The impact of Staggered Fins on Aerodynamic Drag of a Transonic Sounding Rocket
Jakub Antoni JANKIEWICZ, Manfred GAWLAS, Urszula WASILEWSKA
Abstract. Sounding rockets are unmanned rockets which carry instruments to perform experiments during their suborbital flights. These rockets are typically equipped with fins to ensure stability throughout the ascent. The fins, however, can be a significant source of wave drag, especially at transonic Mach numbers. Increased drag can lead to reduced apogee, decreased velocity, greater fuel consumption, increased drag-induced stresses, and overall performance degradation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of longitudinal fin offset on the aerodynamic drag of a transonic sounding rocket. The use of staggered tail sections and their impact on drag, especially in rocketry, remains largely unexplored and warrants further investigation. Therefore, in this study, three-dimensional, compressible computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses in Ansys Fluent were conducted. The simulations were performed using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the k-ω SST turbulence model. A preliminary stability analysis was also performed. The rocket under analysis features two pairs of fins, mounted near the bottom of the rocket, 90° apart, with one pair longitudinally offset. This staggered configuration alters the cross-sectional area distribution which more closely aligns with the transonic area rule, promoting wave drag reduction. The results demonstrate a significant aerodynamic drag reduction at transonic Mach numbers. The findings provide insight for researchers aiming to optimize fin configurations for improved aerodynamic efficiency and higher apogee in sounding rocket designs.
Keywords
Aerodynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Drag Reduction, Rocket Wave Drag, Fluid Mechanics, Offset Rocket Fins
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Jakub Antoni JANKIEWICZ, Manfred GAWLAS, Urszula WASILEWSKA, The impact of Staggered Fins on Aerodynamic Drag of a Transonic Sounding Rocket, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 260-265, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-46
The article was published as article 46 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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