currently under design at West Virginia University was simulated to estimate the effects of barrel launch angle and flight position of wing deployment. The projectile is similar to a standard 60mm mortar, except that is has been equipped to achieve extended range. A Simulink model was developed based upon external ballistics. The flight performance of the WVU-HP-60 was compared to a standard M720 60mm mortar. The developed HP was considered to be a tube-launched UAV, that transforms, not directly after launch but sometime after for optimal gliding, and must be modeled with different flight profiles because after transformation the aerodynamics drastically change. Two models of the UAV were created to allow for design of controllers. They were the launch model and the projectile flight model. It was found that the projectile may exit the barrel with a two degree variation of launch angle. The simulations show that range extension is still viable, with this barrel exit variation, to within 10% of the maximum achievable range. A confidence area was also developed to determine how far the launch angle and wing deployment position could stray and still maintain a significant amount of range extension.Copyright © 2012 by ASME