DYNAMICAL BEHAVIOR OF A FLEXIBLE, MATERIALLY DAMPED TOWED CABLE.

The three-dimensional equations of motion of a flexible towed cable are developed. A closed-form approximation for the equilibrium shape of a cable subjected to arbitrary aerodynamic loading is developed and used in the study of a heavy, vibrating tow cable. Natural frequencies of vibration and cable shapes are computed for typical cables and are shown to be in good agreement with exact, numerically obtained values.