Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 June 2016
Using a perturbation method, the formulae for the pitching stability derivatives of sharp wedges at zero incidence in viscous hypersonic flow are obtained in closed form. The results include the effect of unsteady reflected waves from the bow shock and may be applied to any wedge provided that the bow shock is attached. The effect of viscosity of the gas is included in two parts: first, it thickens the wedge, thus introducing the concept of an effective wedge, thicker than the original wedge by a semi-vertex angle equal to the average inclination of the displacement boundary layer; secondly, it makes this effective wedge deformable. Comparison with previous theories is given.