Abstract: Drop-test of the model in the wind tunnel is an effective way to investigate the supersonic store separation issues. The choice of similarity parameters is the key factor that influences the test accuracy. In the study of supersonic store separation with initial ejection velocity, the light model method is usually employed to achieve kinematics and dynamic similarity parameters of the model, but the gravity of the model cannot be accurately modelled. To investigate the effects of gravity on the store release test results, the CTS (Captive Trajectory System) test technique is employed. The test results for full-size actual flight parameters and reduced-size similarity parameters for light model method are compared. Results show that in the release procedure, the missile positions and attitudes are strongly coupled, and the vertical descending velocity would affect the variation of the missile attitudes. Under the similar parameters for the light model method, the descending velocity is relatively slow. The virtual gravity correction method is able to approximately modify the descending displacement, whereas it is not suitable for missile attitude revision. Moreover, the attitudes would affect the descending displacement. In the regime of store release safety, the test results under similar parameters which achieved by the light model method tends to be more riskier than employing the actual flight parameters.

Key words: store separation, wind tunnel model drop-test, light model method, virtual gravity modification, CTS test technique