Abstract: This paper describes a wind tunnel free-flight technique for measuring pitch-damping derivatives of a missile model at high angles of attack. The tests were performed in a 20cm by 20cm supersonic wind tunnel with free-stream Mach number of 2.0. Test model is a basic finned configuration. The model was released by a pneumatic launcher. The maximum angle of attack of 100 degrees can be achieved in free-flight testing. Model trajectories were recorded by a high-speed drum camera. Pitch-damping moment derivatives versus angles of attack were obtained by numerical integral method.

Key words: wind tunnel free-flight, high angles of attack, stability derivatives, data processmg