He isn’t discrediting it.
He is just pointing out that it doesn’t make sense to compare grid fins to normal ones like it is done.
To make an accurate comparison you would need to look at the required fin AoA for a specific turn and then compare the drag values based on that
While discrediting it is not the way forward there are better papers out there, including two by nato themselves, one is about wave drag reduction on grid fins and the other is about technologies for future missiles and talks about gridfins, both are available to download easily
Well his argument is that it has higher drag in all cases but my response is that it means AoA and not speeds anyway, although might be true, and that the fact that the grid fins are almost just doomed to fail as seemingly the conclusion is made before the graphs or experiments, since the grid fins are much larger so the lift would be higher and more drag.
Yeah. I think it will be buffed latter on though, since it is still a week at least until next update.
Edit: Do they pull more AoA RN?
thats a tough proposition
It seems to be as your picture shows, but drag is still happening more than others when the missile is having AOA =/= 0
wtf are you talking about, they also have L/D and coefficient of lift over AOA
but we want/ need required fin AoA for a specific turn and then compare the drag values based on that, for an accurate comparison
you get that from the coefficient of lift, that is literally proportional to the force generated
Which is pointless in this situation where we are talking about drag. As long as it is over AoA this is pretty useless cause it is subject to AoA completely. Meanwhile it should be missile AoA vs drag or lift or Cd Cl.
no we dont because gridfins need less AOA for a specific turn, than normal fins
means we need to know the fin AOA for that specific turn and then make furter comparisons based on that
you can easily find that because the fins will generate the same force if the CL is equal
no its not, from the CL over AOA we can find what AOAs will generate the same force and use that as input in the other graphs
Lift coefficient is not lift. Lift coefficient = Lift/(reference area * dynamic pressure)
Unfortunately every Cl is subject to the specific wing and is not linked to AoA and that it is actually the dynamic pressure that is different.
I know, but that is why the kept the same dimensions, to keep the proportion between lift coefficient and lift the same or very similar
AIM-120C-5 does not have more drag. It has a higher drag coefficient, but the surface area is smaller due to the cut fins so the net drag is actually lower. It says on the missile spreadsheet that drag coefficient alone doesn’t give you the full picture!!!
at that time it actualy did have more drag than 120A, it has sense been reduced
