An evaluation was made of the results of wind tunnel tests on 0.4-scale models of two monorail rocket-sled configurations. The sled models consisted of a cylindrical body with forward and aft splitter wedges and slippers and with an interchangeable 15-deg cone nose and spike nose. The wind tunnel tests were conducted at Mach numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 and over a Reynolds number range (based on the sled body diameter) from 0.22 to 1.92 million. The sled model was sting supported over a scaled replica of the Holloman track rail which was supported on a sharp-leading-edge ground plane (flat plate). The test results consist of static force measurements obtained from a six-component strain-gage balance. Also, pitot pressure flow field surveys were made over the ground plane and model rail in the region occupied by the sled model. The following model parameters were varied during the test: the location of the sled relative to the rail tip and also to the ground plane leading edge, the height of the sled body above the rail surface, the gap between the slipper and rail surface, and the sled roll angle. The results presented include an evaluation of the influence of the sled slippers, the free-stream Reynolds number, and the Mach number on the aerodynamic loading of the sled. (Author)
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