What is the maximum Mach number that the vehicle will be constrained to?
Based on the predictions of the performance of the Apex 16 airfoil, the maximum Mach number that the vehicle will be constrained to during the transition maneuver (after aircraft release) will be Mach 0.65. During the data-gathering portion of the flight, the flight-test plan may call for the aircraft to exceed that Mach number (most likely at reduced lift coefficients.) The result of exceeding 0.65 Mach could be a large loss of lift and a corresponding loss of altitude. One of the goals of the experiment is to measure airfoil characteristics at Mach and Reynolds number combinations that cause airfoil performance to degrade.
