<DOC>
<DOCNO>
357
</DOCNO>
<TITLE>
optimum nose shapes for missiles in the super-aerodynamic
region .
</TITLE>
<AUTHOR>
carter,w.j.
</AUTHOR>
<BIBLIO>
j. ae. scs. 24, 1957, 527.
</BIBLIO>
<TEXT>
  the mechanics of the kinetic theory of gases is employed to
describe the drag force on the nose of a missile moving in the superaerodynamic
region of the atmosphere .  three separate cases are
considered--ideal specular reflection, specular-type reflection
from a slightly rough surface, and surface absorption followed by
random emission of the striking molecules .  the calculus of variations
is employed to obtain the differential equation of the nose
shape which minimizes the drag force for each of the three cases .
the resulting differential equations are then solved by a numerical
procedure .  the drag coefficients for the optimum nose shapes are
likewise determined and these are compared with the drag coefficients
given by other nose shapes .  it is further shown that
the drag coefficients arising when specular-type reflections occur
are significantly dependent on the nose shape .  when surface
absorption followed by random emission occurs, the drag coefficient
is not strongly dependent on either the missile nose shape
or the fineness ratio of the nose .
</TEXT>
</DOC>
