Parametric Study of the Towline Shape of an Aircraft Decoy

<p>Some of today's aircraft use decoys as a defense against enemy weapons. The decoy is towed behind the aircraft with the intention of attracting the weapon propagator by deception trying to mislead the weapon into detecting it instead of the aircraft. An aircraft deploys a decoy via a towline extending out behind and below the aircraft. However during some maneuvers the towline moves up into the jet exhaust plume of the aircraft. The high temperatures of the exhaust can cause damage to the towline cable ranging from disrupting data flow between the decoy and aircraft to severing the towline altogether. This research modeled the system to determine the towline shape and position relative to the aircraft under steady state conditions. Non-dimensional parameters were utilized in order to investigate what parameter groups effect the motion of the towline reducing the steady state solution space from 7 parameters to 2 parameters. The effect of both parameter groups in determining the shape of the towline was studied and recommendations for preventing the towline from entering the jet exhaust during straight and level flight were made.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>