The U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL’s) Transonic Experimental Facility (TEF) is an all-purpose research firing range that has been used to investigate propulsion, materials, flight, guidance, and terminal effects across a spectrum of launch (mechanical) and flight (thermal) loads, including speeds from Mach 0.5 to 5+. Currently, there are very few experimental ground facilities for hypersonics in the country and even fewer experimental free-flight facilities. An endeavor was undertaken to explore the feasibility of acquiring both qualitative and quantitative data via optical diagnostic techniques at the range. Investigating and implementing diagnostic techniques for free-flight hypersonics experiments will create a unique ground test facility that can support fundamental hypersonics research and development.
A recent set of hypersonics experiments was performed on flared conical and ogival projectiles. A flight-tracking infrared camera and an Edgerton shadowgraph system allowed a unique high-speed, high-Reynolds-number data set to be acquired. High-speed video with a flight follower trajectory tracker, Edgerton shadowgraphy, and thermal camera with flight follower tracking were acquired for projectiles launched at speeds greater than Mach 5.