Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!philmtl!philabs!ttidca!hollombe
From: hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Atlantis is home!
Message-ID: <4499@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 25 May 89 18:22:58 GMT
References: <272@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov> <9090001@hp-lsd.HP.COM> <4453@ttidca.TTI.COM> <6949@bunny.GTE.COM> <8465@venera.isi.edu>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 21

In article <8465@venera.isi.edu> raveling@venera.isi.edu (Paul Raveling) writes:
}	Also note that these shock waves form ahead of and behind the
}	object.  An form with a relatively pointed nose, like an F-104,
}	has a relatively large distance between its leading shock wave
}	and the nose itself; this produces minimal drag due to feeding
}	energy into the shock wave.  A relatively blunt nose, such as
}	the shuttles, will generate its shock wave much closer to, or even
}	even on, the nose, and will produce much higher drag.

This is the opposite of what I was taught (and saw demonstrated).
Shock waves tend to attach to a sharp leading edge and precede a blunt
one.  You can demonstrate the effect in water by observing the bow wave of
a boat with a rounded bow in the water vs. one with a pointed bow.

Don't flame if you haven't tried it.

-- 
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@ttidca.tti.com)  Illegitimati Nil
Citicorp(+)TTI                                                 Carborundum
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