INVERSE AERODYNAMIC COEFFICIENTS IDENTIFICATION OF A KINETIC ENERGY PROJECTILE FROM FLIGHT DATA

An identification technique for the aerodynamic coefficients of a Kinetic Energy projectile from flight data is proposed. The flight of the projectile is represented by a six degrees of freedom model where eight aerodynamic coefficients are involved. The identification technique is based on the optimization of a functional which involves the measurements (velocity, spin rate, ... ) and the aerodynamic coefficients. The numerical integration of the equations of motion and the minimization of the functional lead to a non linear system that, after resolution, provides the aerodynamic coefficients of the Kinetic Energy projectile and a recomputed flight which fits the best the measured data.