Special types of unmanned aerial vehicles are intended to fall unpowered through the air during the initial descent upon release from another aircraft. To predict dynamics of these vehicles in such high-speed falls and later develop means for steering, their aerodynamic characteristics need to be understood. In this work, a cylindrical body is simulated in steady translation through the air in post-critical flow regimes. Validation studies carried out for cylinders with known aerodynamic properties suggested the usage of Detached Eddy Simulation approach with SST k - ω turbulence model and γ transition model. The force and moment coefficients are determined for a rounded-edge cylinder in a range of pitch angles. The drag coefficient initially increases with the pitch angle, but at higher angles the drag variation becomes smaller. The side force demonstrates a well-defined maximum at a medium pitch angle. The aerodynamic moment for inclined body positions tend to force the body into the transverse orientation with respect to the incident flow.
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