[amsat-bb] Spacefraft Aerodynamics [was:Re:AO-40: Plans for April-June 2001]

[Margaret Leber <maggie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tony Langdon wrote:

> Quite likely, the exact amount of drag would have had to have been taken
> into account, that's for sure.

Looking at my P3D model, it's pretty clear that it's *not* 
aerodynamically symmetrical as ALON changes. It loks to me like any drag 
forces caused by the (relatively) turbulent flow on the +Z face would be 
unbalanced by the (relatively) laminar flow on the -Z face.

So when changing the ALON it may actually be easier to go in one 
direction than the other if it takes the +Z face though the low-pressure 
zone "behind" the bird where the dragginess of all the stuff on that 
side is less important.

Who would have thought that wind tunnel studies of a satellite would be 
useful? :-)

73 de Maggie K3XS

-- 
-----/___.   _)   Margaret Stephanie Leber    / "The art of progress  /
----/(, /|  /| http://voicenet.com/~maggie   / consists of preserving/
---/   / | / |  _   _   _    `  _AOPA 925383/ order amid change and /
--/ ) /  |/  |_(_(_(_/_(_/__(__(/_  FN20hd / change amid order."   /
-/ (_/   '  K3XS  .-/ .-/    ARRL 39280   /___ --A.N.Whitehead ___/
/____ICQ 7161096_(_/_(_/__AMSAT 32844____/ <maggie@voicenet.com>


----
Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org