Abstract: The one-dimensional problem of the motion of a rigid flying plate under explosive attack has an analytic solution only when the polytropic index of detonation products equals to three. In general, a numerical analysis is required. In this paper, however, by utilizing the "weak" shock behavior of the reflection shock in the explosive products, and applying the small parameter pur-terbation method, an analytic, first-order approximate solution is obtained for the problem of flying plate driven by various high explosives with polytropic indices other than but nearly equal to three. Final velocities of flying plate obtained agree very well with numerical results by computers. Thus an analytic formula with two parameters of high explosive (i.e. detonation velocity and polytropic index) for estimation of the velocity of flying plate is established.