Influence of Leading-Edge Oscillatory Blowing on Time-Accurate Dynamic Store Separation

Developing an understanding of, and potentially controlling, pitch bifurcation of a store release from an aircraft during flight could improve weapons delivery.

Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Increasing the operational efficiency of weapons employed in hostile environments is a high priority of the United States Air Force (USAF). In recent history, the USAF has made a move to smaller and internally stored weapons, especially for fighter aircraft. Maintaining a low radar cross section signature, and thus a low observable air vehicle, is desirable so the aircraft is less detectable by the enemy.

An internal weapons bay has a reduced load out but yields a low observable profile (reduced radar cross section). Also, aircraft can carry a greater number of weapons if the weapons are smaller, increasing the quantity of targets that can be engaged per sortie. The newer attack aircraft in the United States, such as the P-8A, F-22 and, most recently, the F-35, employ weapons delivery from bomb bays. The effects of this design element have not been fully explored and the impact on weapon release can sometimes be challenging to predict. Thus, it is important to understand the sensitivity of the flow field effects on the internally loaded weapon within a few feet from the carriage.