Trajectory prediction for a typical fin stabilized artillery rocket

13th International Conference on Aerospace Sciences & Aviation Technology, ASAT- 13, May 26 – 28, 2009This paper investigates the trajectory prediction and dispersion for unguided fin stabilized artillery rocket in order to explain the importance of the rocket production accuracy and the benefit of using guided rockets. The total dispersion results mainly from three effects. The first is the dispersion due to rocket production inaccuracy, which includes propellant mass, composition inaccuracy, rocket total mass, axial and lateral moments of inertia and resultant center of gravity. The second dispersion during boosting phase which includes launcher deflection, missile tip-off from the launcher, thrust and fin misalignments, and atmospheric disturbances such as tail wind, cross wind, and gusts. While the third is the dispersion during free-flight phase that is due to the fluctuations in wind profile. In this study, a trajectory calculation using a 6-DOF model was developed and applied for a typical artillery rocket, the 122 mm artillery rocket, at different mass and flight properties to predict the trajectory parameters and dispersion.