Supersonic rockets use ramjet engines and often travel at a speed faster than sound. Most supersonic rockets cover a range of between 100 and 150 kilometers, depending on the guidance system and modification. There are several categories of supersonic rockets such as the short-range, medium-range, and long-range subsonic rockets (Ralphin 119). The short-range rockets have a shorter range and are often limited to traveling a distance within a relatively small area. Examples of short-range rockets include the Air-Sol, 3M-54, CJ-10, CVS, KD-88, CVS401 Perseus, and YJ-12 among others. These rockets can go up to a speed of 1,200 km/h, especially for the modified version (Long 13).
The medium-range rockets travel much faster and cover a longer distance. Examples of middle-range rockets are SM-62 Snark, Burya, RSS-40, and SM-64. Most of the middle-range rockets are used by the military. These rockets can go up to a speed of 1,300 km/h, especially for the modified version. The long range-rockets travel up to five times the speed of sound and cover distances of up to 1000 kilometers, depending on the navigation and engine installed in them. Examples of long-range rockets are the AGM series, DH-10, and Apache among others. These rockets can go up to a speed of 1,300 km/h, especially for the modified version (Hyo-Won, Yoon, and Sung 261).
How the wings of supersonic rockets work
As a remedy for reducing the drag in the supersonic speed, the wings of supersonic rockets are designed to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. The use of the variable-geometry wing technology on the wings of supersonic rockets has the capability of spreading and sweeping sharply in the backward direction to maximize the speed. In the ultra-modern versions of the supersonic rockets, the delta-wing design has been used to address the challenge of longitudinal trim that occurs due to the swinging effect in motion that increases drag (Manikanda and Sundararajan 13). This wing design ensures that supersonic rockets can attain a very high flight angle in the shortest time possible by generating a vortex on the upper surface of the rocket structure to improve the lift and general speed (Durgesh and Javhar 39). The wings of all supersonic rockets are very thin and flexible for ease of control. The wings sweep forward and backward, depending on the direction detected by the navigation program installed in the rockets.
Design
Supersonic rockets have a similar streamlined design apart from small variances due to size, range, and weight. Since the rockets are means to pass the transonic regime, the engine power and the airframes have been optimized to guarantee maximum performance. The wings of these rockets are made using swing-wing technology to ensure that the delta-wing supports fast ascendance and minimizes drag. To avoid the heat problem as a result of friction in supersonic speed, the outer layer is made of aluminum alloys to ensure that the excessive friction and high heat do not result in the entire rocket melting (Borade 1489). Supersonic rockets use engines that are modified to ensure that they operate efficiently by using the low bypass turbofans. This is meant to ensure that supercruise speed is reached at the minimal nacelle drag. The materials used to design the supersonic rockets are very strong, light weight, and aerodynamically slick to ensure that the challenge of extreme drag is avoided.
Works Cited
Borade, Mali. “Design and Cfd Analysis of U-Tube Heat Exchanger.” International Journal of Engineering & Science Research 10. 2 (2012): 1486-1494. Print.
Durgesh, Bhatt, and Priyanka Javhar. “Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Performance Analysis.” International Journal of Science and Research 3.9 (2014): 34-41. Print.
Hyo-Won, Yeom, Sangkyu Yoon, and Hong-Gye Sung. “Flow Dynamics at the Minimum Starting Condition of a Supersonic Diffuser to Simulate a Rocket’s High Altitude Performance on the Ground.” Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology 23.2 (2009): 254-261. Print.
Long, Christopher. Essential Heat Transfer, New York: Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print.
Manikanda, Kumaran, and Manohar Sundararajan. “Performance Evaluation of Second Throat Diffuser for High-Altitude-Test Facility.” Journal of Propulsion and Power 26.2 (2010): 7-16. Print.
Ralphin, Bruce. “Optimization of Supersonic Ejector by Condensing Rocket Plume. American Journal of Science and Technology 2.4 (2015): 116-123.Print.