Abstract: The self-rotation of flexible spinning flight vehicles in the dynamic analysis is emphatically considered. The equations of motion are formulated and the dynamic stability is analyzed by taking into account gyroscopic moment and follower thrust. The flexible spinning flight vehicle is simplified as a non-uniform rotor structure. Timoshenko beam model, which assumes that the shear deformation influences axial displacement, is adopted with consideration of the effects of gyroscopic moment and follower thrust. The equations of motion are established based on the finite element method to analyze the effects of rotating speed and follower thrust on the dynamic response and structural instability under the action of mass eccentric force. The results show that system stiffness and critical spin speed decrease with the increase in follower thrust; the resonance of system occurs when the excitation frequency equals to the critical spin speed frequency; the follower thrust equaling to or being greater than the critical thrust results in system instability; the increase in spin speed will reduce the critical thrust of system; and the structural heterogeneity greatly affects the critical spin speed and critical thrust.

Key words: vibration and wave, spinning flight vehicle, follower thrust, Timoshenko beam