| From: | Steffen Schuemann <S.SCHUEMANN@*******.COMLINK.DE> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re^2: How to handle missiles? |
| Date: | Sun, 3 Sep 1995 12:09:00 +0100 |
> Paul Adams wrote:
>
> >Aerodynamics and the amount of control force that can be generated without
> >excessive drag limit the G-force available to a missile, not materials
> technology.
>
> The missile is limited by the strength of the material used to construct
> those control surfaces. There is nothing inside the missile that can not
> 'hack' a extremely high G turn, and in the end-phase of the missile flight,
> where the missile would have to execute this maneuver, it doesn't care if it
> bleeds off almost all it's energy in that turn as long as it can hit it's
> target (or get close enough) and explode. One of the major limiting factors
> in how many G's a missile can pull is how strong are its control surface
> servos and at what point will those control surfaces just snap off the
> thing.
>
IMHO thats not all. The missle may turn immediately and there may also
be a growing speed vector towards the target, but the huge vector towards
the previous flight direction has to be beaten and this is also a part
of the turn radius equation. Missiles have to face (nearly) towards the
target all the time and so their only way of leaving speed parts in false
directions is the air resistance of the control surface and their body.
The power of the engine will help only at turns over 90 degree which means
after passing the turned target.
So I think the size of the turning radius is more a function of the speed
than the G resitance of the turning object and so the is still a chance.
The trick is, to turn at the right time. If you turn to late, you will
not be fast enough to leave the proximity fuse range. If you turn to
early, the missile will get enough time to turn.
Steffen
