Aerodynamic characteristics of airship Zhiyuan-1

An airship named “Zhiyuan-1” was designed/fabricated/flied as a technical demonstration for stratospheric airship during 2007–2009 by Shanghai Jiaotong University. The calculation method and procedure of aerodynamic parameters were introduced, and the optimized configuration of the hull and the aerodynamic layout were given in this paper. Wind tunnel tests with different configurations, different pitch angles and different yaw angles were performed to study the wind load characteristics of the rigid model of the airship “Zhiyuan-1” in the O3.2 m wind tunnel at China Aerodynamics Research & Development Center. Also the numerical calculation about the test model was carried out to investigate the aerodynamic behavior. According to the results of wind test and numerical calculation, the excellent hull configuration of the airship “Zhiyuan-1” with lower drag characteristic was confirmed, which is based on optimism of the Michel transition law. And the phenomena of pressure coefficient distribution were discussed according to the results of wind tunnel test and numerical calculation at different flight attitudes.