Aerodynamic and trajectory characteristics of a typical mortar projectile with a deflectable nose

Deflectable nose control is a new trajectory correction method. In this paper, the aerodynamic and trajectory characteristics of a typical mortar projectile with a deflectable nose are investigated with respect to its flight conditions. Using the method of wind tunnel testing, the aerodynamic coefficients of four kinds of mortar models were measured under the conditions of different angles of attack from −10° to 10° and Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.9. Based on the aerodynamic coefficients, the trajectory ranges at different nose deflection angles and times were calculated. Furthermore, a trajectory optimization was performed by reducing the static margin. The results and discussions show that the nose deflection provided limited lift, while the pitching moment varied significantly. The mortar obtained the extended flight range and trajectory correction ability with nose deflection.