Hypervelocity ballistic reference models as experimental supersonic test cases

Hypervelocity ballistic reference wind tunnel models are of interest to researchers in the field of high-speed aerodynamics, both as the means to validate the measurement chains in wind tunnels, and as test cases for validation of software tools for aerodynamic analysis. Wind tunnel tests of these models and some numeric simulations were performed in the Military Technical Institute in Belgrade. In the analysis of the obtained data, certain issues appeared that urge caution in the use of these models as test cases. It is shown that supersonic starting loads and high dynamic pressures in a wind tunnel can prohibit the use of the slender 'standard' support sting, so that some reference data are from tests with various non-standardized stings of larger relative diameters. Besides, the available reference data are actually few and quite old, the only comprehensive, freely available dataset being that from the 1963/64 tests at the Arnold Engineering Development Centre, which seems to be a de-facto reference. However, results for the total axial-force coefficients from those tests differ significantly from results from several other sources, which group well. A need is expressed for a larger database of test results, and a 'standard' sting of larger relative diameter is proposed for future tests.