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Collection of Zero-Lift Drag Data on Bodies of Revolution from Free-Flight Investigations

This report presents a compilation of most of the zero-lift drag
results obtained from free—flight measurements made by the Langley
Pilotless Aircraft Research Division on fin-stabilized bodies of revo-l
lution. The data are arranged-on standard forms, which also contain
the significant geometrical factors. Supplementary data have been pro-
vided to facilitate the determination of the body pressure drags from
the measured total drags. Summary plots and discussions have been
included to provide a unified and broad picture of the effects of body
geometry on zero-lift drag.

The Mach number range of the tests extends from 0.6 to approximately
2.0 and the Reynolds numbers based on body length from 2 X 106 to 100 x 10.

At the present time, the most accurate method of obtaining the zero—
lift drag at transonic and low supersonic Mach numbers of an arbitrarily
shaped body of revolution is measurement by means of wind—tunnel or free-
flight tests. The importance of accurate knowledge of zero lift has been
increased by the usefulness of the “area rule“ concept in the design of
complete aircraft configurations, since this concept states that the drag
of a complete aircraft configuration can be determined from its equivalent
body of revolution.

The Langley Pilotless Aircraft Research Division has flown nearly
200 bodies of revolution of different sizes and shapes for the purpose of
measuring their drag at zero lift. The results of many of these tests
have been published in reports dealing with the systematic variations
which they explored. Hewever, many of these models were designed as
equivalent bodies of revolution, and their drags have been published in
the widely scattered reports dealing with the airplane configurations
they represented. In view of the large amount of data available and of
the comparative obscurity of a large part of it, it was felt that a
collection of such data presented in a standard form would be of aid to
the aircraft and—missile'designers.