Sample records for aircraft research laboratories

  1. Initiation of Research at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1942-05-21

    A group of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) officials and local dignitaries were on hand on May 8, 1942, to witness the Initiation of Research at the NACA's new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The group in this photograph was in the control room of the laboratory's first test facility, the Engine Propeller Research Building. The NACA press release that day noted, "First actual research activities in what is to be the largest aircraft engine research laboratory in the world was begun today at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics laboratory at the Cleveland Municipal Airport.” The ceremony, however, was largely symbolic since most of the laboratory was still under construction. Dr. George W. Lewis, the NACA's Director of Aeronautical Research, and John F. Victory, NACA Secretary, are at the controls in this photograph. Airport Manager John Berry, former City Manager William Hopkins, NACA Assistant Secretary Ed Chamberlain, Langley Engineer-in-Charge Henry Reid, Executive Engineer Carlton Kemper, and Construction Manager Raymond Sharp are also present. The propeller building contained two torque stands to test complete engines at ambient conditions. The facility was primarily used at the time to study engine lubrication and cooling systems for World War II aircraft, which were required to perform at higher altitudes and longer ranges than previous generations.

  2. Supercharger Research at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1944-01-21

    A researcher in the Supercharger Research Division at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory measures the blade thickness on a supercharger. Superchargers were developed at General Electric used to supply additional air to reciprocating engines. The extra air resulted in increased the engine’s performance, particularly at higher altitudes. The Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory had an entire division dedicated to superchargers during World War II. General Electric developed the supercharger in response to a 1917 request from the NACA to develop a device to enhance high-altitude flying. The supercharger pushed larger volumes of air into the engine manifold. The extra oxygen allowed the engine to operate at its optimal sea-level rating even when at high altitudes. Thus, the aircraft could maintain its climb rate, maneuverability and speed as it rose higher into the sky. NACA work on the supercharger ceased after World War II due to the arrival of the turbojet engine. The Supercharger Research Division was disbanded in October 1945 and reconstituted as the Compressor and Turbine Division.

  3. Fuels and Lubrication Researcher at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1943-08-21

    A researcher at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory studies the fuel ignition process. Improved fuels and lubrication was an area of particular emphasis at the laboratory during World War II. The military sought to use existing types of piston engines in order to get large numbers of aircraft into the air as quickly as possible. To accomplish its goals, however, the military needed to increase the performance of these engines without having to wait for new models or extensive redesigns. The Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory was called on to lead this effort. The use of superchargers successfully enhanced engine performance, but the resulting heat increased engine knock [fuel detonation] and structural wear. These effects could be offset with improved cooling, lubrication, and fuel mixtures. The NACA researchers in the Fuels and Lubrication Division concentrated on new synthetic fuels, higher octane fuels, and fuel-injection systems. The laboratory studied 16 different types of fuel blends during the war, including extensive investigations of triptane and xylidine.

  4. Flight Research Building at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1942-09-21

    The Flight Research Building at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory is a 272- by 150-foot hangar with an internal height up to 90 feet. The hangar’s massive 37.5-foot-tall and 250-foot-long doors can be opened in sections to suit different size aircraft. The hangar has sheltered a diverse fleet of aircraft over the decades. These have ranged from World War II bombers to Cessna trainers and from supersonic fighter jets to a DC–9 airliner. At the time of this September 1942 photograph, however, the hangar was being used as an office building during the construction of the laboratory. In December of 1941, the Flight Research Building became the lab’s first functional building. Temporary offices were built inside the structure to house the staff while the other buildings were completed. The hangar offices were used for an entire year before being removed in early 1943. It was only then that the laboratory acquired its first aircraft, pilots and flight mechanics. The temporary one-story offices can be seen in this photograph inside the large sliding doors. Also note the vertical lift gate below the NACA logo. The gate was installed so that the tails of larger aircraft could pass into the hangar. The white Farm House that served as the Administration Building during construction can be seen in the distance to the left of the hangar.

  5. Aircraft in the Flight Research Building at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1944-06-21

    A Consolidated B–24D Liberator (left), Boeing B–29 Superfortress (background), and Lockheed RA–29 Hudson (foreground) parked inside the Flight Research Building at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. A P–47G Thunderbolt and P–63A King Cobra are visible in the background. The laboratory utilized 15 different aircraft during the final 2.5 years of World War II. This starkly contrasts with the limited-quantity, but long-duration aircraft of the NASA’s modern fleet. The Flight Research Building is a 272- by 150-foot hangar with an internal height ranging from 40 feet at the sides to 90 feet at its apex. The steel support trusses were pin-connected at the top with tension members extending along the corrugated transite walls down to the floor. The 37.5-foot-tall and 250-foot-long doors on either side can be opened in sections. The hangar included a shop area and stock room along the far wall, and a single-story office wing with nine offices, behind the camera. The offices were later expanded. The hangar has been in continual use since its completion in December 1942. Nearly 70 different aircraft have been sheltered here over the years. Temporary offices were twice constructed over half of the floor area when office space was at a premium.

  6. Guard House at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-08-21

    A vehicle leaves the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory on August 14, 1945. At 7 p.m. that evening President Truman announced that Japan had accepted terms for surrender and World War II was over. The end of the war brought significant changes for the laboratory. The NACA would cease its troubleshooting of military aircraft and return to research. Researchers would increase their efforts to address the new technologies that emerged during the war. The entire laboratory was reorganized in October to better investigate turbojets, ramjets, and rockets. The guard house sat on the main entrance to the laboratory off of Brookpark Road. The building was fairly small and easily crowded. In the early 1960s a new security facility was built several hundred feet beyond the original guard house. The original structure remained in place for several years but was not utilized. The subsequent structure was replaced in 2011 by a new building and entrance configuration.

  7. Groundbreaking for the NACA’s Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1941-01-21

    Local politicians and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) officials were on hand for the January 23, 1941 groundbreaking for the NACA’s Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory (AERL). The NACA was established in 1915 to coordinate the nation’s aeronautical research. The committee opened a research laboratory at Langley Field in 1920. By the late 1930s, however, European nations, Germany in particular, were building faster and higher flying aircraft. The NACA decided to expand with a new Ames Aeronautical Laboratory dedicated to high-speed flight and the AERL to handle engine-related research. The NACA examined a number of Midwest locations for its new engine lab before deciding on Cleveland. At the time, Cleveland possessed the nation’s most advanced airport, several key aircraft manufacturing companies, and was home to the National Air Races. Local officials were also able to broker a deal with the power company to discount its electricity rates if the large wind tunnels were operated overnight. The decision was made in October 1940, and the groundbreaking alongside the airport took place on January 23, 1941. From left to right: William Hopkins, John Berry, Ray Sharp, Frederick Crawford, George Brett, Edward Warner, Sydney Kraus, Edward Blythin, and George Lewis

  8. Steam Plant at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-09-21

    The Steam Plant at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory supplies steam to the major test facilities and office buildings. Steam is used for the Icing Research Tunnel's spray system and the Engine Research Building’s desiccant air dryers. In addition, its five boilers supply heat to various buildings and the cafeteria. Schirmer-Schneider Company built the $141,000 facility in the fall of 1942, and it has been in operation ever since.

  9. Draftsmen at Work during Construction of the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1942-09-21

    The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory was designed by a group of engineers at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in late 1940 and 1941. Under the guidance of Ernest Whitney, the men worked on drawings and calculations in a room above Langley’s Structural Research Laboratory. The main Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory design group originally consisted of approximately 30 engineers and draftsmen, but there were smaller groups working separately on specific facilities. The new engine lab would have six principal buildings: the Engine Research Building, hangar, Fuels and Lubricants Building, Administration Building, Propeller Test Stand, and Altitude Wind Tunnel. In December 1941 most of those working on the project transferred to Cleveland from Langley. Harrison Underwood and Charles Egan led 18 architectural, 26 machine equipment, 3 structural and 10 mechanical draftsmen. Initially these staff members were housed in temporary offices in the hangar. As sections of the four-acre Engine Research Building were completed in the summer of 1942, the design team began relocating there. The Engine Research Building contained a variety of test cells and laboratories to address virtually every aspect of piston engine research. It also contained a two-story office wing, seen in this photograph that would later house many of the powerplant research engineers.

  10. Cessna UC–78 Bobcat at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1943-10-21

    The Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory acquired the five-seat Cessna UC–78 in March 1943 to maintain the proficiency of its pilots. The UC–78 was referred to as the “Bamboo Bomber” because of its wooden wings and tail and its fabric-covered steel body. The aircraft was produced in 1939 for civilian use, but the military soon began ordering them as training aircraft. The military also began using the aircraft for personnel transport. Cessna produced over 4600 of the aircraft for the military during World War II. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA) pilot Howard Lilly flew the UC–78 extensively during its residency in Cleveland. The aircraft was used for ferrying staff members to nearby locations and helping the pilots keep their flying hours up. The UC–78 was transferred in October 1945.

  11. Air Force Officers Visit Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-08-21

    A group of 60 Army Air Forces officers visited the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory on August 27, 1945. The laboratory enacted strict security regulations throughout World War II. During the final months of the war, however, the NACA began opening its doors to groups of writers, servicemen, and aviation industry leaders. These events were the first exposure of the new engine laboratory to the outside world. Grandstands were built alongside the Altitude Wind Tunnel specifically for group photographs. George Lewis, Raymond Sharp, and Addison Rothrock (right to left) addressed this group of officers in the Administration Building auditorium. Lewis was the NACA’s Director of Aeronautical Research, Sharp was the lab’s manager, and Rothrock was the lab’s chief of research. Abe Silverstein, Jesse Hall and others watch from the rear of the room. The group toured several facilities after the talks, including the Altitude Wind Tunnel and a new small supersonic wind tunnel. The visit concluded with a NACA versus Army baseball game and cookout.

  12. Lockheed P–38J Lightning at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-03-21

    The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory acquired two Lockheed P–38J Lightning in October 1944 to augment their burgeoning icing research program. The P–38 was a high-altitude interceptor with a unique twin fuselage configuration. Lockheed designed the aircraft in 1938 and 1939. Its two Allison V–1710 engines carried the aircraft to altitudes up to 40,000 feet. The P–38 was used extensively during World War II in a variety of roles. In August 1943, Lockheed began producing an improved version, the P–38J that included better cockpit heating, engine cooling, and dive flaps. The military loaned the NACA two P–38Js to determine the amount of ice formation on the induction system of the turbosupercharger-equipped engines. In 1944 and 1945 one of the aircraft was subjected to ground tests using an engine blower on the hangar apron. The V–1710 was run over a full range of speeds as different levels of water were injected into the blower and sprayed onto the engine. The other P–38J was flown at 10,000 feet altitude with water sprayed into the engine to simulate rain. The tests confirmed that closing the intercooler flap added protection against the ice by blocking water ingestion and increasing engine heat. NACA pilot Joseph Walker joined the Cleveland laboratory in early 1945 as a physicist. Walker had flown P–38s during World, and later claimed that seeing the NACA’s two P–38Js inspired him to return to his earlier calling as a pilot, this time with the NACA. Walker was particularly active in the icing flight program during his five years of flying in Cleveland.

  13. Martin B–26 Marauder at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1943-09-21

    The Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory’s first aircraft, a Martin B–26B Marauder, parked in front of the Flight Research Building in September 1943. The military loaned the B–26B to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to augment the lab’s studies of the Wright Aeronautical R–2800 engines. The military wanted to improve the engine cooling in order to increase the bomber’s performance. On March 17, 1943, the B–26B performed the very first research flight at the NACA’s new engine laboratory. The B–26B received its “Widowmaker” nickname during the rushed effort to transition the new aircraft from design to production and into the sky. During World War II, however, the B–26B proved itself to be a capable war machine. The U.S. lost fewer Marauders than any other type of bomber employed in the war. The B–26B was originally utilized at low altitudes in the Pacific but had its most success at high altitudes over Europe. The B–26B’s flight tests in Cleveland during 1943 mapped the R-2800 engine’s behavior at different altitudes and speeds. The researchers were then able to correlate engine performance in ground facilities to expected performance at different altitudes. They found that air speed, cowl flap position, angle of attack, propeller thrust, and propeller speed influenced inlet pressure recovery and exhaust distribution. The flight testing proceeded quickly, and the B–26B was transferred elsewhere in October 1943.

  14. The NASA Earth Research-2 (ER-2) Aircraft: A Flying Laboratory for Earth Science Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Navarro, Robert

    2007-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, has two Lockheed Martin Corporation (Bethesda, Maryland) Earth Research-2 (ER2) aircraft that serve as high-altitude and long-range flying laboratories. The ER-2 aircraft has been successfully utilized to conduct scientific studies of stratospheric and tropospheric chemistry, land-use mapping, disaster assessment, preliminary testing and calibration and validation of satellite sensors. The research missions for the ER-2 aircraft are planned, implemented, and managed by the Dryden Flight Research Center Science Mission Directorate. Maintenance and instrument payload integration is conducted by Dryden personnel. The ER-2 aircraft provides experimenters with a wide array of payload accommodations areas with suitable environment control with required electrical and mechanical interfaces. Missions may be flown out of Dryden or from remote bases worldwide, according to research requirements. The NASA ER-2 aircraft is utilized by a variety of customers, including U.S. Government agencies, civilian organizations, universities, and state governments. The combination of the ER-2 aircraft s range, endurance, altitude, payload power, payload volume and payload weight capabilities complemented by a trained maintenance and operations team provides an excellent and unique platform system to the science community and other customers.

  15. Model of the NACA's Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory during its Construction

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1942-08-21

    Zella Morewitz poses with a model of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory, currently the NASA Glenn Research Center. The model was displayed in the Administration Building during the construction of the laboratory in the early 1940s. Detailed models of the individual test facilities were also fabricated and displayed in the facilities. The laboratory was built on a wedge of land between the Cleveland Municipal Airport on the far side and the deep curving valley etched by the Rocky River on the near end. Roughly only a third of the laboratory's semicircle footprint was initially utilized. Additional facilities were added to the remaining areas in the years after World War II. In the late 1950s the site was supplemented by the acquisition of additional adjacent land. Morewitz joined the NACA in 1935 as a secretary in the main office at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. In September 1940 she took on the task of setting up and guiding an office dedicated to the design of the NACA’s new engine research laboratory. Morewitz and the others in the design office transferred to Cleveland in December 1941 to expedite the construction. Morewitz served as Manager Ray Sharp’s secretary for six years and was a popular figure at the new laboratory. In December 1947 Morewitz announced her engagement to Langley researcher Sidney Batterson and moved back to Virginia.

  16. NACA Pilots at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-07-21

    The Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory’s pilot corps during the final days of World War II: from left to right, Joseph Vensel, Howard Lilly, William Swann, and Joseph Walker. William “Eb” Gough joined the group months after this photograph. These men were responsible for flying the various National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) aircraft to test new engine modifications, study ice buildup, and determine fuel performance. Vensel, a veteran pilot from Langley, was the Chief of Flight Operations and a voice of reason at the laboratory. In April 1947 Vensel was transferred to lead the new Muroc Flight Tests Unit in California until 1966. Lilly was a young pilot with recent Navy experience. Lilly also flew in the 1946 National Air Races. He followed Vensel to Muroc in July 1947 where he became the first NACA pilot to penetrate the sound barrier. On May 3, 1948, Lilly became the first NACA pilot to die in the line of duty. Swann was a young civilian pilot when he joined the NACA. He spent his entire career at the Cleveland laboratory, and led the flight operations group from the early 1960s until 1979. Two World War II veterans joined the crew after the war. Walker was a 24-year-old P–38 reconnaissance pilot. He joined the NACA as a physicist in early 1945 but soon worked his way into the cadre of pilots. Walker later gained fame as an X-plane pilot at Muroc and was killed in a June 1966 fatal crash. Gough survived being shot down twice during the war and was decorated for flying rescue missions in occupied areas.

  17. General Henry Arnold Visits the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1944-11-21

    General Henry “Hap” Arnold, Commander of the US Army Air Forces during World War II, addresses the staff at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory on November 9, 1944. Arnold told the employees assembled in the hangar, “You’ve got a dual task. You’ve got a job ahead of you to keep the army and the navy air forces equipped with the finest equipment that you can for this war. You also have the job of looking forward into the future and starting now those developments, those experiments, that are going to keep us in our present situation—ahead of the world in the air. And that is quite a large order, and I leave it right in your laps.” Arnold served on the NACA’s Executive Committee in Washington from 1938 to 1944 and had been a strong advocate for the creation of the new engine research facility in Cleveland. Arnold believed in continual research and development. He pressed the nation’s aviation leaders to pursue the new jet engine technology, while simultaneously pushing to increase the performance of the nation’s largest piston engine for the B–29 Superfortress program. The general’s hectic wartime agenda limited his visit to the Cleveland laboratory to just a few hours, but he toured several of the NACA’s new test facilities including the Static Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Icing Research Tunnel, and a B–24 Liberator in the hangar.

  18. Boeing B–29 Superfortress at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1944-07-21

    A Boeing B–29 Superfortress at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The B–29 was the Army Air Forces’ deadliest weapon during the latter portion of World War II. The aircraft was significantly larger than previous bombers but could fly faster and higher. The B–29 was intended to soar above anti-aircraft fire and make pinpoint drops onto strategic targets. The bomber was forced to carry 20,000 pounds more armament than it was designed for. The extra weight pushed the B–29’s four powerful Wright R–3350 engines to their operating limits. The over-heating of the engines proved to be a dangerous problem. The military asked the NACA to tackle the issue. Full-scale engine tests on a R–3350 engine in the Prop House demonstrated that a NACA-designed impeller increased the flow rate of the fuel injection system. Altitude Wind Tunnel studies of the engine led to the reshaping of cowling inlet and outlet to improve airflow and reduce drag. Single-cylinder studies on valve failures were resolved by a slight extension of the cylinder head, and the Engine Research Building researchers combated uneven heating with a new fuel injection system. The modifications were then tried out on an actual B–29. The bomber arrived in Cleveland on June 22, 1944. The new injection impeller, ducted head baffles and instrumentation were installed on the bomber’s two left wing engines. Eleven test flights were flown over the next month with military pilots at the helm. Overall the flight tests corroborated the wind tunnel and test stand studies.

  19. Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research Testbed: Aircraft Model Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jordan, Thomas L.; Langford, William M.; Hill, Jeffrey S.

    2005-01-01

    The Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) testbed being developed at NASA Langley Research Center is an experimental flight test capability for research experiments pertaining to dynamics modeling and control beyond the normal flight envelope. An integral part of that testbed is a 5.5% dynamically scaled, generic transport aircraft. This remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) is powered by twin turbine engines and includes a collection of sensors, actuators, navigation, and telemetry systems. The downlink for the plane includes over 70 data channels, plus video, at rates up to 250 Hz. Uplink commands for aircraft control include over 30 data channels. The dynamic scaling requirement, which includes dimensional, weight, inertial, actuator, and data rate scaling, presents distinctive challenges in both the mechanical and electrical design of the aircraft. Discussion of these requirements and their implications on the development of the aircraft along with risk mitigation strategies and training exercises are included here. Also described are the first training (non-research) flights of the airframe. Additional papers address the development of a mobile operations station and an emulation and integration laboratory.

  20. Aircraft Fleet on the Tarmac at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1946-04-21

    This fleet of military aircraft was used in the 1940s for research at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The NACA Lewis flight research program was established in March 1943 to augment the lab’s wartime research efforts. NACA Lewis possessed a host of wind tunnels, test stands, and other ground facilities designed to replicate flight conditions, but actual flight tests remained an integral research tool. The military loaned NACA Lewis 15 different aircraft during World War II and six others in the six months following the end of hostilities. During the war these aircraft supported three main efforts: the improved performance of reciprocating engines, better fuel additives and mixtures, and deicing systems. The wartime researchers used the types of aircraft which the studies were intended to improve. After the war the research aircraft served as test beds to investigate engines or systems that often had little to do with the research aircraft. During the war, NACA Lewis’ three pilots were supported by 16 flight engineers, 36 mechanics, and 10 instrumentation specialists. The visible aircraft, from left to right, are a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a Martin B-26A Marauder, two Consolidated B-24 Liberators, a Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, and a Northrop P-61 Black Widow. Partially obscured are a North American P-51 Mustang, a Bell P-63 King Cobra, a North American AT-6 Texan, and a Lockheed RA-29 Hudson.

  1. Construction of the Hangar at the New Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1941-08-21

    Northward view of the Flight Research Building's steel framework in August 1941 as it neared completion at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. The 272- by 150-foot hangar had a 90-foot clearance at its highest point. The hangar was the first structure built and was needed as a shelter for the growing staff, who occupied a nearby Farm House at this point. In January 1941 the Cleveland-area R.P. Carbone Construction Company was selected to build the hangar. Over the ensuing months, however, the NACA management became frustrated by the slow progress on the project. Although Carbone was contracted to complete the entire hangar by August, it was September before even the structural steel frame, seen in this photograph, was in place. Officials estimated the roof and siding were four months behind schedule. This was a serious concern because the lab’s research, support and administrative staff members would soon begin arriving. By mid-September the transite walls began enclosing the skeleton. In October work began on the temporary offices inside. The building was completed in mid-December just in time for the staff arriving from Langley.

  2. Wind Tunnel Complex at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-09-21

    This aerial photograph shows the entire original wind tunnel complex at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. The large Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT) at the center of the photograph dominates the area. The Icing Research Tunnel to the right was incorporated into the lab’s design to take advantage of the AWT’s powerful infrastructure. The laboratory’s first supersonic wind tunnel was added to this complex just prior to this September 1945 photograph. The AWT was the nation’s only wind tunnel capable of studying full-scale engines in simulated flight conditions. The AWT’s test section and control room were within the two-story building near the top of the photograph. The exhauster equipment used to thin the airflow and the drive motor for the fan were in the building to the right of the tunnel. The unique refrigeration equipment was housed in the structure to the left of the tunnel. The Icing Research Tunnel was an atmospheric tunnel that used the AWT’s refrigeration equipment to simulate freezing rain inside its test section. A spray bar system inside the tunnel was originally used to create the droplets. The 18- by 18-inch supersonic wind tunnel was built in the summer of 1945 to take advantage of the AWT’s powerful exhaust system. It was the lab’s first supersonic tunnel and could reach Mach 1.91. Eventually the building would house three small supersonic tunnels, referred to as the “stack tunnels” because of the vertical alignment. The two other tunnels were added to this structure in 1949 and 1951.

  3. NASA-Langley Research Center's Aircraft Condition Analysis and Management System Implementation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frye, Mark W.; Bailey, Roger M.; Jessup, Artie D.

    2004-01-01

    This document describes the hardware implementation design and architecture of Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC)'s Aircraft Condition Analysis and Management System (ACAMS), which was developed at NASA-Langley Research Center (LaRC) for use in its Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System (ARIES) Laboratory. This activity is part of NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP), the Single Aircraft Accident Prevention (SAAP) project to develop safety-enabling technologies for aircraft and airborne systems. The fundamental intent of these technologies is to allow timely intervention or remediation to improve unsafe conditions before they become life threatening.

  4. Walter C. Williams Research Aircraft Integration Facility (RAIF)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    in the Thermostructural Laboratory, now also resides in the ITF. In preparing a research aircraft for flight testing, it is vital to measure its structural frequencies and mode shapes and compare results to the models used in design analysis. The final function performed in the ITF is routine aircraft maintenance. This includes preflight and post-flight instrumentation checks and the servicing of hydraulics, avionics, and engines necessary on any research aircraft. Aircraft are not merely moved to the ITF for automated testing purposes but are housed there throughout their flight test programs.

  5. Aircraft as Research Tools

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Aeronautical research usually begins with computers, wind tunnels, and flight simulators, but eventually the theories must fly. This is when flight research begins, and aircraft are the primary tools of the trade. Flight research involves doing precision maneuvers in either a specially built experimental aircraft or an existing production airplane that has been modified. For example, the AD-1 was a unique airplane made only for flight research, while the NASA F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) was a standard fighter aircraft that was transformed into a one-of-a-kind aircraft as it was fitted with new propulsion systems, flight controls, and scientific equipment. All research aircraft are able to perform scientific experiments because of the onboard instruments that record data about its systems, aerodynamics, and the outside environment. Since the 1970's, NASA flight research has become more comprehensive, with flights involving everything form Space Shuttles to ultralights. NASA now flies not only the fastest airplanes, but some of the slowest. Flying machines continue to evolve with new wing designs, propulsion systems, and flight controls. As always, a look at today's experimental research aircraft is a preview of the future.

  6. {open_quotes}Airborne Research Australia (ARA){close_quotes} a new research aircraft facility on the southern hemisphere

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hacker, J.M.

    1996-11-01

    {open_quotes}Airborne Research Australia{close_quotes} (ARA) is a new research aircraft facility in Australia. It will serve the scientific community of Australia and will also make its aircraft and expertise available for commercial users. To cover the widest possible range of applications, the facility will operate up to five research aircraft, from a small, low-cost platform to medium-sized multi-purpose aircraft, as well as a unique high altitude aircraft capable of carrying scientific loads to altitudes of up to 15km. The aircraft will be equipped with basic instrumentation and data systems, as well as facilities to mount user-supplied instrumentation and systems internally andmore » externally on the aircraft. The ARA operations base consisting of a hangar, workshops, offices, laboratories, etc. is currently being constructed at Parafield Airport near Adelaide/South Australia. The following text reports about the current state of development of the facility. An update will be given in a presentation at the Conference. 6 figs.« less

  7. Bell P–63A King Cobra at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1944-01-21

    The Army Air Forces lent the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory a Bell P–63A King Cobra in October 1943 to complement the lab's extensive efforts to improve the Allison V–1710 engine. The V–1710-powered P–63A was a single-seat fighter that could reach speeds of 410 miles per hour and an altitude of 43,000 feet. The fighter, first produced in 1942, was an improvement on Bell’s P–39, but persistent performance problems at high altitudes prevented its acceptance by the Air Corps. Instead many of the P–63s were transferred to the Soviet Union. Almost every test facility at the NACA’s engine lab was used to study the Allison V–1710 engine and its supercharger during World War II. Researchers were able to improve the efficiency, capacity and pressure ratio of the supercharger. They found that improved cooling significantly reduced engine knock in the fuel. Once the researchers were satisfied with their improvements, the new supercharger and cooling components were installed on the P–63A. The Flight Research Division first established the aircraft’s normal flight performance parameters such as speed at various altitudes, rate of climb, and peak altitude. Ensuing flights established the performance parameters of the new configuration in order to determine the improved performance. The program increased V–1710’s horsepower from 1650 to 2250.

  8. Memphis Belle and Crew Visit the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1943-07-21

    Captain Robert Morgan and the rest of the Memphis Belle crew arrive in Cleveland on a rainy July 7, 1943, for three-day publicity visit. This B–17 Flying Fortress had recently become the first U.S. bomber to complete 25 missions over Germany and France. The lack of long distance escort fighters made the feat even more remarkable. The Memphis Belle and its crew returned to the United States in June and were immediately thrown into a three-month-long war bond tour. While in Cleveland the crew toured the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory, the Cleveland Bomber Plant, and Thompson Products. In the evenings they were feted downtown by the Chamber of Commerce at the Hotel Cleveland. A local company brought Morgan’s family and his fiancé—the Memphis Belle’s inspiration—to Cleveland to participate in the activities. The bomber was on display to the public near the airport’s fenceline and stored in the NACA’s hangar overnight. Pictured in this photograph from left to right: Robert Hanson, Vincent Evans, Charles Leighton, NACA Manager Raymond Sharp, Robert Morgan, William Holliday of the Chamber of Commerce, Army Liaison Officer Colonel Edwin Page, Airport Commissioner Jack Berry, Cecil Scott, John Quinlan and James Verinis. Kneeling are Harold Loch, Casimer Nastal and Charles Wichell.

  9. Evaluation of aircraft crash hazard at Los Alamos National Laboratory facilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Selvage, R.D.

    This report selects a method for use in calculating the frequency of an aircraft crash occurring at selected facilities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (the Laboratory). The Solomon method was chosen to determine these probabilities. Each variable in the Solomon method is defined and a value for each variable is selected for fourteen facilities at the Laboratory. These values and calculated probabilities are to be used in all safety analysis reports and hazards analyses for the facilities addressed in this report. This report also gives detailed directions to perform aircraft-crash frequency calculations for other facilities. This will ensure thatmore » future aircraft-crash frequency calculations are consistent with calculations in this report.« less

  10. Altitude Wind Tunnel at the NACA’s Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1945-06-21

    Two men on top of the Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT) at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. The tunnel was a massive rectangular structure, which for years provided one of the highest vantage points on the laboratory. The tunnel was 263 feet long on the north and south legs and 121 feet long on the east and west sides. The larger west end of the tunnel, seen here, was 51 feet in diameter. The east side of the tunnel was 31 feet in diameter at the southeast corner and 27 feet in diameter at the northeast. The throat section, which connected the northwest corner to the test section, narrowed sharply from 51 to 20 feet in diameter. The AWT’s altitude simulation required temperature and pressure fluctuations that made the design of the shell more difficult than other tunnels. The simultaneous decrease in both pressure and temperature inside the facility produced uneven stress loads, particularly on the support rings. The steel used in the primary tunnel structure was one inch thick to ensure that the shell did not collapse as the internal air pressure was dropped to simulate high altitudes. It was a massive amount of steel considering the World War II shortages. The shell was covered with several inches of fiberglass insulation to retain the refrigerated air and a thinner outer steel layer to protect the insulation against the weather. A unique system of rollers was used between the shell and its support piers. These rollers allowed for movement as the shell expanded or contracted during the altitude simulations. Certain sections would move as much as five inches during operation.

  11. NASA research in aircraft propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beheim, M. A.

    1982-01-01

    A broad overview of the scope of research presently being supported by NASA in aircraft propulsion is presented with emphasis on Lewis Research Center activities related to civil air transports, CTOL and V/STOL systems. Aircraft systems work is performed to identify the requirements for the propulsion system that enhance the mission capabilities of the aircraft. This important source of innovation and creativity drives the direction of propulsion research. In a companion effort, component research of a generic nature is performed to provide a better basis for design and provides an evolutionary process for technological growth that increases the capabilities of all types of aircraft. Both are important.

  12. Construction Office in Farm House at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1941-11-21

    The construction offices for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA) new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory were originally opened in a small Radio House on the adjacent airport property. By July 1941, the staff had expanded to the point that a new shelter was needed. The NACA took possession of what was thereafter referred to as the “Farm House.” It was the only residential structure at the site. The Farm House served as the NACA’s main office until the Administration Building was opened in December 1942. The Farm House was built in 1827 and purchased by J.B. Perkins in 1849. Perkins did not reside in the house but hired caretakers to maintain the house and property and raise horses. The disposition of the land in the years leading up to the NACA’s takeover is not clear. After World War II, NACA management did not want visitors’ first impression to be an old farm house. The building was significantly modified to improve its size, appearance, shape, and added many modern conveniences. In the early 1950s the entire structure was relocated to the lot directly behind the Administration Building. It contained personnel and administrative offices for the lab. The Farm House was eventually demolished in 1973 due to deterioration of the wooden structure.

  13. Specially-Equipped Martin XB-25E Icing Research Aircraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1947-08-21

    In 1946 the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory became the NACA’s official icing research center. In addition to the Icing Research Tunnel, the lab possessed several aircraft modified for icing work, including a Consolidated B-24M Liberator and a North American XB-25E Mitchell, seen here. The XB-25E’s frequent engine fires allegedly resulted in its “Flamin’ Maimie” nickname. The aircraft’s nose art, visible in this photograph, includes a leather-jacketed mechanic with an extinguisher fleeing a fiery woman. North American developed the B-25 in the mid-1930s as a transport aircraft, but it was hurriedly reconfigured as a medium bomber for World War II. This XB-25E was a single prototype designed in 1942 specifically to test an exhaust gas ice prevention system developed by NACA researcher Lewis Rodert. The system circulated the engines’ hot bleed air to the wings, windshield, and tail. The XB-25E was utilized at the NACA’s Ames Aeronautical Laboratory for two years before being transferred to Cleveland in July 1944. NACA Lewis mechanics modified the aircraft further by installing electrical heating in the front fuselage, propellers, inboard sing, cowls, and antennae. Lewis pilots flew the B-24M and XB-25E into perilous weather conditions all across the country to study both deicing technologies and the physics of ice-producing clouds. These dangerous flights led to advances in weather sensing instruments and flight planning.

  14. Aircraft icing research at NASA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reinmann, J. J.; Shaw, R. J.; Olsen, W. A., Jr.

    1982-01-01

    Research activity is described for: ice protection systems, icing instrumentation, experimental methods, analytical modeling for the above, and in flight research. The renewed interest in aircraft icing has come about because of the new need for All-Weather Helicopters and General Aviation aircraft. Because of increased fuel costs, tomorrow's Commercial Transport aircraft will also require new types of ice protection systems and better estimates of the aeropenalties caused by ice on unprotected surfaces. The physics of aircraft icing is very similar to the icing that occurs on ground structures and structures at sea; all involve droplets that freeze on the surfaces because of the cold air. Therefore all icing research groups will benefit greatly by sharing their research information.

  15. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-08-25

    Catnap at Sea Ali Chase of the University of Maine, and Courtney Kearney of the Naval Research Laboratory, caught a quick nap on July 24, 2014, while between successive stops at sea to make measurements from the R/V Endeavor. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific..NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  16. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft in flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  17. Nitrogen oxides at the UTLS: Combining observations from research aircraft and in-service aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ziereis, Helmut; Stratmann, Greta; Schlager, Hans; Gottschaldt, Klaus-Dirk; Rauthe-Schöch, Armin; Zahn, Andreas; Hoor, Peter; van, Peter

    2016-04-01

    Nitrogen oxides have a decisive influence on the chemistry of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. They are key constituents of several reaction chains influencing the production of ozone. They also play an essential role in the cycling of hydroxyl radicals and therefore influence the lifetime of methane. Due to their short lifetime and their variety of sources there is still a high uncertainty about the abundance of nitrogen oxides in the UTLS. Dedicated aircraft campaigns aim to study specific atmospheric questions like lightning, long range transport or aircraft emissions. Usually, within a short time period comprehensive measurements are performed within a more or less restricted region. Therefore, especially trace constituents like nitrogen oxides with short lifetime and a variety of different sources are not represented adequately. On the other hand, routine measurements from in-service aircraft allow observations over longer time periods and larger regions. However, it is nearly impossible to influence the scheduling of in-service aircraft and thereby time and space of the observations. Therefore, the combination of dedicated aircraft campaigns and routine observations might supplement each other. For this study we combine nitrogen oxides data sets obtained with the IAGOS-CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) flying laboratory and with the German research aircraft HALO (High altitude and long range research aircraft). Data have been acquired within the IAGOS-CARIBIC project on a monthly base using a Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 since December 2004. About four flights are performed each month covering predominantly northern mid-latitudes. Additional flights have been conducted to destinations in South America and South Africa. Since 2012 HALO has been operational. Nitrogen oxides measurements have been performed during six missions covering mid latitudes, tropical as well as Polar

  18. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft in flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  19. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft in flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    feet high with a wingspan of just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  20. The Altitude Laboratory for the Test of Aircraft Engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dickinson, H C; Boutell, H G

    1920-01-01

    Report presents descriptions, schematics, and photographs of the altitude laboratory for the testing of aircraft engines constructed at the Bureau of Standards for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

  1. Partners in Freedom: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Military Aircraft of the 1990's

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambers, Joseph R.

    2000-01-01

    Established in 1917 as the nation#s first civil aeronautics research laboratory under the National Advisory Commit-tee for Aeronautics (NACA), Langley was a small laboratory that solved the problems of flight for military and civil aviation. Throughout history, Langley has maintained a working partnership with the Department of Defense, U.S. industry, universities, and other government agencies to support the defense of the nation with research. During World War II, Langley directed virtually all of its workforce and facilities to research for military aircraft. Following the war, a balanced program of military and civil projects was undertaken. In some instances Langley research from one aircraft program helped solve a problem in another. At the conclusion of some programs, Langley obtained the research models for additional tests to learn more about previously unknown phenomena. The data also proved useful in later developmental programs. Many of the military aircraft in the U.S. inventory as of late 1999 were over 20 years old. Langley activities that contributed to the development of some of these aircraft began over 50 years prior. This publication documents the role, from early concept stages to problem solving for fleet aircraft, that Langley played in the military aircraft fleet of the United States for the 1990's.

  2. Aircraft fire safety research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Botteri, Benito P.

    1987-01-01

    During the past 15 years, very significant progress has been made toward enhancing aircraft fire safety in both normal and hostile (combat) operational environments. Most of the major aspects of the aircraft fire safety problem are touched upon here. The technology of aircraft fire protection, although not directly applicable in all cases to spacecraft fire scenarios, nevertheless does provide a solid foundation to build upon. This is particularly true of the extensive research and testing pertaining to aircraft interior fire safety and to onboard inert gas generation systems, both of which are still active areas of investigation.

  3. Oblique Wing Research Aircraft on ramp

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1976-01-01

    This 1976 photograph of the Oblique Wing Research Aircraft was taken in front of the NASA Flight Research Center hangar, located at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In the photograph the noseboom, pitot-static probe, and angles-of-attack and sideslip flow vanes(covered-up) are attached to the front of the vehicle. The clear nose dome for the television camera, and the shrouded propellor for the 90 horsepower engine are clearly seen. The Oblique Wing Research Aircraft was a small, remotely piloted, research craft designed and flight tested to look at the aerodynamic characteristics of an oblique wing and the control laws necessary to achieve acceptable handling qualities. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and the NASA Ames Research Center conducted research with this aircraft in the mid-1970s to investigate the feasibility of flying an oblique wing aircraft.

  4. Entrance to the NACA's Flight Propulsion Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1948-08-21

    The sign near the entrance of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Flight Propulsion Research Laboratory. The name was changed several weeks later to the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in honor of the NACA’s former Director of Aeronautical Research, George W. Lewis. The research laboratory has had five different names since its inception in 1941. The Cleveland laboratory was originally known as the NACA Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. In 1947 it was renamed the NACA Flight Propulsion Research Laboratory to reflect the expansion of the research activities beyond just engines. Following the death of George Lewis, the name was changed to the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in September 1948. On October 1, 1958, the lab was incorporated into the new NASA space agency, and it was renamed the NASA Lewis Research Center. Following John Glenn’s flight on the space shuttle, the name was changed again to the NASA Glenn Research Center on March 1, 1999. From his office in Washington DC, George Lewis managed the aeronautical research conducted at the NACA for over 20 years. His most important accomplishment, however, may have been an investigative tour of German research facilities in the fall of 1936. The visit resulted in the broadening of the scope of the NACA’s research and the physical expansion that included the new engine laboratory in Cleveland.

  5. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft arrival at Dryden

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    ,250 pounds. It was 19 feet long and three feet high with a wingspan of just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  6. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft arrival at Dryden

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  7. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft arrival at Dryden

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    with a wingspan of just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  8. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft arrival at Dryden

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    wingspan of just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  9. Altitude Wind Tunnel Control Room at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1944-07-21

    Operators in the control room for the Altitude Wind Tunnel at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory remotely operate a Wright R–3350 engine in the tunnel’s test section. Four of the engines were used to power the B–29 Superfortress, a critical weapon in the Pacific theater during World War II. The wind tunnel, which had been in operation for approximately six months, was the nation’s only wind tunnel capable of testing full-scale engines in simulated altitude conditions. The soundproof control room was used to operate the wind tunnel and control the engine being run in the test section. The operators worked with assistants in the adjacent Exhauster Building and Refrigeration Building to manage the large altitude simulation systems. The operator at the center console controlled the tunnel’s drive fan and operated the engine in the test section. Two sets of pneumatic levers near his right forearm controlled engine fuel flow, speed, and cooling. Panels on the opposite wall, out of view to the left, were used to manage the combustion air, refrigeration, and exhauster systems. The control panel also displayed the master air speed, altitude, and temperature gauges, as well as a plethora of pressure, temperature, and airflow readings from different locations on the engine. The operator to the right monitored the manometer tubes to determine the pressure levels. Despite just being a few feet away from the roaring engine, the control room remained quiet during the tests.

  10. Description and Laboratory Tests of a Roots Type Aircraft Engine Supercharger

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ware, Marsden

    1926-01-01

    This report describes a roots type aircraft engine supercharger and presents the results of some tests made with it at the Langley Field Laboratories of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The supercharger used in these tests was constructed largely of aluminum, weighed 88 pounds and was arranged to be operated from the rear of a standard aircraft engine at a speed of 1 1/2 engine crankshaft speed. The rotors of the supercharger were cycloidal in form and were 11 inches long and 9 1/2 inches in diameter. The displacement of the supercharger was 0.51 cubic feet of air per revolution of the rotors. The supercharger was tested in the laboratory, independently and in combination with a Liberty-12 aircraft engine, under simulated altitude pressure conditions in order to obtain information on its operation and performance. From these tests it seems evident that the Roots blower compares favorably with other compressor types used as aircraft engine superchargers and that it has several features that make it particularly attractive for such use.

  11. Aircrew-aircraft integration: A summary of US Army research programs and plans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Key, D. L.; Aiken, E. W.

    1984-01-01

    A review of selected programs which illustrate the research efforts of the U.S. Army Aeromechanics Laboratory in the area of aircrew-aircraft integration is presented. Plans for research programs to support the development of future military rotorcraft are also described. The crew of a combat helicopter must, in general, perform two major functions during the conduct of a particular mission: flightpath control and mission management. Accordingly, the research programs described are being conducted in the same two major categories: (1) flightpath control, which encompasses the areas of handling qualities, stability and control, and displays for the pilot's control of the rotorcraft's flightpath, and (2) mission management, which includes human factors and cockpit integration research topics related to performance of navigation, communication, and aircraft systems management tasks.

  12. The F-18 systems research aircraft facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sitz, Joel R.

    1992-01-01

    To help ensure that new aerospace initiatives rapidly transition to competitive U.S. technologies, NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility has dedicated a systems research aircraft facility. The primary goal is to accelerate the transition of new aerospace technologies to commercial, military, and space vehicles. Key technologies include more-electric aircraft concepts, fly-by-light systems, flush airdata systems, and advanced computer architectures. Future aircraft that will benefit are the high-speed civil transport and the National AeroSpace Plane. This paper describes the systems research aircraft flight research vehicle and outlines near-term programs.

  13. On the dominant noise components of tactical aircraft: Laboratory to full scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tam, Christopher K. W.; Aubert, Allan C.; Spyropoulos, John T.; Powers, Russell W.

    2018-05-01

    This paper investigates the dominant noise components of a full-scale high performance tactical aircraft. The present study uses acoustic measurements of the exhaust jet from a single General Electric F414-400 turbofan engine installed in a Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft operating from flight idle to maximum afterburner. The full-scale measurements are to the ANSI S12.75-2012 standard employing about 200 microphones. By comparing measured noise spectra with those from hot supersonic jets observed in the laboratory, the dominant noise components specific to the F/A-18E aircraft at different operating power levels are identified. At intermediate power, it is found that the dominant noise components of an F/A-18E aircraft are essentially the same as those of high temperature supersonic laboratory jets. However, at military and afterburner powers, there are new dominant noise components. Their characteristics are then documented and analyzed. This is followed by an investigation of their origin and noise generation mechanisms.

  14. NASA Aircraft Controls Research, 1983

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beasley, G. P. (Compiler)

    1984-01-01

    The workshop consisted of 24 technical presentations on various aspects of aircraft controls, ranging from the theoretical development of control laws to the evaluation of new controls technology in flight test vehicles. A special report on the status of foreign aircraft technology and a panel session with seven representatives from organizations which use aircraft controls technology were also included. The controls research needs and opportunities for the future as well as the role envisioned for NASA in that research were addressed. Input from the panel and response to the workshop presentations will be used by NASA in developing future programs.

  15. V/STOL tilt rotor aircraft study. Volume 5: Definition of stowed rotor research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Soule, V. A.

    1973-01-01

    The results of a study of folding tilt rotor (stowed rotor) aircraft are presented. The effects of design cruise speed on the gross weight of a conceptual design stowed rotor aircraft are shown and a comparison is made with a conventional (non-folding) tilt rotor aircraft. A flight research stowed rotor design is presented. The program plans, including costs and schedules, are shown for the research aircraft development and a wind tunnel plan is presented for a full scale test of the aircraft.

  16. An Overview of NASA's Subsonic Research Aircraft Testbed (SCRAT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baumann, Ethan; Hernandez, Joe; Ruhf, John C.

    2013-01-01

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center acquired a Gulfstream III (GIII) aircraft to serve as a testbed for aeronautics flight research experiments. The aircraft is referred to as SCRAT, which stands for SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed. The aircraft's mission is to perform aeronautics research; more specifically raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of advanced technologies through flight demonstrations and gathering high-quality research data suitable for verifying the technologies, and validating design and analysis tools. The SCRAT has the ability to conduct a range of flight research experiments throughout a transport class aircraft's flight envelope. Experiments ranging from flight-testing of a new aircraft system or sensor to those requiring structural and aerodynamic modifications to the aircraft can be accomplished. The aircraft has been modified to include an instrumentation system and sensors necessary to conduct flight research experiments along with a telemetry capability. An instrumentation power distribution system was installed to accommodate the instrumentation system and future experiments. An engineering simulation of the SCRAT has been developed to aid in integrating research experiments. A series of baseline aircraft characterization flights has been flown that gathered flight data to aid in developing and integrating future research experiments. This paper describes the SCRAT's research systems and capabilities.

  17. Aircraft Turbine Engine Control Research at NASA Glenn Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garg, Sanjay

    2013-01-01

    This paper provides an overview of the aircraft turbine engine control research at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). A brief introduction to the engine control problem is first provided with a description of the state-of-the-art control law structure. A historical aspect of engine control development since the 1940s is then provided with a special emphasis on the contributions of GRC. With the increased emphasis on aircraft safety, enhanced performance, and affordability, as well as the need to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft, there are many new challenges being faced by the designers of aircraft propulsion systems. The Controls and Dynamics Branch (CDB) at GRC is leading and participating in various projects to develop advanced propulsion controls and diagnostics technologies that will help meet the challenging goals of NASA Aeronautics Research Mission programs. The rest of the paper provides an overview of the various CDB technology development activities in aircraft engine control and diagnostics, both current and some accomplished in the recent past. The motivation for each of the research efforts, the research approach, technical challenges, and the key progress to date are summarized.

  18. Role of research aircraft in technology development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Szalai, K. J.

    1984-01-01

    The United States's aeronautical research program has been rich in the use of research aircraft to explore new flight regimes, develop individual aeronautical concepts, and investigate new vehicle classes and configurations. This paper reviews the NASA supercritical wing, digital fly-by-wire, HiMAT, and AD-1 oblique-wing flight research programs, and draws from these examples general conclusions regarding the role and impact of research aircraft in technology development. The impact of a flight program on spinoff technology is also addressed. The secondary, serendipitous results are often highly significant. Finally, future research aircraft programs are examined for technology trends and expected results.

  19. Aircraft Radiation Shield Experiments--Preflight Laboratory Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; Shinn, Judy L.; Wilson, John W.; Maiden, Donald L.; Thibeault, Sheila A.; Badavi, Francis F.; Conroy, Thomas; Braby, Leslie

    1999-01-01

    In the past, measurements onboard a research Boeing 57F (RB57-F) aircraft have demonstrated that the neutron environment within the aircraft structure is greater than that in the local external environment. Recent studies onboard Boeing 737 commercial flights have demonstrated cabin variations in radiation exposure up to 30 percent. These prior results were the basis of the present study to quantify the potential effects of aircraft construction materials on the internal exposures of the crew and passengers. The present study constitutes preflight measurements using an unmoderated Cf-252 fission neutron source to quantify the effects of three current and potential aircraft materials (aluminum, titanium, and graphite-epoxy composite) on the fast neutron flux. Conclusions about the effectiveness of the three selected materials for radiation shielding must wait until testing in the atmosphere is complete; however, it is clear that for shielding low-energy neutrons, the composite material is an improved shielding material over aluminum or titanium.

  20. Unveiling of sign for Walter C. Williams Research Aircraft Integration Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    In a brief ceremony following a memorial service for the late Walter C. Williams on November 17, 1995, the Integrated Test Facility (ITF) at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, was formally renamed the Walter C. Williams Research Aircraft Integration Facility. Shown is the family of Walt Williams: Helen, his widow, sons Charles and Howard, daughter Elizabeth Williams Powell, their spouses and children unveiling the new sign redesignating the Facility. The test facility provides state-of-the-art capabilities for thorough ground testing of advanced research aircraft. It allows researchers and technicians to integrate and test aircraft systems before each research flight, which greatly enhances the safety of each mission. In September 1946 Williams became engineer-in-charge of a team of five engineers who arrived at Muroc Army Air Base (now Edwards AFB) from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics's Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, Hampton, Virginia (now NASA's Langley Research Center), to prepare for supersonic research flights in a joint NACA-Army Air Forces program involving the rocket-powered X-1. This established the first permanent NACA presence at the Mojave Desert site although initially the five engineers and others who followed them were on temporary assignment. Over time, Walt continued to be in charge during the many name changes for the NACA-NASA organization, with Williams ending his stay as Chief of the NASA Flight Research Center in September 1959 (today NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center).

  1. Advanced aircraft for atmospheric research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Russell, P.; Wegener, S.; Langford, J.; Anderson, J.; Lux, D.; Hall, D. W.

    1991-01-01

    The development of aircraft for high-altitude research is described in terms of program objectives and environmental, technological limitations, and the work on the Perseus A aircraft. The need for these advanced aircraft is proposed in relation to atmospheric science issues such as greenhouse trapping, the dynamics of tropical cyclones, and stratospheric ozone. The implications of the study on aircraft design requirements is addressed with attention given to the basic categories of high-altitude, long-range, long-duration, and nap-of-the-earth aircraft. A strategy is delineated for a platform that permits unique stratospheric measurements and is a step toward a more advanced aircraft. The goal of Perseus A is to carry scientific air sampling payloads weighing at least 50 kg to altitudes of more than 25 km. The airfoils are designed for low Reynolds numbers, the structural weight is very low, and the closed-cycle power plant runs on liquid oxygen.

  2. Historical trend in the research and development of aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spearman, M. L.

    1981-01-01

    Results are presented from a study of aircraft design trends undertaken to determine the relationship between research, development, test and evaluation and aircraft mission capability, requirements and objectives. It is shown that while in some cases a performance objective was the primary research driver, research was the driver in the formulation of objectives in others. Among the topics discussed are: (1) speed considerations such as compressibility, propulsion and test techniques; (2) airframe considerations such as swept, delta, trapezoidal and variable-sweep planforms and mission commonality; (3) research aircraft; (4) the recent impact of computer-aided design; (5) Soviet aircraft development approaches and (6) a comparison of Soviet and U.S. military aircraft design trends. Attention is given to experimental and prototype aircraft programs which, although cancelled, anticipated significant subsequent developments.

  3. The NASA Langley Research Center's Unmanned Aerial System Surrogate Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howell, Charles T., III; Jessup, Artie; Jones, Frank; Joyce, Claude; Sugden, Paul; Verstynen, Harry; Mielnik, John

    2010-01-01

    Research is needed to determine what procedures, aircraft sensors and other systems will be required to allow Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to safely operate with manned aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). The NASA Langley Research Center has transformed a Cirrus Design SR22 general aviation (GA) aircraft into a UAS Surrogate research aircraft to serve as a platform for UAS systems research, development, flight testing and evaluation. The aircraft is manned with a Safety Pilot and systems operator that allows for flight operations almost anywhere in the NAS without the need for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Authorization (COA). The UAS Surrogate can be controlled from a modular, transportable ground station like a true UAS. The UAS Surrogate is able to file and fly in the NAS with normal traffic and is a better platform for real world UAS research and development than existing vehicles flying in restricted ranges or other sterilized airspace. The Cirrus Design SR22 aircraft is a small, singleengine, four-place, composite-construction aircraft that NASA Langley acquired to support NASA flight-research programs like the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) Project. Systems were installed to support flight test research and data gathering. These systems include: separate research power; multi-function flat-panel displays; research computers; research air data and inertial state sensors; video recording; data acquisition; data-link; S-band video and data telemetry; Common Airborne Instrumentation System (CAIS); Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B); instrumented surfaces and controls; and a systems operator work station. The transformation of the SR22 to a UAS Surrogate was accomplished in phases. The first phase was to modify the existing autopilot to accept external commands from a research computer that was connected by redundant data-link radios to a ground control station. An electro-mechanical auto

  4. DC-8 Airborne Laboratory in flight during research mission - view from above

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    The DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratroy is shown flying above a solid layer of clouds. The aircraft was transferred from the Ames Research Center to the Dryden Flight Research Center in late 1997. Over the past several years, it has undertaken a wide range of research in such fields as archeology, ecology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, and other fields. In this photo, it is shown flying over a bank of clouds. NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology.

  5. U-2 Aircraft at the Lewis Research Center

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1973-09-21

    A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lockheed U-2 aircraft on display at the 1973 Inspection of the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Lockheed developed the U-2 as a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft in the early 1950s before satellites were available. The U-2 could cruise over enemy territory at 70,000 feet and remain impervious to ground fire, interceptor aircraft, and even radar. An advanced camera system was designed specifically for the aircraft. The pilot is required to use a pressure suit similar to those worn by astronauts. NASA’s Ames Research Center received two U-2 aircraft in April 1971 to conduct high-altitude research. They were used to study and monitor various Earth resources, celestial bodies, atmospheric chemistry, and oceanic processes. NASA replaced its U-2s with ER-2 aircraft in 1981 and 1989. The ER-2s were designed to carry up to 2600 pounds of scientific equipment. The ER-2 program was transferred to Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997. Since the inaugural flight for this program on August 31, 1971, NASA’s U-2 and ER-2 aircraft have flown more than 4500 data missions and test flights for NASA, other federal agencies, states, universities, and the private sector.

  6. YO-3A acoustics research aircraft systems manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cross, J. L.

    1984-01-01

    The flight testing techniques, equipment, and procedures employed during air-to-air acoustic testing of helicopters using the NASA YO-3A Acoustic Research Aircraft are discussed. The research aircraft instrumentation system is described as well as hardware installation on the test aircraft and techniques used during the tests. Emphasis is placed on formation flying, position locations, test matrices, and test procedures.

  7. The NASA aircraft icing research program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shaw, Robert J.; Reinmann, John J.

    1990-01-01

    The objective of the NASA aircraft icing research program is to develop and make available to industry icing technology to support the needs and requirements for all-weather aircraft designs. Research is being done for both fixed wing and rotary wing applications. The NASA program emphasizes technology development in two areas, advanced ice protection concepts and icing simulation. Reviewed here are the computer code development/validation, icing wind tunnel testing, and icing flight testing efforts.

  8. VSTOL Systems Research Aircraft (VSRA) Harrier

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    NASA's Ames Research Center has developed and is testing a new integrated flight and propulsion control system that will help pilots land aircraft in adverse weather conditions and in small confined ares (such as, on a small ship or flight deck). The system is being tested in the V/STOL (Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing) Systems research Aircraft (VSRA), which is a modified version of the U.S. Marine Corps's AV-8B Harrier jet fighter, which can take off and land vertically. The new automated flight control system features both head-up and panel-mounted computer displays and also automatically integrates control of the aircraft's thrust and thrust vector control, thereby reducing the pilot's workload and help stabilize the aircraft for landing. Visiting pilots will be encouraged to test the new system and provide formal evaluation flights data and feedback. An actual flight test and the display panel of control system are shown in this video.

  9. The History of the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft: From Concept to Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maisel, Martin D.; Giulianetti, Demo J.; Dugan, Daniel C.

    2000-01-01

    This monograph is a testament to the efforts of many people overcoming multiple technical challenges encountered while developing the XV-15 tilt rotor research aircraft. The Ames involvement with the tilt rotor aircraft began in 1957 with investigations of the performance and dynamic behavior of the Bell XV-3 tilt rotor aircraft. At that time, Ames Research Center was known as the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). As we approach the new millennium, and after more than 40 years of effort and the successful completion of our initial goals, it is appropriate to reflect on the technical accomplishments and consider the future applications of this unique aircraft class, the tilt rotor. The talented engineers, technicians, managers, and leaders at Ames have worked hard with their counterparts in the U.S. rotorcraft industry to overcome technology barriers and to make the military and civil tilt rotor aircraft safer, environmentally acceptable, and more efficient. The tilt rotor aircraft combines the advantages of vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, inherent to the helicopter, with the forward speed and range of a fixed wing turboprop airplane. Our studies have shown that this new vehicle type can provide the aviation transportation industry with the flexibility for highspeed, long-range flight, coupled with runway-independent operations, thus having a significant potential to relieve airport congestion. We see the tilt rotor aircraft as an element of the solution to this growing air transport problem.

  10. An Overview of NASA's SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed (SCRAT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baumann, Ethan; Hernandez, Joe; Ruhf, John

    2013-01-01

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center acquired a Gulfstream III (GIII) aircraft to serve as a testbed for aeronautics flight research experiments. The aircraft is referred to as SCRAT, which stands for SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed. The aircraft’s mission is to perform aeronautics research; more specifically raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of advanced technologies through flight demonstrations and gathering high-quality research data suitable for verifying the technologies, and validating design and analysis tools. The SCRAT has the ability to conduct a range of flight research experiments throughout a transport class aircraft’s flight envelope. Experiments ranging from flight-testing of a new aircraft system or sensor to those requiring structural and aerodynamic modifications to the aircraft can be accomplished. The aircraft has been modified to include an instrumentation system and sensors necessary to conduct flight research experiments along with a telemetry capability. An instrumentation power distribution system was installed to accommodate the instrumentation system and future experiments. An engineering simulation of the SCRAT has been developed to aid in integrating research experiments. A series of baseline aircraft characterization flights has been flown that gathered flight data to aid in developing and integrating future research experiments. This paper describes the SCRAT’s research systems and capabilities

  11. Research related to variable sweep aircraft development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Polhamus, E. C.; Toll, T. A.

    1981-01-01

    Development in high speed, variable sweep aircraft research is reviewed. The 1946 Langley wind tunnel studies related to variable oblique and variable sweep wings and results from the X-5 and the XF1OF variable sweep aircraft are discussed. A joint program with the British, evaluation of the British "Swallow", development of the outboard pivot wing/aft tail configuration concept by Langley, and the applied research program that followed and which provided the technology for the current, variable sweep military aircraft is outlined. The relative state of variable sweep as a design option is also covered.

  12. Advanced instrumentation for aircraft icing research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bachalo, W.; Smith, J.; Rudoff, R.

    1990-01-01

    A compact and rugged probe based on the phase Doppler method was evaluated as a means for characterizing icing clouds using airborne platforms and for advancing aircraft icing research in large scale wind tunnels. The Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) upon which the new probe was based is now widely recognized as an accurate method for the complete characterization of sprays. The prototype fiber optic-based probe was evaluated in simulated aircraft icing clouds and found to have the qualities essential to providing information that will advance aircraft icing research. Measurement comparisons of the size and velocity distributions made with the standard PDPA and the fiber optic probe were in excellent agreement as were the measurements of number density and liquid water content. Preliminary testing in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) produced reasonable results but revealed some problems with vibration and signal quality at high speeds. The cause of these problems were identified and design changes were proposed to eliminate the shortcomings of the probe.

  13. PTERA - Modular Aircraft Flight Test

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-01-13

    Aerospace testing can be costly and time consuming but a new modular, subscale remotely piloted aircraft offers NASA researchers more affordable options for developing a wide range of cutting edge aviation and space technologies. The Prototype-Technology Evaluation and Research Aircraft (PTERA), developed by Area-I, Inc., of Kennesaw, Georgia, is an extremely versatile and high quality, yet inexpensive, flying laboratory bridging the gap between wind tunnels and crewed flight testing.

  14. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft on lakebed during high-speed taxi tests

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    and the risks associated with their inability to deal with unknown or unforeseen phenomena in flight. Fully fueled the X-36 prototype weighed approximately 1,250 pounds. It was 19 feet long and three feet high with a wingspan of just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  15. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft on lakebed during high-speed taxi tests

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    -36 prototype weighed approximately 1,250 pounds. It was 19 feet long and three feet high with a wingspan of just over 10 feet. A Williams International F112 turbofan engine provided close to 700 pounds of thrust. A typical research flight lasted 35 to 45 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. A total of 31 successful research flights were flown from May 17, 1997, to November 12, 1997, amassing 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The aircraft reached an altitude of 20,200 feet and a maximum angle of attack of 40 degrees. In a follow-on effort, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted with Boeing to fly AFRL's Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE) software as a demonstration of the adaptability of the neural-net algorithm to compensate for in-flight damage or malfunction of effectors, such as flaps, ailerons and rudders. Two RESTORE research flights were flown in December 1998, proving the viability of the software approach. The X-36 aircraft flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1997 was a 28-percent scale representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft. The Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in St. Louis, Missouri, built two of the vehicles in a cooperative agreement with the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

  16. Supersonic cruise aircraft research: An annotated bibliography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tuttle, M. H.

    1980-01-01

    This bibliography, with abstracts, consists of 69 publications arranged in chronological order. The material may be useful to those interested in supersonic cruise fighter/penetrator/interceptor airplanes. Two pertinent conferences on military supercruise aircraft are considered as single items; one contains 37 papers and the other 29 papers. In addition, several related bibliographies are included which cover supersonic civil aircraft and military aircraft studies at the Langley Research Center. There is also an author index.

  17. A Virtual Laboratory for Aviation and Airspace Prognostics Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kulkarni, Chetan; Gorospe, George; Teubert, Christ; Quach, Cuong C.; Hogge, Edward; Darafsheh, Kaveh

    2017-01-01

    Integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), autonomy, spacecraft, and other aviation technologies, in the airspace is becoming more and more complicated, and will continue to do so in the future. Inclusion of new technology and complexity into the airspace increases the importance and difficulty of safety assurance. Additionally, testing new technologies on complex aviation systems and systems of systems can be challenging, expensive, and at times unsafe when implementing real life scenarios. The application of prognostics to aviation and airspace management may produce new tools and insight into these problems. Prognostic methodology provides an estimate of the health and risks of a component, vehicle, or airspace and knowledge of how that will change over time. That measure is especially useful in safety determination, mission planning, and maintenance scheduling. In our research, we develop a live, distributed, hardware- in-the-loop Prognostics Virtual Laboratory testbed for aviation and airspace prognostics. The developed testbed will be used to validate prediction algorithms for the real-time safety monitoring of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the prediction of unsafe events. In our earlier work1 we discussed the initial Prognostics Virtual Laboratory testbed development work and related results for milestones 1 & 2. This paper describes the design, development, and testing of the integrated tested which are part of milestone 3, along with our next steps for validation of this work. Through a framework consisting of software/hardware modules and associated interface clients, the distributed testbed enables safe, accurate, and inexpensive experimentation and research into airspace and vehicle prognosis that would not have been possible otherwise. The testbed modules can be used cohesively to construct complex and relevant airspace scenarios for research. Four modules are key to this research: the virtual aircraft module which uses the X

  18. An updated history of NACA/NASA rotary-wing aircraft research 1915-1984

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ward, J.

    1984-01-01

    Highlights are drawn from 'A History of NACA/NASA Rotating-Wing Aircraft Research, 1915-1970' by F. Gustafson to build an historical base upon which to build an extension from 1970-1984. Fundamental changes in how NASA conducted rotary-wing research in the early 1970s included an increasing level of contract research and closer ties with research conducted by the U.S. Army. The work done at the Army Research Laboratories at Ames, Langley, and Lewis Research Centers during 1970-1976 is briefly reviewed. In 1976 the Ames Research Center was assigned the Lead Center responsibility for helicopter research, though Langley retained research roles in structures, noise, dynamics, and aeroelasticity in support of rotorcraft. By 1984, NASA Rotorcraft Program Funding reached $35 million per year.

  19. Research Pilot C. Gordon Fullerton in Cockpit of TU-144LL SST Flying Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    NASA Research pilot C. Gordon Fullerton sits in cockpit of TU-144LL SST Flying Laboratory. Fullerton was one of two NASA pilots who flew the aircraft as part of a joint high speed research program. NASA teamed with American and Russian aerospace industries for an extended period in a joint international research program featuring the Russian-built Tu-144LL supersonic aircraft. The object of the program was to develop technologies for a proposed future second-generation supersonic airliner to be developed in the 21st Century. The aircraft's initial flight phase began in June 1996 and concluded in February 1998 after 19 research flights. A shorter follow-on program involving seven flights began in September 1998 and concluded in April 1999. All flights were conducted in Russia from Tupolev's facility at the Zhukovsky Air Development Center near Moscow. The centerpiece of the research program was the Tu 144LL, a first-generation Russian supersonic jetliner that was modified by its developer/builder, Tupolev ANTK (aviatsionnyy nauchno-tekhnicheskiy kompleks-roughly, aviation technical complex), into a flying laboratory for supersonic research. Using the Tu-144LL to conduct flight research experiments, researchers compared full-scale supersonic aircraft flight data with results from models in wind tunnels, computer-aided techniques, and other flight tests. The experiments provided unique aerodynamic, structures, acoustics, and operating environment data on supersonic passenger aircraft. Data collected from the research program was being used to develop the technology base for a proposed future American-built supersonic jetliner. Although actual development of such an advanced supersonic transport (SST) is currently on hold, commercial aviation experts estimate that a market for up to 500 such aircraft could develop by the third decade of the 21st Century. The Tu-144LL used in the NASA-sponsored research program was a 'D' model with different engines than were used in

  20. NASA's Research in Aircraft Vulnerability Mitigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allen, Cheryl L.

    2005-01-01

    Since its inception in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) role in civil aeronautics has been to develop high-risk, high-payoff technologies to meet critical national aviation challenges. Following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, NASA recognized that it now shared the responsibility for improving homeland security. The NASA Strategic Plan was modified to include requirements to enable a more secure air transportation system by investing in technologies and collaborating with other agencies, industry, and academia. NASA is conducting research to develop and advance innovative and commercially viable technologies that will reduce the vulnerability of aircraft to threats or hostile actions, and identify and inform users of potential vulnerabilities in a timely manner. Presented in this paper are research plans and preliminary status for mitigating the effects of damage due to direct attacks on civil transport aircraft. The NASA approach to mitigation includes: preventing loss of an aircraft due to a hit from man-portable air defense systems; developing fuel system technologies that prevent or minimize in-flight vulnerability to small arms or other projectiles; providing protection from electromagnetic energy attacks by detecting directed energy threats to aircraft and on/off-board systems; and minimizing the damage due to high-energy attacks (explosions and fire) by developing advanced lightweight, damage-resistant composites and structural concepts. An approach to preventing aircraft from being used as weapons of mass destruction will also be discussed.

  1. NASA Glenn's Contributions to Aircraft Engine Noise Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huff, Dennis L.

    2014-01-01

    This presentation reviews engine noise research conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center over the past 70 years. This report includes a historical perspective of the Center and the facilities used to conduct the research. Major noise research programs are highlighted to show their impact on industry and on the development of aircraft noise reduction technology. Noise reduction trends are discussed, and future aircraft concepts are presented. Since the 1960s, research results show that the average perceived noise level has been reduced by about 20 decibels (dB). Studies also show that, depending on the size of the airport, the aircraft fleet mix, and the actual growth in air travel, another 15 to 17 dB reduction will be required to achieve NASAs long-term goal of providing technologies to limit objectionable noise to the boundaries of an average airport.

  2. NASA Glenn's Contributions to Aircraft Engine Noise Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huff, Dennis L.

    2013-01-01

    This report reviews all engine noise research conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center over the past 70 years. This report includes a historical perspective of the Center and the facilities used to conduct the research. Major noise research programs are highlighted to show their impact on industry and on the development of aircraft noise reduction technology. Noise reduction trends are discussed, and future aircraft concepts are presented. Since the 1960s, research results show that the average perceived noise level has been reduced by about 20 decibels (dB). Studies also show that, depending on the size of the airport, the aircraft fleet mix, and the actual growth in air travel, another 15 to 17 dB reduction will be required to achieve NASA's long-term goal of providing technologies to limit objectionable noise to the boundaries of an average airport.

  3. NASA quiet short-haul research aircraft experimenters' handbook

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccracken, R. C.

    1980-01-01

    A summary of guidelines and particulars concerning the use of the NASA-Ames Research Center Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft for applicable flight experiments is presented. Procedures for submitting experiment proposals are included along with guidelines for experimenter packages, an outline of experiment selection processes, a brief aircraft description, and additional information regarding support at Ames.

  4. The Aircraft Morphing Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wlezien, R. W.; Horner, G. C.; McGowan, A. R.; Padula, S. L.; Scott, M. A.; Silcox, R. J.; Simpson, J. O.

    1998-01-01

    In the last decade smart technologies have become enablers that cut across traditional boundaries in materials science and engineering. Here we define smart to mean embedded actuation, sensing, and control logic in a tightly coupled feedback loop. While multiple successes have been achieved in the laboratory, we have yet to see the general applicability of smart devices to real aircraft systems. The NASA Aircraft Morphing program is an attempt to couple research across a wide range of disciplines to integrate smart technologies into high payoff aircraft applications. The program bridges research in seven individual disciplines and combines the effort into activities in three primary program thrusts. System studies are used to assess the highest- payoff program objectives, and specific research activities are defined to address the technologies required for development of smart aircraft systems. In this paper we address the overall program goals and programmatic structure, and discuss the challenges associated with bringing the technologies to fruition.

  5. The Proposed Use of Unmanned Aerial System Surrogate Research Aircraft for National Airspace System Integration Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howell, Charles T., III

    2011-01-01

    Research is needed to determine what procedures, aircraft sensors and other systems will be required to allow Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to safely operate with manned aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). This paper explores the use of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Surrogate research aircraft to serve as platforms for UAS systems research, development, and flight testing. These aircraft would be manned with safety pilots and researchers that would allow for flight operations almost anywhere in the NAS without the need for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Authorization (COA). With pilot override capability, these UAS Surrogate aircraft would be controlled from ground stations like true UAS s. It would be possible to file and fly these UAS Surrogate aircraft in the NAS with normal traffic and they would be better platforms for real world UAS research and development over existing vehicles flying in restricted ranges or other sterilized airspace. These UAS surrogate aircraft could be outfitted with research systems as required such as computers, state sensors, video recording, data acquisition, data link, telemetry, instrumentation, and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). These surrogate aircraft could also be linked to onboard or ground based simulation facilities to further extend UAS research capabilities. Potential areas for UAS Surrogate research include the development, flight test and evaluation of sensors to aide in the process of air traffic "see-and-avoid". These and other sensors could be evaluated in real-time and compared with onboard human evaluation pilots. This paper examines the feasibility of using UAS Surrogate research aircraft as test platforms for a variety of UAS related research.

  6. Solar Radiation Measurements Onboard the Research Aircraft HALO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lohse, I.; Bohn, B.; Werner, F.; Ehrlich, A.; Wendisch, M.

    2014-12-01

    Airborne measurements of the separated upward and downward components of solar spectral actinic flux densities for the determination of photolysis frequencies and of upward nadir spectral radiance were performed with the HALO Solar Radiation (HALO-SR) instrument package onboard the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO). The instrumentation of HALO-SR is characterized and first measurement data from the Next-generation Aircraft Remote-Sensing for Validation Studies (NARVAL) campaigns in 2013 and 2014 are presented. The measured data are analyzed in the context of the retrieved microphysical and optical properties of clouds which were observed underneath the aircraft. Detailed angular sensitivities of the two optical actinic flux receivers were determined in the laboratory. The effects of deviations from the ideal response are investigated using radiative transfer calculations of atmospheric radiance distributions under various atmospheric conditions and different ground albedos. Corresponding correction factors are derived. Example photolysis frequencies are presented, which were sampled in the free troposphere and lower stratosphere over the Atlantic Ocean during the 2013/14 HALO NARVAL campaigns. Dependencies of photolysis frequencies on cloud cover, flight altitude and wavelength range of the photolysis process are investigated. Calculated actinic flux densities in the presence of clouds benefit from the measured spectral radiances. Retrieved cloud optical thicknesses and effective droplet radii are used as model input for the radiative transfer calculations. By comparison with the concurrent measurements of actinic flux densities the retrieval approach is validated. Acknowledgements: Funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within the priority program HALO (BO 1580/4-1, WE 1900/21-1) is gratefully acknowledged.

  7. V/STOL tilt rotor aircraft study. Volume 2: Preliminary design of research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    A preliminary design study was conducted to establish a minimum sized, low cost V/STOL tilt-rotor research aircraft with the capability of performing proof-of-concept flight research investigations applicable to a wide range of useful military and commercial configurations. The analysis and design approach was based on state-of-the-art methods and maximum use of off-the-shelf hardware and systems to reduce development risk, procurement cost and schedules impact. The rotors to be used are of 26 foot diameter and are the same as currently under construction and test as part of NASA Tilt-Rotor Contract NAS2-6505. The aircraft has a design gross weight of 12,000 lbs. The proposed engines to be used are Lycoming T53-L-13B rated at 1550 shaft horsepower which are fully qualified. A flight test investigation is recommended which will determine the capabilities and limitations of the research aircraft.

  8. Aircraft Turbine Engine Control Research at NASA Glenn Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garg, Sanjay

    2014-01-01

    This lecture will provide an overview of the aircraft turbine engine control research at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Glenn Research Center (GRC). A brief introduction to the engine control problem is first provided with a description of the current state-of-the-art control law structure. A historical aspect of engine control development since the 1940s is then provided with a special emphasis on the contributions of GRC. The traditional engine control problem has been to provide a means to safely transition the engine from one steady-state operating point to another based on the pilot throttle inputs. With the increased emphasis on aircraft safety, enhanced performance and affordability, and the need to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft, there are many new challenges being faced by the designers of aircraft propulsion systems. The Controls and Dynamics Branch (CDB) at GRC is leading and participating in various projects in partnership with other organizations within GRC and across NASA, other government agencies, the U.S. aerospace industry, and academia to develop advanced propulsion controls and diagnostics technologies that will help meet the challenging goals of NASA programs under the Aeronautics Research Mission. The second part of the lecture provides an overview of the various CDB technology development activities in aircraft engine control and diagnostics, both current and some accomplished in the recent past. The motivation for each of the research efforts, the research approach, technical challenges and the key progress to date are summarized. The technologies to be discussed include system level engine control concepts, gas path diagnostics, active component control, and distributed engine control architecture. The lecture will end with a futuristic perspective of how the various current technology developments will lead to an Intelligent and Autonomous Propulsion System requiring none to very minimum pilot interface

  9. Fabrication methods for YF-12 wing panels for the Supersonic Cruise Aircraft Research Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoffman, E. L.; Payne, L.; Carter, A. L.

    1975-01-01

    Advanced fabrication and joining processes for titanium and composite materials are being investigated by NASA to develop technology for the Supersonic Cruise Aircraft Research (SCAR) Program. With Lockheed-ADP as the prime contractor, full-scale structural panels are being designed and fabricated to replace an existing integrally stiffened shear panel on the upper wing surface of the NASA YF-12 aircraft. The program involves ground testing and Mach 3 flight testing of full-scale structural panels and laboratory testing of representative structural element specimens. Fabrication methods and test results for weldbrazed and Rohrbond titanium panels are discussed. The fabrication methods being developed for boron/aluminum, Borsic/aluminum, and graphite/polyimide panels are also presented.

  10. Aerial View of NACA's Lewis Flight Propulsion Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1946-05-21

    The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio as seen from the west in May 1946. The Cleveland Municipal Airport is located directly behind. The laboratory was built in the early 1940s to resolve problems associated with aircraft engines. The initial campus contained seven principal buildings: the Engine Research Building, hangar, Fuels and Lubricants Building, Administration Building, Engine Propeller Research Building, Altitude Wind Tunnel, and Icing Research Tunnel. These facilities and their associated support structures were located within an area occupying approximately one-third of the NACA’s property. After World War II ended, the NACA began adding new facilities to address different problems associated with the newer, more powerful engines and high speed flight. Between 1946 and 1955, four new world-class test facilities were built: the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel, the Propulsion Systems Laboratory, the Rocket Engine Test Facility, and the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. These large facilities occupied the remainder of the NACA’s semicircular property. The Lewis laboratory expanded again in the late 1950s and early 1960s as the space program commenced. Lewis purchased additional land in areas adjacent to the original laboratory and acquired a large 9000-acre site located 60 miles to the west in Sandusky, Ohio. The new site became known as Plum Brook Station.

  11. Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft Joint Navy/NASA Sea Trials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Queen, S.; Cochrane, J.

    1982-01-01

    The Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) is a flight facility which Ames Research Center is using to conduct a broad program of terminal area and low-speed, propulsive-life flight research. A joint Navy/NASA flight research program used the QSRA to investigate the application of advanced propulsive-lift technology to the naval aircraft-carrier environment. Flight performance of the QSRA is presented together with the results or the joint Navy/NASA flight program. During the joint program, the QSRA operated aboard the USS Kitty Hawk for 4 days, during which numerous unarrested landings and free deck takeoffs were accomplished. These operations demonstrated that a large aircraft incorporating upper-surface-blowing, propulsive-life technology can be operated in the aircraft-carrier environment without any unusual problems.

  12. NASA aircraft trailing vortex research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcgowan, W. A.

    1971-01-01

    A brief description is given of NASA's comprehensive program to study the aircraft trailing vortex problem. Wind tunnel experiments are used to develop the detailed processes of wing tip vortex formation and explore different means to either prevent trailing vortices from forming or induce early break-up. Flight tests provide information on trailing vortex system behavior behind large transport aircraft, both near the ground, as in the vicinity of the airport, and at cruise/holding pattern altitudes. Results from some flight tests are used to show how pilots might avoid the dangerous areas when flying in the vicinity of large transport aircraft. Other flight tests will be made to verify and evaluate trailing vortex elimination schemes developed in the model tests. Laser Doppler velocimeters being developed for use in the research program and to locate and measure vortex winds in the airport area are discussed. Field tests have shown that the laser Doppler velocimeter measurements compare well with those from cup anemometers.

  13. Atmospheric effects of stratospheric aircraft - A status report from NASA's High-Speed Research Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wesoky, Howard L.; Prather, Michael J.

    1991-01-01

    Studies have indicated that, with sufficient technology development, future high-speed civil transport aircraft could be economically competitive with long-haul subsonic aircraft. However, uncertainty about atmospheric pollution, along with community noise and sonic boom, continues to be a major concern which is being addressed in the planned six-year High-Speed Research Program begun in 1990. Building on NASA's research in atmospheric science and emissions reduction, current analytical predictions indicate that an operating range may exist at altitudes below 20 km (i.e., corresponding to a cruise Mach number of approximately 2.4) where the goal level of 5 gm equivalent NO2 emissions/kg fuel will deplete less than one percent of column ozone. Because it will not be possible to directly measure the impact of an aircraft fleet on the atmosphere, the only means of assessment will be prediction. The process of establishing credibility for the predicted effects will likely be complex and involve continued model development and testing against climatological patterns. In particular, laboratory simulation of heterogeneous chemistry and other effects, and direct measurements of well understood tracers in the troposphere and stratosphere are being used to improve the current models.

  14. Integrated Research/Education University Aircraft Design Program Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-04-06

    iterations and loop shaping compared to MIMO control methods. Despite the drawbacks, loop closure and classical methods are the design methods most commonly...AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2017-0077 Integrated Research/Education University Aircraft Design Program Development Eli Livne UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON 4333...SUBTITLE Integrated Research/Education University Aircraft Design Program Development 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER FA9550-14-1-0027 5c.  PROGRAM

  15. Human response to aircraft noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Powell, Clemans A.; Fields, James M.

    1991-01-01

    The human auditory system and the perception of sound are discussed. The major concentration is on the annnoyance response and methods for relating the physical characteristics of sound to those psychosociological attributes associated with human response. Results selected from the extensive laboratory and field research conducted on human response to aircraft noise over the past several decades are presented along with discussions of the methodology commonly used in conducting that research. Finally, some of the more common criteria, regulations, and recommended practices for the control or limitation of aircraft noise are examined in light of the research findings on human response.

  16. Aircraft Cabin Environmental Quality Sensors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gundel, Lara; Kirchstetter, Thomas; Spears, Michael

    2010-05-06

    The Indoor Environment Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) teamed with seven universities to participate in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Center of Excellence (COE) for research on environmental quality in aircraft. This report describes research performed at LBNL on selecting and evaluating sensors for monitoring environmental quality in aircraft cabins, as part of Project 7 of the FAA's COE for Airliner Cabin Environmental Research (ACER)1 effort. This part of Project 7 links to the ozone, pesticide, and incident projects for data collection and monitoring and is a component of a broader research effort on sensors by ACER. Resultsmore » from UCB and LBNL's concurrent research on ozone (ACER Project 1) are found in Weschler et al., 2007; Bhangar et al. 2008; Coleman et al., 2008 and Strom-Tejsen et al., 2008. LBNL's research on pesticides (ACER Project 2) in airliner cabins is described in Maddalena and McKone (2008). This report focused on the sensors needed for normal contaminants and conditions in aircraft. The results are intended to complement and coordinate with results from other ACER members who concentrated primarily on (a) sensors for chemical and biological pollutants that might be released intentionally in aircraft; (b) integration of sensor systems; and (c) optimal location of sensors within aircraft. The parameters and sensors were selected primarily to satisfy routine monitoring needs for contaminants and conditions that commonly occur in aircraft. However, such sensor systems can also be incorporated into research programs on environmental quality in aircraft cabins.« less

  17. Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bradley, Marty K.; Droney, Christopher K.

    2011-01-01

    This Final Report summarizes the work accomplished by the Boeing Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) team in Phase 1, which includes the time period of October 2008 through March 2010. The team consisted of Boeing Research and Technology, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, General Electric, and Georgia Tech. The team completed the development of a comprehensive future scenario for world-wide commercial aviation, selected baseline and advanced configurations for detailed study, generated technology suites for each configuration, conducted detailed performance analysis, calculated noise and emissions, assessed technology risks, and developed technology roadmaps. Five concepts were evaluated in detail: 2008 baseline, N+3 reference, N+3 high span strut braced wing, N+3 gas turbine battery electric concept, and N+3 hybrid wing body. A wide portfolio of technologies was identified to address the NASA N+3 goals. Significant improvements in air traffic management, aerodynamics, materials and structures, aircraft systems, propulsion, and acoustics are needed. Recommendations for Phase 2 concept and technology projects have been identified.

  18. Flight Testing the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, G. W.; Merrill, R. K.

    1983-01-01

    In the late 1960s, efforts to advance the state-of-the-art in rotor systems technology indicated a significant gap existed between our ability to accurately predict the characteristics of a complex rotor system and the results obtained through flight verification. Even full scale wind tunnel efforts proved inaccurate because of the complex nature of a rotating, maneuvering rotor system. The key element missing, which prevented significant advances, was our inability to precisely measure the exact rotor state as a function of time and flight condition. Two Rotor Research Aircraft (RSRA) were designed as pure research aircraft and dedicated rotor test vehicles whose function is to fill the gap between theory, wind tunnel testing, and flight verification. The two aircraft, the development of the piloting techniques required to safely fly the compound helicopter, the government flight testing accomplished to date, and proposed future research programs.

  19. High temperature aircraft research furnace facilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, James E., Jr.; Cashon, John L.

    1992-01-01

    Focus is on the design, fabrication, and development of the High Temperature Aircraft Research Furnace Facilities (HTARFF). The HTARFF was developed to process electrically conductive materials with high melting points in a low gravity environment. The basic principle of operation is to accurately translate a high temperature arc-plasma gas front as it orbits around a cylindrical sample, thereby making it possible to precisely traverse the entire surface of a sample. The furnace utilizes the gas-tungsten-arc-welding (GTAW) process, also commonly referred to as Tungsten-Inert-Gas (TIG). The HTARFF was developed to further research efforts in the areas of directional solidification, float-zone processing, welding in a low-gravity environment, and segregation effects in metals. The furnace is intended for use aboard the NASA-JSC Reduced Gravity Program KC-135A Aircraft.

  20. Aircraft Design Software

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    Successful commercialization of the AirCraft SYNThesis (ACSYNT) tool has resulted in the creation of Phoenix Integration, Inc. ACSYNT has been exclusively licensed to the company, an outcome of a seven year, $3 million effort to provide unique software technology to a focused design engineering market. Ames Research Center formulated ACSYNT and in working with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute CAD Laboratory, began to design and code a computer-aided design for ACSYNT. Using a Joint Sponsored Research Agreement, Ames formed an industry-government-university alliance to improve and foster research and development for the software. As a result of the ACSYNT Institute, the software is becoming a predominant tool for aircraft conceptual design. ACSYNT has been successfully applied to high- speed civil transport configuration, subsonic transports, and supersonic fighters.

  1. An automated calibration laboratory for flight research instrumentation: Requirements and a proposed design approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oneill-Rood, Nora; Glover, Richard D.

    1990-01-01

    NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility (Ames-Dryden), operates a diverse fleet of research aircraft which are heavily instrumented to provide both real time data for in-flight monitoring and recorded data for postflight analysis. Ames-Dryden's existing automated calibration (AUTOCAL) laboratory is a computerized facility which tests aircraft sensors to certify accuracy for anticipated harsh flight environments. Recently, a major AUTOCAL lab upgrade was initiated; the goal of this modernization is to enhance productivity and improve configuration management for both software and test data. The new system will have multiple testing stations employing distributed processing linked by a local area network to a centralized database. The baseline requirements for the new AUTOCAL lab and the design approach being taken for its mechanization are described.

  2. An overview of the quiet short-haul research aircraft program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shovlin, M. D.; Cochrane, J. A.

    1978-01-01

    An overview of the Quiet Short Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) Program is presented, with special emphasis on its propulsion and acoustic aspects. A description of the NASA technical participation in the program including wind tunnel testing, engine ground tests, and advanced aircraft simulation is given. The aircraft and its systems are described and, measured performance, where available, is compared to program goals. Preliminary data indicate that additional research and development are needed in some areas of which acoustics is an example. Some of these additional research areas and potential experiments using the QSRA to develop the technology are discussed. The concept of the QSRA as a national flight research facility is explained.

  3. Diagnosing turbulence for research aircraft safety using open source toolkits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lang, T. J.; Guy, N.

    Open source software toolkits have been developed and applied to diagnose in-cloud turbulence in the vicinity of Earth science research aircraft, via analysis of ground-based Doppler radar data. Based on multiple retrospective analyses, these toolkits show promise for detecting significant turbulence well prior to cloud penetrations by research aircraft. A pilot study demonstrated the ability to provide mission scientists turbulence estimates in near real time during an actual field campaign, and thus these toolkits are recommended for usage in future cloud-penetrating aircraft field campaigns.

  4. Aircraft Engine Noise Research and Testing at the NASA Glenn Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elliott, Dave

    2015-01-01

    The presentation will begin with a brief introduction to the NASA Glenn Research Center as well as an overview of how aircraft engine noise research fits within the organization. Some of the NASA programs and projects with noise content will be covered along with the associated goals of aircraft noise reduction. Topics covered within the noise research being presented will include noise prediction versus experimental results, along with engine fan, jet, and core noise. Details of the acoustic research conducted at NASA Glenn will include the test facilities available, recent test hardware, and data acquisition and analysis methods. Lastly some of the actual noise reduction methods investigated along with their results will be shown.

  5. Study of the application of advanced technologies to long-range transport aircraft. Volume 2: Research and development requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lange, R. H.; Sturgeon, R. F.; Adams, W. E.; Bradley, E. S.; Cahill, J. F.; Eudaily, R. R.; Hancock, J. P.; Moore, J. W.

    1972-01-01

    Investigations were conducted to evaluate the relative benefits attainable through the exploitation of advanced technologies and to identify future research and development efforts required to permit the application of selected technologies to transport aircraft entering commercial operation in 1985. Results show that technology advances, particularly in the areas of composite materials, supercritical aerodynamics, and active control systems, will permit the development of long-range, high-payload commercial transports operating at high-subsonic speeds with direct operating costs lower than those of current aircraft. These advanced transports also achieve lower noise levels and lower engine pollutant emissions than current transports. Research and development efforts, including analytical investigations, laboratory test programs, and flight test programs, are required in essentially all technology areas to achieve the potential technology benefits.

  6. Aircraft Electric Propulsion Systems Applied Research at NASA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clarke, Sean

    2015-01-01

    Researchers at NASA are investigating the potential for electric propulsion systems to revolutionize the design of aircraft from the small-scale general aviation sector to commuter and transport-class vehicles. Electric propulsion provides new degrees of design freedom that may enable opportunities for tightly coupled design and optimization of the propulsion system with the aircraft structure and control systems. This could lead to extraordinary reductions in ownership and operating costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise annoyance levels. We are building testbeds, high-fidelity aircraft simulations, and the first highly distributed electric inhabited flight test vehicle to begin to explore these opportunities.

  7. Global stratospheric change: Requirements for a Very-High-Altitude Aircraft for Atmospheric Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1989-01-01

    The workshop on Requirements for a Very-High-Altitude Aircraft for Atmospheric Research, sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center, was held July 15 to 16, 1989, at Truckee, CA. The workshop had two purposes: to assess the scientific justification for a new aircraft that will support stratospheric research beyond the altitudes accessible to the NASA ER-2; and to determine the aircraft characteristics (e.g., ceiling altitude, payload accommodations, range, flight duration, operational capabilities) required to perform the stratospheric research referred to in the justification. To accomplish these purposes, the workshop brought together a cross-section of stratospheric scientists with several aircraft design and operations experts. The stratospheric scientists included theoreticians as well as experimenters with experience in remote and in situ measurements from satellites, rockets, balloons, aircraft, and the ground. Discussions of required aircraft characteristics focused on the needs of stratospheric research. It was recognized that an aircraft optimal for stratospheric science would also be useful for other applications, including remote measurements of Earth's surface. A brief description of these other applications was given at the workshop.

  8. An Indispensable Ingredient: Flight Research and Aircraft Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gorn, Michael H.

    2003-01-01

    Flight research-the art of flying actual vehicles in the atmosphere in order to collect data about their behavior-has played a historic and decisive role in the design of aircraft. Naturally, wind tunnel experiments, computational fluid dynamics, and mathematical analyses all informed the judgments of the individuals who conceived of new aircraft. But flight research has offered moments of realization found in no other method. Engineer Dale Reed and research pilot Milt Thompson experienced one such epiphany on March 1, 1963, at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. On that date, Thompson sat in the cockpit of a small, simple, gumdrop-shaped aircraft known as the M2-F1, lashed by a long towline to a late-model Pontiac Catalina. As the Pontiac raced across Rogers Dry Lake, it eventually gained enough speed to make the M2-F1 airborne. Thompson braced himself for the world s first flight in a vehicle of its kind, called a lifting body because of its high lift-to-drag ratio. Reed later recounted what he saw:

  9. THE BUREAU OF AERONAUTICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WATER-BASED AIRCRAFT,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    WATER BASED AIRCRAFT, BUDGETS), RESEARCH MANAGEMENT, FLIGHT TESTING, WIND TUNNEL MODELS, TABLES(DATA), AIRCRAFT, TEST VEHICLES, HYDRODYNAMICS, PIERS, FLOATING DOCKS, LOADS(FORCES), WATER , STABILITY, SPRAYS, NAVAL AIRCRAFT.

  10. Some historical trends in the research and development of aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spearman, M. L.

    1983-01-01

    A survey of some trends in aircraft design was made in an effort to determine the relation between research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT and E) and aircraft mission capability, requirements, and objectives. Driving forces in the history of aircraft include the quest for speed which involved design concepts incorporating jet propulsion systems and low drag features. The study of high speed design concepts promoted new experimental and analytical research techniques. These research techniques, in turn, have lead to concepts offering new performance potential. Design trends were directed toward increased speed, efficiency, productivity, and safety. Generally speaking, the research and development effort has been evolutionary in nature and, with the exception of the transition to supersonic flight, little has occurred since the origin of flight that has drastically changed the basic design fundamentals of aircraft. However, this does not preclude the possibility of dramatic changes in the future since the products of research are frequently unpredictable. Advances should be expected and sought in improved aerodynamics (reduced drag, enhanced lift, flow field exploitation); propulsion (improved engine cycles, multimode engines, alternate fuels, alternate power sources); structures (new materials, manufacturing techniques); all with a view toward increased efficiency and utility.

  11. STOVL aircraft simulation for integrated flight and propulsion control research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mihaloew, James R.; Drummond, Colin K.

    1989-01-01

    The United States is in the initial stages of committing to a national program to develop a supersonic short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. The goal of the propulsion community in this effort is to have the enabling propulsion technologies for this type aircraft in place to permit a low risk decision regarding the initiation of a research STOVL supersonic attack/fighter aircraft in the late mid-90's. This technology will effectively integrate, enhance, and extend the supersonic cruise, STOVL and fighter/attack programs to enable U.S. industry to develop a revolutionary supersonic short takeoff and vertical landing fighter/attack aircraft in the post-ATF period. A joint NASA Lewis and NASA Ames research program, with the objective of developing and validating technology for integrated-flight propulsion control design methodologies for short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, was planned and is underway. This program, the NASA Supersonic STOVL Integrated Flight-Propulsion Controls Program, is a major element of the overall NASA-Lewis Supersonic STOVL Propulsion Technology Program. It uses an integrated approach to develop an integrated program to achieve integrated flight-propulsion control technology. Essential elements of the integrated controls research program are realtime simulations of the integrated aircraft and propulsion systems which will be used in integrated control concept development and evaluations. This paper describes pertinent parts of the research program leading up to the related realtime simulation development and remarks on the simulation structure to accommodate propulsion system hardware drop-in for real system evaluation.

  12. AutoGNI, the Robot Under the Aircraft Floor: An Automated System for Sampling Giant Aerosol Particles by Impaction in the Free Airstream Outside a Research Aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jensen, J. B.; Schwenz, K.; Aquino, J.; Carnes, J.; Webster, C.; Munnerlyn, J.; Wissman, T.; Lugger, T.

    2017-12-01

    Giant sea-salt aerosol particles, also called Giant Cloud Condensation Nuclei (GCCN), have been proposed as a means of rapidly forming precipitation sized drizzle drops in warm marine clouds (e.g., Jensen and Nugent, 2017). Such rare particles are best sampled from aircraft in air below cloud base, where normal laser optical instruments have too low sample volume to give statistically significant samples of the large particle tail. An automated sampling system (the AutoGNI) has been built to operate from inside a pressurized aircraft. Under the aircraft floor, a pressurized vessel contains 32 custom-built polycarbonate microscope slides. Using robotics with 5 motor drives and 18 positioning switches, the AutoGNI can take slides from their holding cassettes, pass them onto a caddy in an airfoil that extends 200 mm outside the aircraft, where they are exposed in the free airstream, thus avoiding the usual problems with large particle losses in air intakes. Slides are typically exposed for 10-30 s in the marine boundary layer, giving sample volumes of about 100-300 L or more. Subsequently the slides are retracted into the pressure vessel, stored and transported for laboratory microscope image analysis, in order to derive size-distribution histograms. While the aircraft is flying, the AutoGNI system is remotely controlled from a laptop on the ground, using an encrypted commercial satellite connection to the NSF/NCAR GV research aircraft's main server, and onto the AutoGNI microprocessor. The sampling of such GCCN is becoming increasingly important in order to provide complete input data for model calculations of aerosol-cloud interactions and their feedbacks in climate prediction. The AutoGNI has so far been sampling sea-salt GCCN in the Magellan Straight during the 2016 ORCAS project and over the NW Pacific during the 2017 ARISTO project, both from the NSF/NCAR GV research aircraft. Sea-salt particle sizes of 1.4 - 32 μm dry diameter have been observed.

  13. Laboratory for Oceans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    A review is made of the activities of the Laboratory for Oceans. The staff and the research activities are nearly evenly divided between engineering and scientific endeavors. The Laboratory contributes engineering design skills to aircraft and ground based experiments in terrestrial and atmospheric sciences in cooperation with scientists from labs in Earth sciences.

  14. The atmospheric effects of stratospheric aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stolarski, Richard S. (Editor); Wesoky, Howard L. (Editor)

    1993-01-01

    This document presents a second report from the Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft (AESA) component of NASA's High-Speed Research Program (HSRP). This document presents a second report from the Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft (AESA) component of NASA's High Speed Research Program (HSRP). Market and technology considerations continue to provide an impetus for high-speed civil transport research. A recent United Nations Environment Program scientific assessment has shown that considerable uncertainty still exists about the possible impact of aircraft on the atmosphere. The AESA was designed to develop the body of scientific knowledge necessary for the evaluation of the impact of stratospheric aircraft on the atmosphere. The first Program report presented the basic objectives and plans for AESA. This second report presents the status of the ongoing research as reported by the principal investigators at the second annual AESA Program meeting in May 1992: Laboratory studies are probing the mechanism responsible for many of the heterogeneous reactions that occur on stratospheric particles. Understanding how the atmosphere redistributes aircraft exhaust is critical to our knowing where the perturbed air will go and for how long it will remain in the stratosphere. The assessment of fleet effects is dependent on the ability to develop scenarios which correctly simulate fleet operations.

  15. Rotor systems research aircraft predesign study. Volume 3: Predesign report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmidt, S. A.; Linden, A. W.

    1972-01-01

    The features of two aircraft designs were selected to be included in the single RSRA configuration. A study was conducted for further preliminary design and a more detailed analysis of development plans and costs. An analysis was also made of foreseeable technical problems and risks, identification of parallel research which would reduce risks and/or add to the basic capability of the aircraft, and a draft aircraft specification.

  16. Oblique Wing Research Aircraft on ramp

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1976-08-02

    This 1976 photograph of the Oblique Wing Research Aircraft was taken in front of the NASA Flight Research Center hangar, located at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In the photograph the noseboom, pitot-static probe, and angles-of-attack and sideslip flow vanes(covered-up) are attached to the front of the vehicle. The clear nose dome for the television camera, and the shrouded propellor for the 90 horsepower engine are clearly seen.

  17. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center: Unmanned Aircraft Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pestana, Mark

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews several topics related to operating unmanned aircraft in particular sharing aspects of unmanned aircraft from the perspective of a pilot. There is a section on the Global Hawk project which contains information about the first Global Hawk science mission, (i.e., Global Hawk Pacific (GloPac). Included in this information is GloPac science highlights, a listing of the GloPac Instruments. The second Global Hawk science mission was Genesis and Rapid Intensification Process (GRIP), for the NASA Hurricane Science Research Team. Information includes the instrumentation and the flights that were undertaken during the program. A section on Ikhana is next. This section includes views of the Ground Control Station (GCS), and a discussion of how the piloting of UAS is different from piloting in a manned aircraft. There is also discussion about displays and controls of aircraft. There is also discussion about what makes a pilot. The last section relates the use of Ikhana in the western states fire mission.

  18. Quiet short-haul research aircraft familiarization document. [STOL

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccracken, R. C.

    1979-01-01

    The design features and general characteristics of the NASA Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft are described. Aerodynamic characteristics and performance are discussed based on predictions and early flight-test data. Principle airplane systems, including the airborne data-acquisition system, are also described. The aircraft was designed and built to fulfill the need for a national research facility to explore the use of upper surface-blowing propulsive-lift technology in providing short takeoff and landing capability, and perform advanced experiments in various technical disciplines such as aerodynamics, propulsion, stability and control, handling qualities, avionics and flight-control systems, trailing-vortex phenomena, acoustics, structure and loads, operating systems, human factors, and airworthiness/certification criteria. An unusually austere approach using experimental shop practices resulted in a low cost and high research capability.

  19. Guidelines for composite materials research related to general aviation aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dow, N. F.; Humphreys, E. A.; Rosen, B. W.

    1983-01-01

    Guidelines for research on composite materials directed toward the improvement of all aspects of their applicability for general aviation aircraft were developed from extensive studies of their performance, manufacturability, and cost effectiveness. Specific areas for research and for manufacturing development were identified and evaluated. Inputs developed from visits to manufacturers were used in part to guide these evaluations, particularly in the area of cost effectiveness. Throughout the emphasis was to direct the research toward the requirements of general aviation aircraft, for which relatively low load intensities are encountered, economy of production is a prime requirement, and yet performance still commands a premium. A number of implications regarding further directions for developments in composites to meet these requirements also emerged from the studies. Chief among these is the need for an integrated (computer program) aerodynamic/structures approach to aircraft design.

  20. "Miniature Aces" NASA's Dale Reed Flight Research Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-02-23

    This video uncovers the workings, tools, and rationale of the scaled aircraft lab at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base. Watch commercial-off-the-shelf aircraft, one-of-a-kind designs, powered aircraft, and gliders take-off, fly, and land. The chief pilot and designer of the lab explains how and why they do what they do.

  1. ACSYNT - A standards-based system for parametric, computer aided conceptual design of aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jayaram, S.; Myklebust, A.; Gelhausen, P.

    1992-01-01

    A group of eight US aerospace companies together with several NASA and NAVY centers, led by NASA Ames Systems Analysis Branch, and Virginia Tech's CAD Laboratory agreed, through the assistance of Americal Technology Initiative, in 1990 to form the ACSYNT (Aircraft Synthesis) Institute. The Institute is supported by a Joint Sponsored Research Agreement to continue the research and development in computer aided conceptual design of aircraft initiated by NASA Ames Research Center and Virginia Tech's CAD Laboratory. The result of this collaboration, a feature-based, parametric computer aided aircraft conceptual design code called ACSYNT, is described. The code is based on analysis routines begun at NASA Ames in the early 1970's. ACSYNT's CAD system is based entirely on the ISO standard Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System and is graphics-device independent. The code includes a highly interactive graphical user interface, automatically generated Hermite and B-Spline surface models, and shaded image displays. Numerous features to enhance aircraft conceptual design are described.

  2. Backscatter-depolarisation lidars on high-altitude research aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitev, Valentin; Matthey, Renaud; Makarov, Vladislav

    2014-11-01

    This article presents an overview of the development and the applications of two compact elastic backscatter depolarisation lidars, installed on-board the high-altitude research aircraft Myasishchev M-55 Geophysica. The installation of the lidars is intended for simultaneous probing of air parcels respectively upward and downward from the aircraft flight altitude to identify the presence of clouds (or aerosol )above and below the aircraft and to collocate them with in situ instruments. The lidar configuration and the procedure for its on-ground validation is outlined. Example of airborne measurements include polar stratospheric clouds, both synoptical and in lee-waves, ultra-thin cirrus clouds around the tropical tropopause and observation of aerosol layers emerging from the top of deep tropical convection.

  3. The Pilot Land Data System (PLDS) at the Ames Research Center manages aircraft data in collaboration with an ecosystem research project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Angelici, Gary; Popovici, Lidia; Skiles, Jay

    1991-01-01

    The Pilot Land Data System (PLDS) is a data and information system serving NASA-supported investigators in the land science community. The three nodes of the PLDS, one each at the Ames Research Center (ARC), the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), cooperate in providing consistent information describing the various data holding in the hardware and software (accessible via network and modem) that provide information about and access to PLDS-held data, which is available for distribution. A major new activity of the PLDS node at the Ames Research Center involves the interaction of the PLDS with an active NASA ecosystem science project, the Oregon Transect Ecosystems Research involves the management of, access to, and distribution of the large volume of widely-varying aircraft data collected by OTTER. The OTTER project, is managed by researchers at the Ames Research Center and Oregon State University. Its principal objective is to estimate major fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water of forest ecosystems using an ecosystem process model driven by remote sensing data. Ten researchers at NASA centers and universities are analyzing data for six sites along a temperature-moisture gradient across the western half of central Oregon (called the Oregon Transect). Sensors mounted on six different aircraft have acquired data over the Oregon Transect in support of the OTTER project.

  4. Civil Aircraft Side-Facing Seat Research Summary

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-11-01

    1983 to 2005, Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society Forum 66, Phoenix, Arizona, May 10-13, 2010. 11. Tulloch, J. Ejection Seat Back...Civil Aircraft Side-Facing Seat Research Summary Richard DeWeese David Moorcroft Civil Aerospace Medical Institute Federal Aviation...

  5. Resilient Propulsion Control Research for the NASA Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guo, Ten-Huei; Litt, Jonathan S.

    2007-01-01

    Gas turbine engines are designed to provide sufficient safety margins to guarantee robust operation with an exceptionally long life. However, engine performance requirements may be drastically altered during abnormal flight conditions or emergency maneuvers. In some situations, the conservative design of the engine control system may not be in the best interest of overall aircraft safety; it may be advantageous to "sacrifice" the engine to "save" the aircraft. Motivated by this opportunity, the NASA Aviation Safety Program is conducting resilient propulsion research aimed at developing adaptive engine control methodologies to operate the engine beyond the normal domain for emergency operations to maximize the possibility of safely landing the damaged aircraft. Previous research studies and field incident reports show that the propulsion system can be an effective tool to help control and eventually land a damaged aircraft. Building upon the flight-proven Propulsion Controlled Aircraft (PCA) experience, this area of research will focus on how engine control systems can improve aircraft safe-landing probabilities under adverse conditions. This paper describes the proposed research topics in Engine System Requirements, Engine Modeling and Simulation, Engine Enhancement Research, Operational Risk Analysis and Modeling, and Integrated Flight and Propulsion Controller Designs that support the overall goal.

  6. NASA/Ames Research Center's science and applications aircraft program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, G. Warren

    1991-01-01

    NASA-Ames Research Center operates a fleet of seven Science and Applications Aircraft, namely the C-141/Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), DC-8, C-130, Lear Jet, and three ER-2s. These aircraft are used to satisfy two major objectives, each of equal importance. The first is to acquire remote and in-situ scientific data in astronomy, astrophysics, earth sciences, ocean processes, atmospheric physics, meteorology, materials processing and life sciences. The second major objective is to expedite the development of sensors and their attendant algorithms for ultimate use in space and to simulate from an aircraft, the data to be acquired from spaceborne sensors. NASA-Ames Science and Applications Aircraft are recognized as national and international facilities. They have performed and will continue to perform, operational missions from bases in the United States and worldwide. Historically, twice as many investigators have requested flight time than could be accommodated. This situation remains true today and is expected to increase in the years ahead. A major advantage of the existing fleet of aircraft is their ability to cover a large expanse of the earth's ecosystem from the surface to the lower stratosphere over large distances and time aloft. Their large payload capability allows a number of scientists to use multi-investigator sensor suites to permit simultaneous and complementary data gathering. In-flight changes to the sensors or data systems have greatly reduced the time required to optimize the development of new instruments. It is doubtful that spaceborne systems will ever totally replace the need for airborne science aircraft. The operations philosophy and capabilities exist at NASA-Ames Research Center.

  7. Laboratory test and acoustic analysis of cabin treatment for propfan test assessment aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuntz, H. L.; Gatineau, R. J.

    1991-01-01

    An aircraft cabin acoustic enclosure, built in support of the Propfan Test Assessment (PTA) program, is described. Helmholtz resonators were attached to the cabin trim panels to increase the sidewall transmission loss (TL). Resonators (448) were located between the trim panels and fuselage shell. In addition, 152 resonators were placed between the enclosure and aircraft floors. The 600 resonators were each tuned to a 235 Hz resonance frequency. After flight testing on the PTA aircraft, the enclosure was tested in the Kelly Johnson R and D Center Acoustics Lab. Laboratory noise reduction (NR) test results are discussed. The enclosure was placed in a Gulfstream 2 fuselage section. Broadband (138 dB overall SPL) and tonal (149 dB overall SPL) excitations were used in the lab. Tonal excitation simulated the propfan flight test excitation. The fundamental tone was stepped in 2 Hz intervals from 225 through 245 Hz. The resonators increase the NR of the cabin walls around the resonance frequency of the resonator array. The effects of flanking, sidewall absorption, cabin adsorption, resonator loading of trim panels, and panel vibrations are presented. Increases in NR of up to 11 dB were measured.

  8. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Storm in the Sargasso Sea Scientist aboard the R/V Endeavor in the Sargasso Sea put their research on hold on July 28, 2014, as a storm system brought high waves crashing onto the deck. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Chris Armanetti, University of Rhode Island .NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  9. HAI: A new TDLAS hygrometer for the HALO research aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klostermann, Tim; Afchine, Armin; Barthel, Jochen; Höh, Matthias; Wagner, Steven; Witzel, Oliver; Saathoff, Harald; Schiller, Cornelius; Ebert, Volker

    2010-05-01

    Water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere and a key component for several physical and chemical processes. Therefore it is a key parameter to be measured during most research campaigns. The Hygrometer for Atmospheric Investigations (HAI) is especially designed for operations on the research aircraft HALO (High Altitude and LOng range research aircraft). HAI permits both, the in-situ measurement of water vapor with an open-path cell and the measurement of total water with an extractive close-path absorption cell. We are using TDLAS (Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy) in two water absorption bands with different line strength to increase the dynamical range. With this concept it is possible to measure from the middle troposphere up to the stratosphere. The open-path cell outside of the fuselage consists of a robust, aerodynamically designed aluminum structure with a single integrated White-cell for both laser beams. Although the mirror separation is only 15cm the cell allows an open absorption path of 4.8m. The detection of higher H2O concentrations is realized with a fiber coupled 1.4µm DFB diode laser. Inside the UTLS layer were small concentrations in the low ppm range are common, we employ up to 20 times stronger fundamental ro-vibration lines of the water molecule near 2.6µm. To supply this, the fiber coupled 2.6µm laser setup was developed and is a part of the HAI. Both detection wavelengths are introduced in the same open path cell via glass fibers which provide water measurements with a minimum of parasitic absorption. We will present the spectrometer design for high-quality airborne water measurements. Furthermore, first laboratory measurements will be shown.

  10. Aerosol emissions from prescribed fires in the United States: A synthesis of laboratory and aircraft measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    May, A. A.; McMeeking, G. R.; Lee, T.; Taylor, J. W.; Craven, J. S.; Burling, I.; Sullivan, A. P.; Akagi, S.; Collett, J. L.; Flynn, M.; Coe, H.; Urbanski, S. P.; Seinfeld, J. H.; Yokelson, R. J.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

    2014-10-01

    Aerosol emissions from prescribed fires can affect air quality on regional scales. Accurate representation of these emissions in models requires information regarding the amount and composition of the emitted species. We measured a suite of submicron particulate matter species in young plumes emitted from prescribed fires (chaparral and montane ecosystems in California; coastal plain ecosystem in South Carolina) and from open burning of over 15 individual plant species in the laboratory. We report emission ratios and emission factors for refractory black carbon (rBC) and submicron nonrefractory aerosol and compare field and laboratory measurements to assess the representativeness of our laboratory-measured emissions. Laboratory measurements of organic aerosol (OA) emission factors for some fires were an order of magnitude higher than those derived from any of our aircraft observations; these are likely due to higher-fuel moisture contents, lower modified combustion efficiencies, and less dilution compared to field studies. Nonrefractory inorganic aerosol emissions depended more strongly on fuel type and fuel composition than on combustion conditions. Laboratory and field measurements for rBC were in good agreement when differences in modified combustion efficiency were considered; however, rBC emission factors measured both from aircraft and in the laboratory during the present study using the Single Particle Soot Photometer were generally higher than values previously reported in the literature, which have been based largely on filter measurements. Although natural variability may account for some of these differences, an increase in the BC emission factors incorporated within emission inventories may be required, pending additional field measurements for a wider variety of fires.

  11. Airborne mass spectrometers: four decades of atmospheric and space research at the Air Force research laboratory.

    PubMed

    Viggiano, A A; Hunton, D E

    1999-11-01

    Mass spectrometry is a versatile research tool that has proved to be extremely useful for exploring the fundamental nature of the earth's atmosphere and ionosphere and in helping to solve operational problems facing the Air Force and the Department of Defense. In the past 40 years, our research group at the Air Force Research Laboratory has flown quadrupole mass spectrometers of many designs on nearly 100 sounding rockets, nine satellites, three Space Shuttles and many missions of high-altitude research aircraft and balloons. We have also used our instruments in ground-based investigations of rocket and jet engine exhaust, combustion chemistry and microwave breakdown chemistry. This paper is a review of the instrumentation and techniques needed for space research, a summary of the results from many of the experiments, and an introduction to the broad field of atmospheric and space mass spectrometry in general. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. A compact, fast ozone UV photometer and sampling inlet for research aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, R. S.; Ballard, J.; Watts, L. A.; Thornberry, T. D.; Ciciora, S. J.; McLaughlin, R. J.; Fahey, D. W.

    2012-05-01

    In situ measurements of atmospheric ozone (O3) are performed routinely from many research aircraft platforms. The most common technique depends on the strong absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light by ozone. As atmospheric science advances to the widespread use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), there is an increasing requirement for minimizing instrument space, weight, and power while maintaining instrument accuracy, precision and time response. The design and use of a new, dual-beam, polarized, UV photometer instrument for in situ O3 measurements is described. The instrument has a fast sampling rate (2 Hz), high accuracy (3%), and precision (1.1 × 1010 O3 molecules cm-3). The size (36 l), weight (18 kg), and power (50-200 W) make the instrument suitable for many UAS and other airborne platforms. Inlet and exhaust configurations are also described for ambient sampling in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (1000-50 mb) that optimize the sample flow rate to increase time response while minimizing loss of precision due to induced turbulence in the sample cell. In-flight and laboratory intercomparisons with existing O3 instruments show that measurement accuracy is maintained in flight.

  13. Evaluation of XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft for flying qualities research application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Radford, R. C.; Schelhorn, A. E.; Siracuse, R. J.; Till, R. D.; Wasserman, R.

    1976-01-01

    The results of a design review study and evaluation of the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft for flying qualities research application are presented. The objectives of the program were to determine the capability of the XV-15 aircraft and the V/STOLAND system as a safe, inflight facility to provide meaningful research data on flying qualities, flight control systems, and information display systems.

  14. Rotor systems research aircraft predesign study. Volume 2: Conceptual study report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmidt, S. A.; Linden, A. W.

    1972-01-01

    The overall feasibility of the technical requirements and concepts for a rotor system research aircraft (RSRA) was determined. The designs of two aircraft were then compared against the RSRA requirements. One of these is an all new aircraft specifically designed as an RSRA vehicle. A new main rotor, transmission, wings, and fuselage are included in this design. The second aircraft uses an existing Sikorsky S-61 main rotor, an S-61 roller gearbox, and a highly modified Sikorsky S-67 airframe. The wing for this aircraft is a new design. Both aircraft employ a fan-in-fin anti-torque/yaw control system, T58-GE-16 engines for rotor power, and TF34-GE-2 turbofans for auxiliary thrust. Each aircraft meets the basic requirements and goals of the program. The all new aircraft has inflight variable main rotor shaft tilt, a side-by-side cockpit seating arrangement, and is slightly faster in the compound mode. It is also somewhat lighter since it uses new dynamic components specifically designed for the RSRA. Preliminary development plans, including schedules and costs, were prepared for both of these aircraft.

  15. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-08-25

    Fixing the "Fish" On July 19, 2014, Wayne Slade of Sequoia Scientific, and Allen Milligan of Oregon State University, made adjustments to the "fish" that researchers used to hold seawater collected from a depth of about 3 meters (10 feet) while the ship was underway. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific .NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  16. A candidate V/STOL research aircraft design concept using an S-3A aircraft and 2 Pegasus 11 engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lampkin, B. A.

    1980-01-01

    A candidate V/STOL research aircraft concept which uses an S-3A airframe and two Pegasus 11 engines was studied to identify a feasible V/STOL national flight facility that could be obtained at the lowest possible cost for the demonstration of V/STOL technology, inflight simulation, and flight research. The rationale for choosing the configuration, a description of the configuration, and the capability of a fully developed aircraft are discussed.

  17. A comparison of a laboratory and field study of annoyance and acceptability of aircraft noise exposures. [human reactions and tolerance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Borsky, P. N.

    1977-01-01

    Residents living in close, middle and distant areas from JFK Airport were included in a field interview and laboratory study. Judgments were made of simulated aircraft noise exposures of comparable community indoor noise levels and mixes of aircraft. Each group of subjects judged the levels of noise typical for its distance area. Four different numbers of flyovers were tested: less than average for each area, the approximate average, the peak number, or worst day, and above peak number. The major findings are: (1) the reported integrated field annoyance is best related to the annoyance reported for the simulated approximate worst day exposure in the laboratory; (2) annoyance is generally less when there are fewer aircraft flyovers, and the subject has less fear of crashes and more favorable attitudes toward airplanes; (3) beliefs in harmful health effects and misfeasance by operators of aircraft are also highly correlated with fear and noise annoyance; (4) in direct retrospective comparisons of number of flights, noise levels and annoyance, subjects more often said the worst day laboratory exposured more like their usual home environments; and (5) subjects do not expect an annoyance-free environment. Half of the subjects can accept an annoyance level of 5 to 6 from a possible annoyance range of 0 to 9, 28% can live with an annoyance intensity of 7, and only 5% can accept the top scores of 8 to 9.

  18. Application of variable structure system theory to aircraft flight control. [AV-8A and the Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Calise, A. J.; Kadushin, I.; Kramer, F.

    1981-01-01

    The current status of research on the application of variable structure system (VSS) theory to design aircraft flight control systems is summarized. Two aircraft types are currently being investigated: the Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft (AWJSRA), and AV-8A Harrier. The AWJSRA design considers automatic control of longitudinal dynamics during the landing phase. The main task for the AWJSRA is to design an automatic landing system that captures and tracks a localizer beam. The control task for the AV-8A is to track velocity commands in a hovering flight configuration. Much effort was devoted to developing computer programs that are needed to carry out VSS design in a multivariable frame work, and in becoming familiar with the dynamics and control problems associated with the aircraft types under investigation. Numerous VSS design schemes were explored, particularly for the AWJSRA. The approaches that appear best suited for these aircraft types are presented. Examples are given of the numerical results currently being generated.

  19. Total Eclipse From Onboard NASA's G-III Research Aircraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-09-13

    As the 2017 solar eclipse approaches and enters totality, NASA Armstrong staff and NASA senior management share their excitement and first-hand experience from aboard NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Gulfstream III aircraft. The G-III aircraft flew at 35,000 feet above the coast of Oregon during the 2017 total solar eclipse, capturing some of the very first views of the 2017 total solar eclipse as it made its way across the United States.

  20. Quiet short-haul research aircraft familiarization document, revision 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eppel, J. C.

    1981-01-01

    The design features and general characteristics of the Quiet Short Haul Research Aircraft are described. Aerodynamic characteristics and performance are discussed based on predictions and early flight test data. Principle airplane systems, including the airborne data acquisition system, are also described. The aircraft was designed and built to fulfill the need for a national research facility to explore the use of upper surface blowing, propulsive lift technology in providing short takeoff and landing capability, and perform advanced experiments in various technical disciplines such as aerodynamics, propulsion, stability and control, handling qualities, avionics and flight control systems, trailing vortex phenomena, acoustics, structure and loads, operating systems, human factors, and airworthiness/certification criteria. An unusually austere approach using experimental shop practices resulted in a low cost and high research capability.

  1. A personal sampler for aircraft engine cold start particles: laboratory development and testing.

    PubMed

    Armendariz, Alfredo; Leith, David

    2003-01-01

    Industrial hygienists in the U.S. Air Force are concerned about exposure of their personnel to jet fuel. One potential source of exposure for flightline ground crews is the plume emitted during the start of aircraft engines in extremely cold weather. The purpose of this study was to investigate a personal sampler, a small tube-and-wire electrostatic precipitator (ESP), for assessing exposure to aircraft engine cold start particles. Tests were performed in the laboratory to characterize the sampler's collection efficiency and to determine the magnitude of adsorption and evaporation artifacts. A low-temperature chamber was developed for the artifact experiments so tests could be performed at temperatures similar to actual field conditions. The ESP collected particles from 0.5 to 20 micro m diameter with greater than 98% efficiency at particle concentrations up to 100 mg/m(3). Adsorption artifacts were less than 5 micro g/m(3) when sampling a high concentration vapor stream. Evaporation artifacts were significantly lower for the ESP than for PVC membrane filters across a range of sampling times and incoming vapor concentrations. These tests indicate that the ESP provides more accurate exposure assessment results than traditional filter-based particle samplers when sampling cold start particles produced by an aircraft engine.

  2. Eclipse Shadow from NASA's G-III Research Aircraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-08-21

    From aboard NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center G-III aircraft, this wide angle video of the moon's umbra was captured as they flew over the coast of Oregon, near Lincoln City at 35,00 feet during the eclipse.

  3. Tu-144LL SST Flying Laboratory Lifts off Runway on a High-Speed Research Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    The Tupolev Tu-144LL lifts off from the Zhukovsky Air Development Center near Moscow, Russia, on a 1998 test flight. NASA teamed with American and Russian aerospace industries for an extended period in a joint international research program featuring the Russian-built Tu-144LL supersonic aircraft. The object of the program was to develop technologies for a proposed future second-generation supersonic airliner to be developed in the 21st Century. The aircraft's initial flight phase began in June 1996 and concluded in February 1998 after 19 research flights. A shorter follow-on program involving seven flights began in September 1998 and concluded in April 1999. All flights were conducted in Russia from Tupolev's facility at the Zhukovsky Air Development Center near Moscow. The centerpiece of the research program was the Tu 144LL, a first-generation Russian supersonic jetliner that was modified by its developer/builder, Tupolev ANTK (aviatsionnyy nauchno-tekhnicheskiy kompleks-roughly, aviation technical complex), into a flying laboratory for supersonic research. Using the Tu-144LL to conduct flight research experiments, researchers compared full-scale supersonic aircraft flight data with results from models in wind tunnels, computer-aided techniques, and other flight tests. The experiments provided unique aerodynamic, structures, acoustics, and operating environment data on supersonic passenger aircraft. Data collected from the research program was being used to develop the technology base for a proposed future American-built supersonic jetliner. Although actual development of such an advanced supersonic transport (SST) is currently on hold, commercial aviation experts estimate that a market for up to 500 such aircraft could develop by the third decade of the 21st Century. The Tu-144LL used in the NASA-sponsored research program was a 'D' model with different engines than were used in production-model aircraft. Fifty experiments were proposed for the program and

  4. V/STOL tilt rotor aircraft study. Volume 6: Preliminary design of a composite wing for tilt rotor research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Soule, V. A.; Badri-Nath, Y.

    1973-01-01

    The results of a study of the use of composite materials in the wing of a tilt rotor aircraft are presented. An all-metal tilt rotor aircraft was first defined to provide a basis for comparing composite with metal structure. A configuration study was then done in which the wing of the metal aircraft was replaced with composite wings of varying chord and thickness ratio. The results of this study defined the design and performance benefits obtainable with composite materials. Based on these results the aircraft was resized with a composite wing to extend the weight savings to other parts of the aircraft. A wing design was then selected for detailed structural analysis. A development plan including costs and schedules to develop this wing and incorporate it into a proposed flight research tilt rotor vehicle has been devised.

  5. Dryden F-8 Research Aircraft Fleet 1973 in flight, DFBW and SCW

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1973-01-01

    F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire (left) and F-8 Supercritical Wing in flight. These two aircraft fundamentally changed the nature of aircraft design. The F-8 DFBW pioneered digital flight controls and led to such computer-controlled airacrft as the F-117A, X-29, and X-31. Airliners such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A320 also use digital fly-by-wire systems. The other aircraft is a highly modified F-8A fitted with a supercritical wing. Dr. Richard T. Whitcomb of Langley Research Center originated the supercritical wing concept in the late 1960s. (Dr. Whitcomb also developed the concept of the 'area rule' in the early 1950s. It singificantly reduced transonic drag.) The F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire (DFBW) flight research project validated the principal concepts of all-electric flight control systems now used on nearly all modern high-performance aircraft and on military and civilian transports. The first flight of the 13-year project was on May 25, 1972, with research pilot Gary E. Krier at the controls of a modified F-8C Crusader that served as the testbed for the fly-by-wire technologies. The project was a joint effort between the NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, (now the Dryden Flight Research Center) and Langley Research Center. It included a total of 211 flights. The last flight was December 16, 1985, with Dryden research pilot Ed Schneider at the controls. The F-8 DFBW system was the forerunner of current fly-by-wire systems used in the space shuttles and on today's military and civil aircraft to make them safer, more maneuverable, and more efficient. Electronic fly-by-wire systems replaced older hydraulic control systems, freeing designers to design aircraft with reduced in-flight stability. Fly-by-wire systems are safer because of their redundancies. They are more maneuverable because computers can command more frequent adjustments than a human pilot can. For airliners, computerized control ensures a smoother ride than a human pilot alone can provide

  6. The F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle: A High-Angle-of-Attack Testbed Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Regenie, Victoria; Gatlin, Donald; Kempel, Robert; Matheny, Neil

    1992-01-01

    The F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle is the first thrust-vectoring testbed aircraft used to study the aerodynamics and maneuvering available in the poststall flight regime and to provide the data for validating ground prediction techniques. The aircraft includes a flexible research flight control system and full research instrumentation. The capability to control the vehicle at angles of attack up to 70 degrees is also included. This aircraft was modified by adding a pitch and yaw thrust-vectoring system. No significant problems occurred during the envelope expansion phase of the program. This aircraft has demonstrated excellent control in the wing rock region and increased rolling performance at high angles of attack. Initial pilot reports indicate that the increased capability is desirable although some difficulty in judging the size and timing of control inputs was observed. The aircraft, preflight ground testing and envelope expansion flight tests are described.

  7. Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Laboratory Directed Research &

    Science.gov Websites

    ; Technology Defense Systems & Assessments About Defense Systems & Assessments Program Areas Robotics R&D 100 Awards Laboratory Directed Research & Development Technology Deployment Centers Audit Sandia's Economic Impact Licensing & Technology Transfer Browse Technology Portfolios

  8. Rotary Balance Wind Tunnel Testing for the FASER Flight Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Denham, Casey; Owens, D. Bruce

    2016-01-01

    Flight dynamics research was conducted to collect and analyze rotary balance wind tunnel test data in order to improve the aerodynamic simulation and modeling of a low-cost small unmanned aircraft called FASER (Free-flying Aircraft for Sub-scale Experimental Research). The impetus for using FASER was to provide risk and cost reduction for flight testing of more expensive aircraft and assist in the improvement of wind tunnel and flight test techniques, and control laws. The FASER research aircraft has the benefit of allowing wind tunnel and flight tests to be conducted on the same model, improving correlation between wind tunnel, flight, and simulation data. Prior wind tunnel tests include a static force and moment test, including power effects, and a roll and yaw damping forced oscillation test. Rotary balance testing allows for the calculation of aircraft rotary derivatives and the prediction of steady-state spins. The rotary balance wind tunnel test was conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel (VST). Rotary balance testing includes runs for a set of given angular rotation rates at a range of angles of attack and sideslip angles in order to fully characterize the aircraft rotary dynamics. Tests were performed at angles of attack from 0 to 50 degrees, sideslip angles of -5 to 10 degrees, and non-dimensional spin rates from -0.5 to 0.5. The effects of pro-spin elevator and rudder deflection and pro- and anti-spin elevator, rudder, and aileron deflection were examined. The data are presented to illustrate the functional dependence of the forces and moments on angle of attack, sideslip angle, and angular rate for the rotary contributions to the forces and moments. Further investigation is necessary to fully characterize the control effectors. The data were also used with a steady state spin prediction tool that did not predict an equilibrium spin mode.

  9. The use of the National Research Council of Canada's Falcon 20 research aircraft as a terrestrial analogue space environment (TASE) for space surgery research: Challenges and suggested solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirkpatrick, A. W.; Keaney, M. A.; Bentz, K.; Groleau, M.; Tyssen, M.; Keyte, J.; Ball, C. G.; Campbell, M. R.; Grenon, S. M.; McBeth, P.; Broderick, T. J.

    2010-03-01

    Emergency surgery will be needed to prevent death if humans are used to explore beyond low earth's orbit. Laparoscopic surgery (LS) is envisioned as a less invasive option for space, but will induce further stresses and complicate logistical requirements. Thus, further study into the technology and physiology of LS in weightlessness is required. We recently utilized the National Research Council of Canada's Flight Research Laboratory's Falcon 20 aircraft as a terrestrial analogue space environment (TASE) for space surgery research. The Falcon 20 had never been used for this purpose nor had the involved teams collaborated previously. There were many process challenges including the lack of antecedent surgical studies on this aircraft, a requirement for multiple disciplines who were unfamiliar and geographically distant from each other, flight performance limitations with the Falcon 20, complex animal care requirements, requirements for prototypical in-flight life-support surgical suites, financial limitations, and a need to use non-flight hardened technologies. Stepwise suggested solutions to these challenges are outlined as guidelines for future investigators intending similar research. Overall, the Falcon 20 TASE, backed by the flight resources, especially the design and fabrication capabilities of the NRC-FRL, provide investigators with a versatile and responsive opportunity to pursue research into advanced medical techniques that will be needed to save lives during space exploration.

  10. Flight Testing the Landing Radar for Mars Science Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-06-21

    A NASA Dryden Flight Research Center F/A-18 852 aircraft performs a roll during June 2011 flight tests of a Mars landing radar. A test model of the landing radar for NASA Mars Science Laboratory mission is inside a pod under the aircraft left wing.

  11. Rotor systems research aircraft simulation mathematical model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Houck, J. A.; Moore, F. L.; Howlett, J. J.; Pollock, K. S.; Browne, M. M.

    1977-01-01

    An analytical model developed for evaluating and verifying advanced rotor concepts is discussed. The model was used during in both open loop and real time man-in-the-loop simulation during the rotor systems research aircraft design. Future applications include: pilot training, preflight of test programs, and the evaluation of promising concepts before their implementation on the flight vehicle.

  12. Lockheed ER-2 high altitude research aircraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1997-11-04

    ER-2 tail number 706, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation.

  13. Air Force Research Laboratory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-08

    Air Force Research Laboratory 8 June 2009 Mr. Leo Marple Ai F R h L b t r orce esearc a ora ory Leo.Marple@wpafb.af.mil DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Air Force Research Laboratory 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Air Force Research Laboratory ,Wright

  14. Recent Developments in Aircraft Flyover Noise Simulation at NASA Langley Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rizzi, Stephen A.; Sullivan, Brenda M.; Aumann, Aric R.

    2008-01-01

    The NASA Langley Research Center is involved in the development of a new generation of synthesis and simulation tools for creation of virtual environments used in the study of aircraft community noise. The original emphasis was on simulation of flyover noise associated with subsonic fixed wing aircraft. Recently, the focus has shifted to rotary wing aircraft. Many aspects of the simulation are applicable to both vehicle classes. Other aspects, particularly those associated with synthesis, are more vehicle specific. This paper discusses the capabilities of the current suite of tools, their application to fixed and rotary wing aircraft, and some directions for the future.

  15. Simulation test results for lift/cruise fan research and technology aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bland, M. P.; Konsewicz, R. K.

    1976-01-01

    A flight simulation program was conducted on the flight simulator for advanced aircraft (FSAA). The flight simulation was a part of a contracted effort to provide a lift/cruise fan V/STOL aircraft mathematical model for flight simulation. The simulated aircraft is a configuration of the Lift/Cruise Fan V/STOL research technology aircraft (RTA). The aircraft was powered by three gas generators driving three fans. One lift fan was installed in the nose of the aircraft, and two lift/cruise fans at the wing root. The thrust of these fans was modulated to provide pitch and roll control, and vectored to provide yaw, side force control, and longitudinal translation. Two versions of the RTA were defined. One was powered by the GE J97/LF460 propulsion system which was gas-coupled for power transfer between fans for control. The other version was powered by DDA XT701 gas generators driving 62 inch variable pitch fans. The flight control system in both versions of the RTA was the same.

  16. Overview of NASA Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Research for Large Subsonic Transports

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jansen, Ralph H.; Bowman, Cheryl; Jankovsky, Amy; Dyson, Rodger; Felder, James L.

    2017-01-01

    NASA is investing in Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) research as part of the portfolio to improve the fuel efficiency, emissions, and noise levels in commercial transport aircraft. Turboelectric, partially turboelectric, and hybrid electric propulsion systems are the primary EAP configurations being evaluated for regional jet and larger aircraft. The goal is to show that one or more viable EAP concepts exist for narrow body aircraft and mature tall-pole technologies related to those concepts. A summary of the aircraft system studies, technology development, and facility development is provided. The leading concept for mid-term (2035) introduction of EAP for a single aisle aircraft is a tube and wing, partially turbo electric configuration (STARC-ABL), however other viable configurations exist. Investments are being made to raise the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) level of light weight, high efficiency motors, generators, and electrical power distribution systems as well as to define the optimal turbine and boundary layer ingestion systems for a mid-term tube and wing configuration. An electric aircraft power system test facility (NEAT - NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed) is under construction at NASA Glenn and an electric aircraft control system test facility (HEIST - Hybrid-Electric Integrated Systems Testbed) is under construction at NASA Armstrong. The correct building blocks are in place to have a viable, large plane EAP configuration tested by 2025 leading to entry into service in 2035 if the community chooses to pursue that goal.

  17. Flight dynamics research for highly agile aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nguyen, Luat T.

    1989-01-01

    This paper highlights recent results of research conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center as part of a broad flight dynamics program aimed at developing technology that will enable future combat aircraft to achieve greatly enhanced agility capability at subsonic combat conditions. Studies of advanced control concepts encompassing both propulsive and aerodynamic approaches are reviewed. Dynamic stall phenomena and their potential impact on maneuvering performance and stability are summarized. Finally, issues of mathematical modeling of complex aerodynamics occurring during rapid, large amplitude maneuvers are discussed.

  18. Overview of NASA Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Research for Large Subsonic Transports

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jansen, Ralph H.; Bowman, Cheryl; Jankovsky, Amy; Dyson, Rodger; Felder, James L.

    2017-01-01

    NASA is investing in Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) research as part of the portfolio to improve the fuel efficiency, emissions, and noise levels in commercial transport aircraft. Turboelectric, partially turboelectric, and hybrid electric propulsion systems are the primary EAP configurations being evaluated for regional jet and larger aircraft. The goal is to show that one or more viable EAP concepts exist for narrow body aircraft and mature tall-pole technologies related to those concepts. A summary of the aircraft system studies, technology development, and facility development is provided. The leading concept for mid-term (2035) introduction of EAP for a single aisle aircraft is a tube and wing, partially turbo electric configuration (STARC-ABL), however other viable configurations exist. Investments are being made to raise the TRL level of light weight, high efficiency motors, generators, and electrical power distribution systems as well as to define the optimal turbine and boundary layer ingestion systems for a mid-term tube and wing configuration. An electric aircraft power system test facility (NEAT) is under construction at NASA Glenn and an electric aircraft control system test facility (HEIST) is under construction at NASA Armstrong. The correct building blocks are in place to have a viable, large plane EAP configuration tested by 2025 leading to entry into service in 2035 if the community chooses to pursue that goal.

  19. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-08-25

    Sunset Over the Gulf of Maine On July 20, 2013, scientists at sea with NASA's SABOR experiment witnessed a spectacular sunset over the Gulf of Maine. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific .NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  20. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Instruments Overboard On July 26, 2014, scientists worked past dusk to prepare and deploy the optical instruments and ocean water sensors during NASA's SABOR experiment. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific . NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  1. Field and laboratory studies of moving and temporally variable noise sources (aircraft); perception of location, movement, and direction.

    PubMed

    Gunn, W J; Shigehisa, T; Shepherd, W T

    1979-10-01

    . Through only 2 loudspeakers, aircraft noises were localized 25-36 degrees above horizontal. Implications are that acoustic realism can be achieved in simulated aircraft overflights and that future laboratory noise-effects research should incorporate the required conditions.

  2. Conceptual design study of a Harrier V/STOL research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bode, W. E.; Berger, R. L.; Elmore, G. A.; Lacey, T. R.

    1978-01-01

    MCAIR recently completed a conceptual design study to define modification approaches to, and derive planning prices for the conversion of a two place Harrier to a V/STOL control, display and guidance research aircraft. Control concepts such as rate damping, attitude stabilization, velocity command, and cockpit controllers are to be demonstrated. Display formats will also be investigated, and landing, navigation and guidance systems flight tested. The rear cockpit is modified such that it can be quickly adapted to faithfully simulate the controls, displays and handling qualities of a Type A or Type B V/STOL. The safety pilot always has take command capability. The modifications studied fall into two categories: basic modifications and optional modifications. Technical descriptions of the basic modifications and of the optional modifications are presented. The modification plan and schedule as well as the test plan and schedule are presented. The failure mode and effects analysis, aircraft performance, aircraft weight, and aircraft support are discussed.

  3. Student research laboratory for optical engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolstoba, Nadezhda D.; Saitgalina, Azaliya; Abdula, Polina; Butova, Daria

    2015-10-01

    Student research laboratory for optical engineering is comfortable place for student's scientific and educational activity. The main ideas of laboratory, process of creation of laboratory and also activity of laboratory are described in this article. At ITMO University in 2013-2014 were formed a lot of research laboratories. SNLO is a student research (scientific) laboratory formed by the Department of Applied and computer optics of the University ITMO (Information Technologies of Mechanics and Optics). Activity of laboratory is career guidance of entrants and students in the field of optical engineering. Student research laboratory for optical engineering is a place where student can work in the interesting and entertaining scientific atmosphere.

  4. A study for active control research and validation using the Total In-Flight Simulator (TIFS) aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, R. T. N.; Daughaday, H.; Andrisani, D., II; Till, R. D.; Weingarten, N. C.

    1975-01-01

    The results of a feasibility study and preliminary design for active control research and validation using the Total In-Flight Simulator (TIFS) aircraft are documented. Active control functions which can be demonstrated on the TIFS aircraft and the cost of preparing, equipping, and operating the TIFS aircraft for active control technology development are determined. It is shown that the TIFS aircraft is as a suitable test bed for inflight research and validation of many ACT concepts.

  5. NASA's Propulsion Research Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    The grand opening of NASA's new, world-class laboratory for research into future space transportation technologies located at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, took place in July 2004. The state-of-the-art Propulsion Research Laboratory (PRL) serves as a leading national resource for advanced space propulsion research. Its purpose is to conduct research that will lead to the creation and development of innovative propulsion technologies for space exploration. The facility is the epicenter of the effort to move the U.S. space program beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of greatly improved access to space and rapid transit throughout the solar system. The laboratory is designed to accommodate researchers from across the United States, including scientists and engineers from NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, universities, and industry. The facility, with 66,000 square feet of useable laboratory space, features a high degree of experimental capability. Its flexibility allows it to address a broad range of propulsion technologies and concepts, such as plasma, electromagnetic, thermodynamic, and propellant propulsion. An important area of emphasis is the development and utilization of advanced energy sources, including highly energetic chemical reactions, solar energy, and processes based on fission, fusion, and antimatter. The Propulsion Research Laboratory is vital for developing the advanced propulsion technologies needed to open up the space frontier, and sets the stage of research that could revolutionize space transportation for a broad range of applications.

  6. Performance and safety aspects of the XV-15 tilt rotor research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wernicke, K. G.

    1977-01-01

    Aircraft performance is presented illustrating the flexibility and capability of the XV-15 to conduct its planned proof-of-concept flight research in the areas of dynamics, stability and control, and aerodynamics. Additionally, the aircraft will demonstrate mission-type performance typical of future operational aircraft. The aircraft design is described and discussed with emphasis on the safety and fail-operate features of the aircraft and its systems. Two or more levels of redundancy are provided in the dc and ac electrical systems, hydraulics, conversion, flaps, landing gear extension, SCAS, and force-feel. RPM is maintained by a hydro-electrical blade pitch governor that consists of a primary and standby governor with a cockpit wheel control for manual backup. The two engines are interconnected for operation on a single engine. In the event of total loss of power, the aircraft can enter autorotation starting from the airplane as well as the helicopter mode of flight.

  7. NACA Conference on Aircraft Loads, Structures, and Flutter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1957-01-01

    This document contains reproductions of technical papers on some of the most recent research results on aircraft loads, flutter, and structures from the NACA laboratories. These papers were presented by members of the staff of the NACA laboratories at the Conference held at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory March 5, 6, and 7, 1957. The primary purpose of this Conference was to convey to contractors of the military services and others concerned with the design of aircraft these recent research results and to provide those attending an opportunity to discuss the results. The papers in this document are in the same form in which they were presented at the Conference in order to facilitate their prompt distribution. The original presentation and this record are considered as complementary to, rather than as substitutes for, the Committee?s more complete and formal reports. Accordingly, if information from this document is utilized it is requested that this document not be listed as a reference. Individual reports dealing with most of the information presented at the Conference will subsequently be published by NACA and will therefore be suitable as reference material.

  8. In-flight acoustic testing techniques using the YO-3A Acoustic Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cross, J. L.; Watts, M. E.

    1984-01-01

    This report discusses the flight testing techniques and equipment employed during air-to-air acoustic testing of helicopters at Ames Research Center. The in flight measurement technique used enables acoustic data to be obtained without the limitations of anechoic chambers or the multitude of variables encountered in ground based flyover testing. The air-to-air testing is made possible by the NASA YO-3A Acoustic Research Aircraft. This "Quiet Aircraft' is an acoustically instrumented version of a quiet observation aircraft manufactured for the military. To date, tests with the following aircraft have been conducted: YO-3A background noise; Hughes 500D; Hughes AH-64; Bell AH-1S; Bell AH-1G. Several system upgrades are being designed and implemented to improve the quality of data. This report will discuss not only the equipment involved and aircraft tested, but also the techniques used in these tests. In particular, formation flying position locations, and the test matrices will be discussed. Examples of data taken will also be presented.

  9. In-flight acoustic testing techniques using the YO-3A acoustic research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cross, J. L.; Watts, M. E.

    1983-01-01

    This report discusses the flight testing techniques and equipment employed during air-to-air acoustic testing of helicopters at Ames Research Center. The in-flight measurement technique used enables acoustic data to be obtained without the limitations of anechoic chambers or the multitude of variables encountered in ground based flyover testing. The air-to-air testing is made possible by the NASA YO-3A Acoustic Research Aircraft. This 'Quiet Aircraft' is an acoustically instrumented version of a quiet observation aircraft manufactured for the military. To date, tests with the following aircraft have been conducted: YO-3A background noise; Hughes 500D; Hughes AH-64; Bell AH-1S; Bell AH-1G. Several system upgrades are being designed and implemented to improve the quality of data. This report will discuss not only the equipment involved and aircraft tested, but also the techniques used in these tests. In particular, formation flying, position locations, and the test matrices will be discussed. Examples of data taken will also be presented.

  10. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-08-25

    What's in the Water? Robert Foster, of the City College of New York, filters seawater on July 23, 2414, for chlorophyll analysis in a lab on the R/V Endeavor. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific..NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  11. NASA's Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project: Results of the August 1999 Aerosol Measurement Intercomparison Workshop, Laboratory Phase

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cofer, W. Randy, III; Anderson, Bruce E.; Connors, V. S.; Wey, C. C.; Sanders, T.; Twohy, C.; Brock, C. A.; Winstead, E. L.; Pui, D.; Chen, Da-Ren

    2001-01-01

    During August 1-14, 1999, NASA's Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP) convened a workshop at the NASA Langley Research Center to try to determine why such a wide variation in aerosol emissions indices and chemical and physical properties have been reported by various independent AEAP-supported research teams trying to characterize the exhaust emissions of subsonic commercial aircraft. This workshop was divided into two phases, a laboratory phase and a field phase. The laboratory phase consisted of supplying known particle number densities (concentrations) and particle size distributions to a common manifold for the participating research teams to sample and analyze. The field phase was conducted on an aircraft run-up pad. Participating teams actually sampled aircraft exhaust generated by a Langley T-38 Talon aircraft at 1 and 9 m behind the engine at engine powers ranging from 48 to 100 percent. Results from the laboratory phase of this intercomparison workshop are reported in this paper.

  12. Integrated control and display research for transition and vertical flight on the NASA V/STOL Research Aircraft (VSRA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Foster, John D.; Moralez, Ernesto, III; Franklin, James A.; Schroeder, Jeffery A.

    1987-01-01

    Results of a substantial body of ground-based simulation experiments indicate that a high degree of precision of operation for recovery aboard small ships in heavy seas and low visibility with acceptable levels of effort by the pilot can be achieved by integrating the aircraft flight and propulsion controls. The availability of digital fly-by-wire controls makes it feasible to implement an integrated control design to achieve and demonstrate in flight the operational benefits promised by the simulation experience. It remains to validate these systems concepts in flight to establish their value for advanced short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft designs. This paper summarizes analytical studies and simulation experiments which provide a basis for the flight research program that will develop and validate critical technologies for advanced STOVL aircraft through the development and evaluation of advanced, integrated control and display concepts, and lays out the plan for the flight program that will be conducted on NASA's V/STOL Research Aircraft (VSRA).

  13. Lockheed ER-2 #806 high altitude research aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-11-17

    ER-2 tail number 806, is one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, the ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.

  14. Lockheed ER-2 #809 high altitude research aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-08-01

    ER-2 tail number 809, is one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, the ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.

  15. Lockheed ER-2 #806 high altitude research aircraft during landing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-12-18

    ER-2 tail number 806, is one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, the ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.

  16. Advanced simulation noise model for modern fighter aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikelheimer, Bruce

    2005-09-01

    NoiseMap currently represents the state of the art for military airfield noise analysis. While this model is sufficient for the current fleet of aircraft, it has limits in its capability to model the new generation of fighter aircraft like the JSF and the F-22. These aircraft's high-powered engines produce noise with significant nonlinear content. Combining this with their ability to vector the thrust means they have noise characteristics that are outside of the basic modeling assumptions of the currently available noise models. Wyle Laboratories, Penn State University, and University of Alabama are in the process of developing a new noise propagation model for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. Source characterization will be through complete spheres (or hemispheres if there is not sufficient data) for each aircraft state (including thrust vector angles). Fixed and rotor wing aircraft will be included. Broadband, narrowband, and pure tone propagation will be included. The model will account for complex terrain and weather effects, as well as the effects of nonlinear propagation. It will be a complete model capable of handling a range of noise sources from small subsonic general aviation aircraft to the latest fighter aircraft like the JSF.

  17. About the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The Frederick National Laboratory is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and currently operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. The laboratory addresses some of the most urge

  18. Current and Future Research in Active Control of Lightweight, Flexible Structures Using the X-56 Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryan, John J.; Bosworth, John T.; Burken, John J.; Suh, Peter M.

    2014-01-01

    The X-56 Multi-Utility Technology Testbed aircraft system is a versatile experimental research flight platform. The system was primarily designed to investigate active control of lightweight flexible structures, but is reconfigurable and capable of hosting a wide breadth of research. Current research includes flight experimentation of a Lockheed Martin designed active control flutter suppression system. Future research plans continue experimentation with alternative control systems, explore the use of novel sensor systems, and experiments with the use of novel control effectors. This paper describes the aircraft system, current research efforts designed around the system, and future planned research efforts that will be hosted on the aircraft system.

  19. Flux measurements by the NRC Twin Otter atmospheric research aircraft: 1987-2011

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desjardins, Raymond L.; Worth, Devon E.; MacPherson, J. Ian; Bastian, Matthew; Srinivasan, Ramesh

    2016-03-01

    Over the past 30 years, the Canadian Twin Otter research group has operated an aircraft platform for the study of atmospheric greenhouse gas fluxes (carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrous oxide and methane) and energy exchange (latent and sensible heat) over a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems in North America. Some of the acquired data from these projects have now been archived at the Flight Research Laboratory and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The dataset, which contains the measurements obtained in eight projects from 1987 to 2011 are now publicly available. All these projects were carried out in order to improve our understanding of the biophysical controls acting on land-surface atmosphere fluxes. Some of the projects also attempted to quantify the impacts of agroecosystems on the environment. To provide information on the data available, we briefly describe each project and some of the key findings by referring to previously published relevant work. As new flux analysis techniques are being developed, we are confident that much additional information can be extracted from this unique data set.

  20. X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1997-10-30

    The lack of a vertical tail on the X-36 technology demonstrator is evident as the remotely piloted aircraft flies a low-altitude research flight above Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert on October 30, 1997.

  1. Air-sampling inlet contamination by aircraft emissions on the NASA CV-990 aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Condon, E. P.; Vedder, J. F.

    1984-01-01

    Results of an experimental investigation of the contamination of air sampling inlets by aircraft emissions from the NASA CV-990 research aircraft are presented. This four-engine jet aircraft is a NASA facility used for many different atmospheric and meteorological experiments, as well as for developing spacecraft instrumentation for remote measurements. Our investigations were performed to provide information on which to base the selection of sampling locations for a series of multi-instrument missions for measuring tropospheric trace gases. The major source of contamination is the exhaust from the jet engines, which generate many of the same gases that are of interest in atmospheric chemistry, as well as other gases that may interfere with sampling measurements. The engine exhaust contains these gases in mixing ratios many orders of magnitude greater than those that occur in the clean atmosphere which the missions seek to quantify. Pressurized samples of air were collected simultaneously from a scoop located forward of the engines to represent clean air and from other multiport scoops at various aft positions on the aircraft. The air samples were analyzed in the laboratory by gas chromatography for carbon monoxide, an abundant combustion by-product. Data are presented for various scoop locations under various flight conditions.

  2. Long range view of materials research for civil transport aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ardema, M. D.; Waters, M. H.

    1974-01-01

    The impact of various material technology advancements on the economics of civil transport aircraft is investigated. Benefits of advances in both airframe and engine materials are considered. Benefits are measured primarily by improvements in return on investment for an operator. Materials research and development programs which lead to the greatest benefits are assessed with regards to cost, risk, and commonality with other programs. Emphasis of the paper is on advanced technology subsonic/transonic transports (ATT type aircraft) since these are likely to be the next generation of commercial transports.

  3. Long range view of materials research for civil transport aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ardema, M. D.; Waters, M. H.

    1973-01-01

    The impact of various material technology advancements on the economics of civil transport aircraft is investigated. Benefits of advances in both airframe and engine materials are considered. Benefits are measured primarily by improvements in return on investment for an operator. Materials research and development programs which lead to the greatest benefits are assessed with regards to cost, risk, and commonality with other programs. Emphasis of the paper is on advanced technology subsonic/transonic transports (ATT type aircraft) since these are likely to be the next generation of commercial transports.

  4. Concept to Reality: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to US Civil Aircraft of the 1990s

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambers, Joseph R.

    2003-01-01

    This document is intended to be a companion to NASA SP-2000-4519, 'Partners in Freedom: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Military Aircraft of the 1990s'. Material included in the combined set of volumes provides informative and significant examples of the impact of Langley's research on U.S. civil and military aircraft of the 1990s. This volume, 'Concept to Reality: Contributions of the NASA Langley Research Center to U.S. Civil Aircraft of the 1990s', highlights significant Langley contributions to safety, cruise performance, takeoff and landing capabilities, structural integrity, crashworthiness, flight deck technologies, pilot-vehicle interfaces, flight characteristics, stall and spin behavior, computational design methods, and other challenging technical areas for civil aviation. The contents of this volume include descriptions of some of the more important applications of Langley research to current civil fixed-wing aircraft (rotary-wing aircraft are not included), including commercial airliners, business aircraft, and small personal-owner aircraft. In addition to discussions of specific aircraft applications, the document also covers contributions of Langley research to the operation of civil aircraft, which includes operating problems. This document is organized according to disciplinary technologies, for example, aerodynamics, structures, materials, and flight systems. Within each discussion, examples are cited where industry applied Langley technologies to specific aircraft that were in operational service during the 1990s and the early years of the new millennium. This document is intended to serve as a key reference for national policy makers, internal NASA policy makers, Congressional committees, the media, and the general public. Therefore, it has been written for a broad general audience and does not presume any significant technical expertise. An extensive bibliography is provided for technical specialists and others who desire a

  5. Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research Phase II: N+4 Advanced Concept Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bradley, Marty K.; Droney, Christopher K.

    2012-01-01

    This final report documents the work of the Boeing Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) team on Task 1 of the Phase II effort. The team consisted of Boeing Research and Technology, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, General Electric, and Georgia Tech. Using a quantitative workshop process, the following technologies, appropriate to aircraft operational in the N+4 2040 timeframe, were identified: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Hydrogen, fuel cell hybrids, battery electric hybrids, Low Energy Nuclear (LENR), boundary layer ingestion propulsion (BLI), unducted fans and advanced propellers, and combinations. Technology development plans were developed.

  6. Investigations into the triggered lightning response of the F106B thunderstorm research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rudolph, Terence H.; Perala, Rodney A.; Mckenna, Paul M.; Parker, Steven L.

    1985-01-01

    An investigation has been conducted into the lightning characteristics of the NASA F106B thunderstorm research aircraft. The investigation includes analysis of measured data from the aircraft in the time and frequency domains. Linear and nonlinear computer modelling has also been performed. In addition, new computer tools have been developed, including a new enhanced nonlinear air breakdown model, and a subgrid model useful for analyzing fine details of the aircraft's geometry. Comparison of measured and calculated electromagnetic responses of the aircraft to a triggered lightning environment are presented.

  7. Roles, uses, and benefits of general aviation aircraft in aerospace engineering education

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Odonoghue, Dennis P.; Mcknight, Robert C.

    1994-01-01

    Many colleges and universities throughout the United States offer outstanding programs in aerospace engineering. In addition to the fundamentals of aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics, and air vehicle design, many of the best programs have in the past provided students the opportunity to design and fly airborne experiments on board various types of aircraft. Sadly, however, the number of institutions offering such 'airborne laboratories' has dwindled in recent years. As a result, opportunities for students to apply their classroom knowledge, analytical skills, and engineering judgement to the development and management of flight experiments on an actual aircraft are indeed rare. One major reason for the elimination of flight programs by some institutions, particularly the smaller colleges, is the prohibitive cost of operating and maintaining an aircraft as a flying laboratory. The purpose of this paper is to discuss simple, low-cost, relevant flight experiments that can be performed using readily available general aviation aircraft. This paper examines flight experiments that have been successfully conducted on board the NASA Lewis Research Center's T-34B aircraft, as part of the NASA/AIAA/University Flight Experiment Program for Students (NAUFEPS) and discusses how similar experiments could be inexpensively performed on other general aviation aircraft.

  8. Rotor Systems Research Aircraft /RSRA/ canopy explosive severance/fracture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bement, L. J.

    1976-01-01

    The Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA), a compound rotor/fixed-wing aircraft, incorporates an emergency escape system for the three crew members; to achieve unobstructed egress, the overhead acrylic canopies of each crew member will be explosively severed and fractured into predictably small, low-mass pieces. A canopy explosive severance/fracture system was developed under this investigation that included the following system design considerations: selection of canopy and explosive materials, determining the acrylic's explosive severance and fracture characteristics, evaluating the effects of installation variables and temperature, determining the most effective explosive patterns, conducting full-scale, flat and double-curvature canopy tests, and evaluating the effects of back-blast of the explosive into the cockpit.

  9. Satellite communications provisions on NASA Ames instrumented aircraft platforms for Earth science research/applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shameson, L.; Brass, J. A.; Hanratty, J. J.; Roberts, A. C.; Wegener, S. S.

    1995-01-01

    Earth science activities at NASA Ames are research in atmospheric and ecosystem science, development of remote sensing and in situ sampling instruments, and their integration into scientific research platform aircraft. The use of satellite communications can greatly extend the capability of these agency research platform aircraft. Current projects and plans involve satellite links on the Perseus UAV and the ER-2 via TDRSS and a proposed experiment on the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite. Provisions for data links on the Perseus research platform, via TDRSS S-band multiple access service, have been developed and are being tested. Test flights at Dryden are planned to demonstrate successful end-to-end data transfer. A Unisys Corp. airborne satcom STARLink system is being integrated into an Ames ER-2 aircraft. This equipment will support multiple data rates up to 43 Mb/s each via the TDRS S Ku-band single access service. The first flight mission for this high-rate link is planned for August 1995. Ames and JPL have proposed an ACTS experiment to use real-time satellite communications to improve wildfire research campaigns. Researchers and fire management teams making use of instrumented aircraft platforms at a prescribed burn site will be able to communicate with experts at Ames, the U.S. Forest Service, and emergency response agencies.

  10. Research Aircraft - Controlling Instruments from the Ground in a Secure and Authenticated Fashion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baltzer, T.; Martin, C.; Fawaz, S.; Webster, C.

    2012-12-01

    At NCAR's Research Aviation Facility (RAF) we're finding a number of factors motivating the desire to be able to control instruments fielded on the aircraft we operate for the NSF. Investigators are increasingly interested in fielding greater numbers of research instruments for projects, instruments are becoming increasingly complicated, and adjustment of instrument behavior to adapt to changing conditions around the aircraft and to meet project goals are just a few of these factors. Usually there are not enough seats on the aircraft to accommodate all the instrument PIs and crew members who do occupy the seats are being asked to monitor and control increasing numbers of instruments about which they have limited knowledge. We use Satellite Communications (SatCom) to allow researchers to communicate with colleagues/crew on the aircraft and so that some of the real-time data can be sent to the ground for helping to optimize the research. Historically, challenges of authentication, security and the disruptive SatCom system have motivated us to avoid providing for remote instrument control. Now we have now reached an era where remote instrument control is a necessity. This poster will discuss the approach we are implementing to provide this capability for our instrument investigators. Particular attention is paid to how we assure authentication and security so that only the instrument investigators are capable of communicating with their instruments.;

  11. BOREAS AFM-04 Twin Otter Aircraft Sounding Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacPherson, J. Ian; Desjardins, Raymond L.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Knapp, David E. (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Airborne Fluxes and Meteorology (AFM)-4 team used the National Research Council, Canada (NRC) Twin Otter aircraft to make sounding measurements through the boundary layer. These measurements included concentrations of carbon dioxide and ozone, atmospheric pressure, dry bulb temperature, potential temperature, dewpoint temperature, calculated mixing ratio, and wind speed and direction. Aircraft position, heading, and altitude were also recorded. Data were collected at both the Northern Study Area (NSA) and the Southern Study Area (SSA) in 1994 and 1996. These data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The Twin Otter aircraft sounding data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data files also are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

  12. Development of a Low-Cost Sub-Scale Aircraft for Flight Research: The FASER Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Owens, Donald B.; Cox, David E.; Morelli, Eugene A.

    2006-01-01

    An inexpensive unmanned sub-scale aircraft was developed to conduct frequent flight test experiments for research and demonstration of advanced dynamic modeling and control design concepts. This paper describes the aircraft, flight systems, flight operations, and data compatibility including details of some practical problems encountered and the solutions found. The aircraft, named Free-flying Aircraft for Sub-scale Experimental Research, or FASER, was outfitted with high-quality instrumentation to measure aircraft inputs and states, as well as vehicle health parameters. Flight data are stored onboard, but can also be telemetered to a ground station in real time for analysis. Commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and software were used as often as possible. The flight computer is based on the PC104 platform, and runs xPC-Target software. Extensive wind tunnel testing was conducted with the same aircraft used for flight testing, and a six degree-of-freedom simulation with nonlinear aerodynamics was developed to support flight tests. Flight tests to date have been conducted to mature the flight operations, validate the instrumentation, and check the flight data for kinematic consistency. Data compatibility analysis showed that the flight data are accurate and consistent after corrections are made for estimated systematic instrumentation errors.

  13. Research Pilot Milt Thompson in M2-F2 Aircraft Attached to B-52 Mothership

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1966-01-01

    NASA research pilot Milt Thompson sits in the M2-F2 'heavyweight' lifting body research vehicle before a 1966 test flight. The M2-F2 and the other lifting-body designs were all attached to a wing pylon on NASA's B-52 mothership and carried aloft. The vehicles were then drop-launched and, at the end of their flights, glided back to wheeled landings on the dry lake or runway at Edwards AFB. The lifting body designs influenced the design of the Space Shuttle and were also reincarnated in the design of the X-38 in the 1990s. NASA B-52, Tail Number 008, is an air launch carrier aircraft, 'mothership,' as well as a research aircraft platform that has been used on a variety of research projects. The aircraft, a 'B' model built in 1952 and first flown on June 11, 1955, is the oldest B-52 in flying status and has been used on some of the most significant research projects in aerospace history. Some of the significant projects supported by B-52 008 include the X-15, the lifting bodies, HiMAT (highly maneuverable aircraft technology), Pegasus, validation of parachute systems developed for the space shuttle program (solid-rocket-booster recovery system and the orbiter drag chute system), and the X-38. The B-52 served as the launch vehicle on 106 X-15 flights and flew a total of 159 captive-carry and launch missions in support of that program from June 1959 to October 1968. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo human spaceflight programs as well as space shuttle development. Between 1966 and 1975, the B-52 served as the launch aircraft for 127 of the 144 wingless lifting body flights. In the 1970s and 1980s, the B-52 was the launch aircraft for several aircraft at what is now the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to study spin-stall, high-angle-of attack, and maneuvering characteristics. These included the 3/8-scale F-15/spin research vehicle (SRV), the HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft

  14. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Seaweed and Light A type of seaweed called Sargassum, common in the Sargasso Sea, floats by an instrument deployed here on July 26, 2014, as part of NASA's SABOR experiment. Scientists from the City College of New York use the data to study the way light becomes polarized in various conditions both above and below the surface of the ocean. NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment is a coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States, an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain. Read more: 1.usa.gov/WWRVzj Credit: NASA/SABOR/Wayne Slade, Sequoia Scientific .NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  15. National Exposure Research Laboratory

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Ecosystems Research Division of EPA’s National Exposure Research Laboratory, conducts research on organic and inorganic chemicals, greenhouse gas biogeochemical cycles, and land use perturbations that create stressor exposures and potentia risk

  16. X-1 research aircraft landing on lakebed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1947-01-01

    The first of the rocket-powered research aircraft, the X-1 (originally designated the XS-1), was a bullet-shaped airplane that was built by the Bell Aircraft Company for the US Air Force and the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA). The mission of the X-1 was to investigate the transonic speed range (speeds from just below to just above the speed of sound) and, if possible, to break the 'sound barrier'. The first of the three X-1s was glide-tested at Pinecastle Air Force Base, FL, in early 1946. The first powered flight of the X-1 was made on Dec. 9, 1946, at Edwards Air Force Base with Chalmers Goodlin, a Bell test pilot, at the controls. On Oct. 14, 1947, with USAF Captain Charles 'Chuck' Yeager as pilot, the aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time. Captain Yeager ignited the four-chambered XLR-11 rocket engines after being air-launched from under the bomb bay of a B-29 at 21,000 ft. The 6,000-lbthrust ethyl alcohol/liquid oxygen burning rockets, built by Reaction Motors, Inc., pushed him up to a speed of 700 mph in level flight. Captain Yeager was also the pilot when the X-1 reached its maximum speed of 957 mph. Another USAF pilot. Lt. Col. Frank Everest, Jr., was credited with taking the X-1 to its maximum altitude of 71,902 ft. Eighteen pilots in all flew the X-1s. The number three plane was destroyed in a fire before ever making any powered flights. A single-place monoplane, the X-1 was 31 ft long, 10 ft high, and had a wingspan of 29 ft. It weighed 4,900 lb and carried 8,200 lb of fuel. It had a flush cockpit with a side entrance and no ejection seat. This roughly 30-second video clip shows the X-1 landing on Rogers Dry Lakebed followed by the safety chase aircraft.

  17. Aircraft data summaries for the SURE intensives. Final report. [Sampling done July 1978 near Duncan Falls, Ohio and Scranton, Pennsylvania

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Keifer, W.S.; Blumenthal, D.L.; Tommerdahl, J.B.

    1981-09-01

    As part of the EPRI sulfate regional experiment (SURE), Meteorology Research, Inc., (MRI) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted six air quality sampling programs in the eastern United States using instrumented aircraft. This volume includes the air quality and meteorological data obtained during the July 1978 Intensive when MRI sampled near the Duncan Falls, Ohio, SURE Station and RTI sampled near the Scranton, Pennsylvania, SURE Station. During the last part of the July 1978 sampling period, both MRI and RTI aircraft participated in a large regional-scale sampling program with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). Only themore » data obtained by the MRI and RTI aircraft during this regional-scale sapling program are included in this volume.« less

  18. Lockheed ER-2C #809 high altitude research aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-04-29

    ER-2C tail number 809, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2Cs used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2Cs were capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2C missions lasted about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically flew at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, the ER-2C set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft was 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail was 16 feet above ground when the aircraft was on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds were 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2C.

  19. Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft - A summary of flight research since 1981

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riddle, Dennis W.; Stevens, Victor C.; Eppel, Joseph C.

    1988-01-01

    The Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA), designed for flight investigation into powered-lift terminal area operations, first flew in 1978 and has flown 600 hours since. This report summarizes QSRA research since 1981. Numerous aerodynamic flight experiments have been conducted including research with an advanced concept stability and control augmentation and pilot display system for category III instrument landings. An electromechanical actuator system was flown to assess performance and reliability. A second ground-based test was conducted to further evaluate circulation-control-wing/upper-surface-blowing performance. QSRA technology has been transferred through reports, guest pilot evaluations and airshow participation. QSRA future research thoughts and an extensive report bibliography are also presented.

  20. Advanced materials research for long-haul aircraft turbine engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Signorelli, R. A.; Blankenship, C. P.

    1978-01-01

    The status of research efforts to apply low to intermediate temperature composite materials and advanced high temperature materials to engine components is reviewed. Emerging materials technologies and their potential benefits to aircraft gas turbines were emphasized. The problems were identified, and the general state of the technology for near term use was assessed.

  1. Airframe self-noise: Four years of research. [aircraft noise reduction for commercial aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hardin, J. C.

    1976-01-01

    A critical assessment of the state of the art in airframe self-noise is presented. Full-scale data on the intensity, spectra and directivity of this noise source are evaluated in the light of the comprehensive theory developed by Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkins. Vibration of panels on commercial aircraft is identified as a possible additional source of airframe noise. The present understanding and methods for prediction of other component sources - airfoils, struts, and cavities - are discussed, and areas for further research as well as potential methods for airframe noise reduction are identified. Finally, the various experimental methods which have been developed for airframe noise research are discussed and sample results are presented.

  2. Development of a multipurpose smart recorder for general aviation aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    White, J. H.; Finger, J. F.

    1988-01-01

    An intelligent flight recorder, called the Smart Recorder, was fabricated and installed on a King Air aircraft used in standard commercial charter service. This recorder was used for collection of data toward two objectives: (1) the characterization of the typical environment encountered by the aircraft; and (2) research in the area of trend monitoring. Data processing routines and data presentation formats were defined that are applicable to commuter size aircraft. The feasibility of a cost-effective, multipurpose recorder for general aviation aircraft was successfully demonstrated. Implementation of on-board environmental data processing increased the number of flight hours that could be stored on a single data cartridge and simplified the data management problem by reducing the volume of data to be processed in the laboratory. Trend monitoring algorithms showed less variability in the trend plots when compared against plots of manual data.

  3. The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-03-13

    The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket recently underwent combined systems testing while mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. One of the major goals of the Hyper-X program is flight validation of airframe-integrated, air-breathing propulsion system, which so far have only been tested in ground facilities, such as wind tunnels. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The X-43A design uses the underbody of the aircraft to form critical elements of the engine. The forebody shape helps compress the intake airflow, while the aft section acts as a nozzle to direct thrust. The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., will accelerate the X-43A after the X-43A/booster "stack" is air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership. The X-43A will separate from the rocket at a predetermined altitude and speed and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  4. The DGPS based navigation and positioning system of the Helsinki University of Technology Short SC7 Skyvan research aircraft

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tauriainen, S.; Ahola, P.; Hallikainen, M.

    1996-10-01

    The typical airborne remote sensing measurements conducted by the Helsinki University of Technology laboratory of space technology require very precise navigation over the selected measurement sites. This means that both system performance as far as positioning is concerned and the actual flight track of the aircraft has to be within 10 meters. To meet these requirements, a custom made navigation system was designed and installed in the SHORT SC7 Skyvan research aircraft of the Helsinki University of Technology. The system is based on the Finnish national Differential GPS network providing positioning accuracy within a few meters within Finland. For pilotmore » guidance, a graphical user interface with mission specific software is used to give the pilots an overview of the relative position and orientation to the measurement target. In addition, the system is used to synchronize the scientific instruments and record the actual flight track. 2 refs., 2 figs.« less

  5. Comparison of model and flight test data for an augmented jet flap STOL research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cook, W. L.; Whittley, D. C.

    1975-01-01

    Aerodynamic design data for the Augmented Jet Flap STOL Research Aircraft or commonly known as the Augmentor-Wing Jet-STOL Research Aircraft was based on results of tests carried out on a large scale research model in the NASA Ames 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. Since the model differs in some respects from the aircraft, precise correlation between tunnel and flight test is not expected, however the major areas of confidence derived from the wind tunnel tests are delineated, and for the most part, tunnel results compare favorably with flight experience. In some areas the model tests were known to be nonrepresentative so that a degree of uncertainty remained: these areas of greater uncertainty are identified, and discussed in the light of subsequent flight tests.

  6. X-43A hypersonic research aircraft mated to its modified Pegasus booster rocket.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft was mated to its modified Pegasus booster rocket in late January at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. FIRST X-43A MATED TO BOOSTER -- The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft was mated to its modified Pegasus booster rocket in late January at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Mating of the X-43A and its specially-designed adapter to the first stage of the booster rocket marks a major milestone in the Hyper-X hypersonic research program. The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., for NASA. The booster, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., will accelerate the X-43A after the X-43A booster 'stack' is air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership. The X-43A will separate from the rocket at a predetermined altitude and speed and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it impacts into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10 (seven and 10 times the speed of sound respectively) with the first tentatively scheduled for early summer of 2001. The X-43A is powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ('scramjet') engine, and will use the underbody of the aircraft to form critical elements of the engine. The forebody shape helps compress the intake airflow, while the aft section acts as a nozzle to direct thrust. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by an air-breathing scramjet engine.

  7. George Lewis Addresses Staff during the Construction of the New Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1942-05-21

    Construction Manager Raymond Sharp and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Director of Research George Lewis speak to employees during the May 8, 1942, Initiation of Research ceremony at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. The event marked the first operation of a test facility at the new laboratory. The overall laboratory was still under construction, however, and behind schedule. Lewis traveled from his office in Washington, DC every week to personally assess the progress. Drastic measures were undertaken to accelerate the lab’s construction schedule. The military provided special supplies, contractors were given new agreements and pressured to meet deadlines, and Congress approved additional funds. The effort paid off and much of the laboratory was operational in early 1943. George Lewis managed the NACA’s aeronautical research for over 20 years. Lewis joined the NACA as Executive Officer in 1919, and was named Director of Aeronautical Research in 1924. In this role Lewis served as the liaison between the Executive Committee and the research laboratories. His most important accomplishment may have been the investigative tours of the research facilities in Germany in 1936 and 1939. The visits resulted in the NACA’s physical expansion and the broadening of the scope of its research. Lewis did not take a day of leave between the Pearl Harbor attack and the Armistice. He began suffering health problems in 1945 and was forced to retire two years later. The Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory was renamed the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in September 1948.

  8. Investigation of fuselage acoustic treatment for a twin-engine turboprop aircraft in flight and laboratory tests

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mixson, J. S.; Oneal, R. L.; Grosveld, F. W.

    1984-01-01

    A flight and laboratory study of sidewall acoustic treatment for cabin noise control is described. In flight, cabin noise levels were measured at six locations with three treatment configurations. Noise levels from narrow-band analysis are reduced to one-third octave format and used to calculate insertion loss, IL, defined as the reduction of interior noise associated with the addition of a treatment. Laboratory tests used a specially constructed structural panel modeled after the propeller plane section of the aircraft sidewall, and acoustic treatments representing those used in flight. Lab measured transmission loss and absorption values were combined using classical acoustic procedures to obtain a prediction of IL. Comparison with IL values measured in flight for the boundary layer component of the noise indicated general agreement.

  9. The Pilatus Unmanned Aircraft System for Lower Atmospheric Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    de Boer, Gijs; Palo, Scott; Argrow, Brian; LoDolce, Gabriel; Mack, James; Gao, Ru-shan; Telg, Hagen; Trussel, Cameron; Fromm, Joshua; Long, Charles N.; hide

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents details of the University of Colorado (CU) "Pilatus" unmanned research aircraft, assembled to provide measurements of aerosols, radiation and thermodynamics in the lower troposphere. This aircraft has a wingspan of 3.2 m and a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg, and it is powered by an electric motor to reduce engine exhaust and concerns about carburetor icing. It carries instrumentation to make measurements of broadband up- and downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, aerosol particle size distribution, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and pressure and to collect video of flights for subsequent analysis of atmospheric conditions during flight. In order to make the shortwave radiation measurements, care was taken to carefully position a high-quality compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) and characterize the attitude of the aircraft and its orientation to the upward-looking radiation sensor. Using measurements from both of these sensors, a correction is applied to the raw radiometer measurements to correct for aircraft attitude and sensor tilt relative to the sun. The data acquisition system was designed from scratch based on a set of key driving requirements to accommodate the variety of sensors deployed. Initial test flights completed in Colorado provide promising results with measurements from the radiation sensors agreeing with those from a nearby surface site. Additionally, estimates of surface albedo from onboard sensors were consistent with local surface conditions, including melting snow and bright runway surface. Aerosol size distributions collected are internally consistent and have previously been shown to agree well with larger, surface-based instrumentation. Finally the atmospheric state measurements evolve as expected, with the near-surface atmosphere warming over time as the day goes on, and the atmospheric relative humidity decreasing with increased temperature. No directional bias on measured temperature, as might

  10. The Pilatus unmanned aircraft system for lower atmospheric research

    DOE PAGES

    de Boer, Gijs; Palo, Scott; Argrow, Brian; ...

    2016-04-28

    This study presents details of the University of Colorado (CU) “Pilatus” unmanned research aircraft, assembled to provide measurements of aerosols, radiation and thermodynamics in the lower troposphere. This aircraft has a wingspan of 3.2 m and a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg, and it is powered by an electric motor to reduce engine exhaust and concerns about carburetor icing. It carries instrumentation to make measurements of broadband up- and downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, aerosol particle size distribution, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and pressure and to collect video of flights for subsequent analysis of atmospheric conditions during flight. Inmore » order to make the shortwave radiation measurements, care was taken to carefully position a high-quality compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) and characterize the attitude of the aircraft and its orientation to the upward-looking radiation sensor. Using measurements from both of these sensors, a correction is applied to the raw radiometer measurements to correct for aircraft attitude and sensor tilt relative to the sun. The data acquisition system was designed from scratch based on a set of key driving requirements to accommodate the variety of sensors deployed. Initial test flights completed in Colorado provide promising results with measurements from the radiation sensors agreeing with those from a nearby surface site. Additionally, estimates of surface albedo from onboard sensors were consistent with local surface conditions, including melting snow and bright runway surface. Aerosol size distributions collected are internally consistent and have previously been shown to agree well with larger, surface-based instrumentation. Finally the atmospheric state measurements evolve as expected, with the near-surface atmosphere warming over time as the day goes on, and the atmospheric relative humidity decreasing with increased temperature. No directional bias on measured

  11. The Pilatus unmanned aircraft system for lower atmospheric research

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    de Boer, Gijs; Palo, Scott; Argrow, Brian

    This study presents details of the University of Colorado (CU) “Pilatus” unmanned research aircraft, assembled to provide measurements of aerosols, radiation and thermodynamics in the lower troposphere. This aircraft has a wingspan of 3.2 m and a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg, and it is powered by an electric motor to reduce engine exhaust and concerns about carburetor icing. It carries instrumentation to make measurements of broadband up- and downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, aerosol particle size distribution, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and pressure and to collect video of flights for subsequent analysis of atmospheric conditions during flight. Inmore » order to make the shortwave radiation measurements, care was taken to carefully position a high-quality compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) and characterize the attitude of the aircraft and its orientation to the upward-looking radiation sensor. Using measurements from both of these sensors, a correction is applied to the raw radiometer measurements to correct for aircraft attitude and sensor tilt relative to the sun. The data acquisition system was designed from scratch based on a set of key driving requirements to accommodate the variety of sensors deployed. Initial test flights completed in Colorado provide promising results with measurements from the radiation sensors agreeing with those from a nearby surface site. Additionally, estimates of surface albedo from onboard sensors were consistent with local surface conditions, including melting snow and bright runway surface. Aerosol size distributions collected are internally consistent and have previously been shown to agree well with larger, surface-based instrumentation. Finally the atmospheric state measurements evolve as expected, with the near-surface atmosphere warming over time as the day goes on, and the atmospheric relative humidity decreasing with increased temperature. No directional bias on measured

  12. The pilatus unmanned aircraft system for lower atmospheric research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Boer, G.; Palo, S.; Argrow, B.; LoDolce, G.; Mack, J.; Gao, R.-S.; Telg, H.; Trussel, C.; Fromm, J.; Long, C. N.; Bland, G.; Maslanik, J.; Schmid, B.; Hock, T.

    2015-11-01

    This paper presents details of the University of Colorado (CU) Pilatus unmanned research aircraft, assembled to provide measurements of aerosols, radiation and thermodynamics in the lower troposphere. This aircraft has a wingspan of 3.2 m and a maximum take off weight of 25 kg and is powered by an electric motor to reduce engine exhaust and concerns about carburetor icing. It carries instrumentation to make measurements of broadband up- and downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, aerosol particle size distribution, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and pressure and to collect video of flights for subsequent analysis of atmospheric conditions during flight. In order to make the shortwave radiation measurements, care was taken to carefully position a high-quality compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) and characterize the attitude of the aircraft and it's orientation to the upward looking radiation sensor. Using measurements from both of these sensors, a correction is applied to the raw radiometer measurements to correct for aircraft attitude and sensor tilt relative to the sun. The data acquisition system was designed from scratch based on a set of key driving requirements to accommodate the variety of sensors deployed. Initial test flights completed in Colorado provide promising results with measurements from the radiation sensors agreeing with those from a nearby surface site. Additionally, estimates of surface albedo from onboard sensors were consistent with local surface conditions, including melting snow and bright runway surface. Aerosol size distributions collected are internally consistent and have previously been shown to agree well with larger, surface-based instrumentation. Finally the atmospheric state measurements evolve as expected, with the near-surface atmosphere warming over time as the day goes on, and the atmospheric relative humidity decreasing with increased temperature. No directional bias on measured temperature, as might be

  13. The Pilatus unmanned aircraft system for lower atmospheric research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Boer, Gijs; Palo, Scott; Argrow, Brian; LoDolce, Gabriel; Mack, James; Gao, Ru-Shan; Telg, Hagen; Trussel, Cameron; Fromm, Joshua; Long, Charles N.; Bland, Geoff; Maslanik, James; Schmid, Beat; Hock, Terry

    2016-04-01

    This paper presents details of the University of Colorado (CU) "Pilatus" unmanned research aircraft, assembled to provide measurements of aerosols, radiation and thermodynamics in the lower troposphere. This aircraft has a wingspan of 3.2 m and a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg, and it is powered by an electric motor to reduce engine exhaust and concerns about carburetor icing. It carries instrumentation to make measurements of broadband up- and downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation, aerosol particle size distribution, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and pressure and to collect video of flights for subsequent analysis of atmospheric conditions during flight. In order to make the shortwave radiation measurements, care was taken to carefully position a high-quality compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) and characterize the attitude of the aircraft and its orientation to the upward-looking radiation sensor. Using measurements from both of these sensors, a correction is applied to the raw radiometer measurements to correct for aircraft attitude and sensor tilt relative to the sun. The data acquisition system was designed from scratch based on a set of key driving requirements to accommodate the variety of sensors deployed. Initial test flights completed in Colorado provide promising results with measurements from the radiation sensors agreeing with those from a nearby surface site. Additionally, estimates of surface albedo from onboard sensors were consistent with local surface conditions, including melting snow and bright runway surface. Aerosol size distributions collected are internally consistent and have previously been shown to agree well with larger, surface-based instrumentation. Finally the atmospheric state measurements evolve as expected, with the near-surface atmosphere warming over time as the day goes on, and the atmospheric relative humidity decreasing with increased temperature. No directional bias on measured temperature, as might

  14. Civil aircraft side-facing seat research summary.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-11-01

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has standards and regulations that are intended to protect aircraft : occupants in the event of a crash. However, side-facing seats were not specifically addressed when aircraft seat : dynamic test standards ...

  15. Lockheed ER-2 high altitude research aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1997-11-04

    ER-2 tail number 706, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation.

  16. Sense and avoid technology for unmanned aircraft systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCalmont, John; Utt, James; Deschenes, Michael; Taylor, Michael; Sanderson, Richard; Montgomery, Joel; Johnson, Randal S.; McDermott, David

    2007-04-01

    The Sensors Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), in conjunction with the Global Hawk Systems Group, the J-UCAS System Program Office and contractor Defense Research Associates, Inc. (DRA) is conducting an Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) of a sense-and-avoid capability with the potential to satisfy the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) requirement for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to provide "an equivalent level of safety, comparable to see-and-avoid requirements for manned aircraft". This FAA requirement must be satisfied for UAS operations within the national airspace. The Sense-and-Avoid, Phase I (Man-in-the-Loop) and Phase II (Autonomous Maneuver) ATD demonstrated an on-board, wide field of regard, multi-sensor visible imaging system operating in real time and capable of passively detecting approaching aircraft, declaring potential collision threats in a timely manner and alerting the human pilot located in the remote ground control station or autonomously maneuvered the aircraft. Intruder declaration data was collected during the SAA I & II Advanced Technology Demonstration flights conducted during December 2006. A total of 27 collision scenario flights were conducted and analyzed. The average detection range was 6.3 NM and the mean declaration range was 4.3 NM. The number of false alarms per engagement has been reduced to approximately 3 per engagement.

  17. Rotor systems research aircraft risk-reduction shake test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wellman, J. Brent

    1990-01-01

    A shake test and an extensive analysis of results were performed to evaluate the possibility of and the method for dynamically calibrating the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA). The RSRA airframe was subjected to known vibratory loads in several degrees of freedom and the responses of many aircraft transducers were recorded. Analysis of the transducer responses using the technique of dynamic force determination showed that the RSRA, when used as a dynamic measurement system, could predict, a posteriori, an excitation force in a single axis to an accuracy of about 5 percent and sometimes better. As the analysis was broadened to include multiple degrees of freedom for the excitation force, the predictive ability of the measurement system degraded to about 20 percent, with the error occasionally reaching 100 percent. The poor performance of the measurement system is explained by the nonlinear response of the RSRA to vibratory forces and the inadequacy of the particular method used in accounting for this nonlinearity.

  18. Performance of an Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator on the F-18 Systems Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Navarro, Robert

    1997-01-01

    An electro-hydrostatic actuator was evaluated at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The primary goal of testing this actuator system was the flight demonstration of power-by-wire technology on a primary flight control surface. The electro-hydrostatic actuator uses an electric motor to drive a hydraulic pump and relies on local hydraulics for force transmission. This actuator replaced the F-18 standard left aileron actuator on the F-18 Systems Research Aircraft and was evaluated throughout the Systems Research Aircraft flight envelope. As of July 24, 1997 the electro-hydrostatic actuator had accumulated 23.5 hours of flight time. This paper presents the electro-hydrostatic actuator system configuration and component description, ground and flight test plans, ground and flight test results, and lessons learned. This actuator performs as well as the standard actuator and has more load capability than required by aileron actuator specifications of McDonnell- Douglas Aircraft, St. Louis, Missouri. The electro-hydrostatic actuator system passed all of its ground tests with the exception of one power-off test during unloaded dynamic cycling.

  19. Pathfinder aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1995-07-27

    The Pathfinder research aircraft's wing structure was clearly defined as it soared under a clear blue sky during a test flight July 27, 1995, from Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The center section and outer wing panels of the aircraft had ribs constructed of thin plastic foam, while the ribs in the inner wing panels are fabricated from lightweight composite material. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., the Pathfinder was one of several unmanned aircraft being evaluated under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program.

  20. Crash Test of Three Cessna 172 Aircraft at NASA Langley Research Center's Landing and Impact Research Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Littell, Justin D.

    2015-01-01

    During the summer of 2015, three Cessna 172 aircraft were crash tested at the Landing and Impact Research Facility (LandIR) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The three tests simulated three different crash scenarios. The first simulated a flare-to-stall emergency or hard landing onto a rigid surface such as a road or runway, the second simulated a controlled flight into terrain with a nose down pitch on the aircraft, and the third simulated a controlled flight into terrain with an attempt to unsuccessfully recover the aircraft immediately prior to impact, resulting in a tail strike condition. An on-board data acquisition system captured 64 channels of airframe acceleration, along with acceleration and load in two onboard Hybrid II 50th percentile Anthropomorphic Test Devices, representing the pilot and co-pilot. Each test contained different airframe loading conditions and results show large differences in airframe performance. This paper presents test methods used to conduct the crash tests and will summarize the airframe results from the test series.

  1. Caater: Arat - Fokker 27, aircraft facility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penazzi, G.; Joussaume, S.

    2003-04-01

    ARAT (Avion de Recherche Atmosphérique et de Télédétection), is owned and operated by IGN (Institut Géographique National) and managed by INSU, an institute of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique). ARAT is a versatile flying laboratory offering several scientific configurations: basic meteorological instrumentation, turbulent flux equipment, radiation measurement (Visible, Red, IR, UV, J(NO_2), radiance, ground temperature), microphysics sensors, in-situ and remote sensing chemistry instruments (NO-NO_2-NOy and PAN, Water Vapour and Ozone Lidars), Aerosol Lidar, Earth Observation Instrumentation (Visible, Microwave, POLDER), etc. Access to ARAT was offered through the EC-funded IHP-ARI contract, under a co-ordinated aircraft project (with MRF, U.K.; DLR, Germany and Meteo France) called CAATER (Co-ordinated Access to Aircraft for Transnational Environmental Research). Since 2000 access to ARAT has been offered to 6 research groups from different EU Member States for about 10 flight hours each. This project is a follow-on to STAAARTE (1996-2000), which gave access to ARAT to 14 user groups for about 8 flight hours per group. A new project, with new aircraft, within the frame of an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative of the Sixth Framework Programme is currently in preparation.

  2. The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Unmanned Aircraft System Service Capabilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bauer, Jeff

    2007-01-01

    Over 60 years of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) expertise at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center are being leveraged to provide capability and expertise to the international UAS community. The DFRC brings together technical experts, UAS, and an operational environment to provide government and industry a broad capability to conduct research, perform operations, and mature systems, sensors, and regulation. The cornerstone of this effort is the acquisition of both a Global Hawk (Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, California) and Predator B (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, California) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). In addition, a test range for small UAS will allow developers to conduct research and development flights without the need to obtain approval from civil authorities. Finally, experts are available to government and industry to provide safety assessments in support of operations in civil airspace. These services will allow developers to utilize limited resources to their maximum capability in a highly competitive environment.

  3. The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Unmanned Aircraft System Service Capabilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bauer, Jeff

    2007-01-01

    Over 60 years of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) expertise at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center are being leveraged to provide capability and expertise to the international UAS community. The DFRC brings together technical experts, UAS, and an operational environment to provide government and industry a broad capability to conduct research, perform operations, and mature systems, sensors, and regulation. The cornerstone of this effort is the acquisition of both a Global Hawk (Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, California) and Predator B (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, California) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). In addition, a test range for small UAS will allow developers to conduct research and development flights without the need to obtain approval from civil authorities. Finally, experts are available to government and industry to provide safety assessments in support of operations in civil airspace. These services will allow developers to utilize limited resources to their maximum capability in a highly competitive environment.

  4. An Evaluation Technique for an F/A-18 Aircraft Loads Model Using F/A-18 Systems Research Aircraft Flight Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olney, Candida D.; Hillebrandt, Heather; Reichenbach, Eric Y.

    2000-01-01

    A limited evaluation of the F/A-18 baseline loads model was performed on the Systems Research Aircraft at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California). Boeing developed the F/A-18 loads model using a linear aeroelastic analysis in conjunction with a flight simulator to determine loads at discrete locations on the aircraft. This experiment was designed so that analysis of doublets could be used to establish aircraft aerodynamic and loads response at 20 flight conditions. Instrumentation on the right outboard leading edge flap, left aileron, and left stabilator measured the hinge moment so that comparisons could be made between in-flight-measured hinge moments and loads model-predicted values at these locations. Comparisons showed that the difference between the loads model-predicted and in-flight-measured hinge moments was up to 130 percent of the flight limit load. A stepwise regression technique was used to determine new loads derivatives. These derivatives were placed in the loads model, which reduced the error to within 10 percent of the flight limit load. This paper discusses the flight test methodology, a process for determining loads coefficients, and the direct comparisons of predicted and measured hinge moments and loads coefficients.

  5. A progress report on the development of an augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quigley, H. C.; Sinclair, S. R. M.; Nark, T. C., Jr.; O'Keefe, J. V.

    1971-01-01

    The development of the aircraft has progressed to the point where the design of the modifications to the de Havilland C-8A Buffalo is complete and the engines are being tested. The predicted performance shows that the aircraft will be able to take off and land in less than 1500 ft. Simulation studies indicate that the handling qualities of the aircraft, with stability augmentation, will be acceptable for STOL research missions. Special techniques were required, however, for flight path control and transition from cruise to landing configuration .

  6. Damage monitoring of aircraft structures made of composite materials using wavelet transforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molchanov, D.; Safin, A.; Luhyna, N.

    2016-10-01

    The present article is dedicated to the study of the acoustic properties of composite materials and the application of non-destructive testing methods to aircraft components. A mathematical model of a wavelet transformed signal is presented. The main acoustic (vibration) properties of different composite material structures were researched. Multiple vibration parameter dependencies on the noise reduction factor were derived. The main steps of a research procedure and new method algorithm are presented. The data obtained was compared with the data from a three dimensional laser-Doppler scanning vibrometer, to validate the results. The new technique was tested in the laboratory and on civil aircraft at a training airfield.

  7. Man-vehicle systems research facility advanced aircraft flight simulator throttle mechanism

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kurasaki, S. S.; Vallotton, W. C.

    1985-01-01

    The Advanced Aircraft Flight Simulator is equipped with a motorized mechanism that simulates a two engine throttle control system that can be operated via a computer driven performance management system or manually by the pilots. The throttle control system incorporates features to simulate normal engine operations and thrust reverse and vary the force feel to meet a variety of research needs. While additional testing to integrate the work required is principally now in software design, since the mechanical aspects function correctly. The mechanism is an important part of the flight control system and provides the capability to conduct human factors research of flight crews with advanced aircraft systems under various flight conditions such as go arounds, coupled instrument flight rule approaches, normal and ground operations and emergencies that would or would not normally be experienced in actual flight.

  8. Small transport aircraft technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, L. J.

    1983-01-01

    Information on commuter airline trends and aircraft developments is provided to upgrade the preliminary findings of a NASA-formed small transport aircraft technology (STAT) team, established to determine whether the agency's research and development programs could help commuter aircraft manufacturers solve technical problems related to passenger acceptance and use of 19- to 50-passenger aircraft. The results and conclusions of the full set of completed STAT studies are presented. These studies were performed by five airplane manufacturers, five engine manufacturers, and two propeller manufacturers. Those portions of NASA's overall aeronautics research and development programs which are applicable to commuter aircraft design are summarized. Areas of technology that might beneficially be expanded or initiated to aid the US commuter aircraft manufacturers in the evolution of improved aircraft for the market are suggested.

  9. Experimental Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Joined-wing Research Aircraft Configuration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Stephen C.; Stonum, Ronald K.

    1989-01-01

    A wind-tunnel test was conducted at Ames Research Center to measure the aerodynamic characteristics of a joined-wing research aircraft (JWRA). This aircraft was designed to utilize the fuselage and engines of the existing NASA AD-1 aircraft. The JWRA was designed to have removable outer wing panels to represent three different configurations with the interwing joint at different fractions of the wing span. A one-sixth-scale wind-tunnel model of all three configurations of the JWRA was tested in the Ames 12-Foot Pressure Wind Tunnel to measure aerodynamic performance, stability, and control characteristics. The results of these tests are presented. Longitudinal and lateral-directional characteristics were measured over an angle of attack range of -7 to 14 deg and over an angle of sideslip range of -5 to +2.5 deg at a Mach number of 0.35 and a Reynolds number of 2.2x10(6)/ft. Various combinations of deflected control surfaces were tested to measure the effectiveness and impact on stability of several control surface arrangements. In addition, the effects on stall and post-stall aerodynamic characteristics from small leading-edge devices called vortilons were measured. The results of these tests indicate that the JWRA had very good aerodynamic performance and acceptable stability and control throughout its flight envelope. The vortilons produced a profound improvement in the stall and post-stall characteristics with no measurable effects on cruise performance.

  10. The aerospace energy systems laboratory: Hardware and software implementation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glover, Richard D.; Oneil-Rood, Nora

    1989-01-01

    For many years NASA Ames Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Facility has employed automation in the servicing of flight critical aircraft batteries. Recently a major upgrade to Dryden's computerized Battery Systems Laboratory was initiated to incorporate distributed processing and a centralized database. The new facility, called the Aerospace Energy Systems Laboratory (AESL), is being mechanized with iAPX86 and iAPX286 hardware running iRMX86. The hardware configuration and software structure for the AESL are described.

  11. Detailed design of a Ride Quality Augmentation System for commuter aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Suikat, Reiner; Donaldson, Kent E.; Downing, David R.

    1989-01-01

    The design of a Ride Quality Augmentation System (RQAS) for commuter aircraft is documented. The RQAS is designed for a Cessna 402B, an 8 passenger prop twin representative to this class of aircraft. The purpose of the RQAS is the reduction of vertical and lateral accelerations of the aircraft due to atmospheric turbulence by the application of active control. The detailed design of the hardware (the aircraft modifications, the Ride Quality Instrumentation System (RQIS), and the required computer software) is examined. The aircraft modifications, consisting of the dedicated control surfaces and the hydraulic actuation system, were designed at Cessna Aircraft by Kansas University-Flight Research Laboratory. The instrumentation system, which consist of the sensor package, the flight computer, a Data Acquisition System, and the pilot and test engineer control panels, was designed by NASA-Langley. The overall system design and the design of the software, both for flight control algorithms and ground system checkout are detailed. The system performance is predicted from linear simulation results and from power spectral densities of the aircraft response to a Dryden gust. The results indicate that both accelerations are possible.

  12. A Flight Investigation of the STOL Characteristics of an Augmented Jet Flap STOL Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quigley, H. C.; Innis, R. C.; Grossmith, S.

    1974-01-01

    The flight test program objectives are: (1) To determine the in-flight aerodynamic, performance, and handling qualities of a jet STOL aircraft incorporating the augmented jet flap concept; (2) to compare the results obtained in flight with characteristics predicted from wind tunnel and simulator test results; (3) to contribute to the development of criteria for design and operation of jet STOL transport aircraft; and (4) to provide a jet STOL transport aircraft for STOL systems research and development. Results obtained during the first 8 months of proof-of-concept flight testing of the aircraft in STOL configurations are reported. Included are a brief description of the aircraft, fan-jet engines, and systems; a discussion of the aerodynamic, stability and control, and STOL performance; and pilot opinion of the handling qualities and operational characteristics.

  13. Scaled Composites' Proteus aircraft and an F/A-18 Hornet from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center d

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Scaled Composites' Proteus aircraft and an F/A-18 Hornet from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center during a low-level flyby at Las Cruces Airport in New Mexico. The unique Proteus aircraft served as a test bed for NASA-sponsored flight tests designed to validate collision-avoidance technologies proposed for uninhabited aircraft. The tests, flown over southern New Mexico in March, 2002, used the Proteus as a surrogate uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) while three other aircraft flew toward the Proteus from various angles on simulated collision courses. Radio-based 'detect, see and avoid' equipment on the Proteus successfully detected the other aircraft and relayed that information to a remote pilot on the ground at Las Cruces Airport. The pilot then transmitted commands to the Proteus to maneuver it away from the potential collisions. The flight demonstration, sponsored by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, New Mexico State University, Scaled Composites, the U.S. Navy and Modern Technology Solutions, Inc., were intended to demonstrate that UAVs can be flown safely and compatibly in the same skies as piloted aircraft.

  14. Light transport and general aviation aircraft icing research requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Breeze, R. K.; Clark, G. M.

    1981-01-01

    A short term and a long term icing research and technology program plan was drafted for NASA LeRC based on 33 separate research items. The specific items listed resulted from a comprehensive literature search, organized and assisted by a computer management file and an industry/Government agency survey. Assessment of the current facilities and icing technology was accomplished by presenting summaries of ice sensitive components and protection methods; and assessments of penalty evaluation, the experimental data base, ice accretion prediction methods, research facilities, new protection methods, ice protection requirements, and icing instrumentation. The intent of the research plan was to determine what icing research NASA LeRC must do or sponsor to ultimately provide for increased utilization and safety of light transport and general aviation aircraft.

  15. The NASA research program on propulsion for supersonic cruise aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weber, R. J.

    1975-01-01

    The objectives and status of the propulsion portion of a program aimed at advancing the technology and establishing a data base appropriate for the possible future development of supersonic cruise aircraft are reviewed. Research related to exhaust nozzles, combustors, and inlets that is covered by the noise, pollution, and dynamics programs is described.

  16. Hypersonic transport aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1987-01-01

    A hypersonic transport aircraft design project was selected as a result of interactions with NASA Lewis Research Center personnel and fits the Presidential concept of the Orient Express. The Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and an undergraduate student worked at the NASA Lewis Research Center during the 1986 summer conducting a literature survey, and relevant literature and useful software were collected. The computer software was implemented in the Computer Aided Design Laboratory of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. In addition to the lectures by the three instructors, a series of guest lectures was conducted. The first of these lectures 'Anywhere in the World in Two Hours' was delivered by R. Luidens of NASA Lewis Center. In addition, videotaped copies of relevant seminars obtained from NASA Lewis were also featured. The first assignment was to individually research and develop the mission requirements and to discuss the findings with the class. The class in consultation with the instructors then developed a set of unified mission requirements. Then the class was divided into three design groups (1) Aerodynamics Group, (2) Propulsion Group, and (3) Structures and Thermal Analyses Group. The groups worked on their respective design areas and interacted with each other to finally come up with an integrated conceptual design. The three faculty members and the GTA acted as the resource persons for the three groups and aided in the integration of the individual group designs into the final design of a hypersonic aircraft.

  17. V/STOL Systems Research Aircraft: A Tool for Cockpit Integration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stortz, Michael W.; ODonoghue, Dennis P.; Tiffany, Geary (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    The next generation ASTOVL aircraft will have a complicated propulsion System. The configuration choices include Direct Lift, Lift-Fan and Lift+Lift /Cruise but the aircraft must also have supersonic performance and low-observable characteristics. The propulsion system may have features such as flow blockers, vectoring nozzles and flow transfer schemes. The flight control system will necessarily fully integrate the aerodynamic surfaces and the propulsive elements. With a fully integrated, fly-by-wire flight/propulsion control system, the options for cockpit integration are interesting and varied. It is possible to decouple longitudinal and vertical responses allowing the pilot to close the loop on flight path and flight path acceleration directly. In the hover, the pilot can control the translational rate directly without having to stabilize the inner rate and attitude loops. The benefit of this approach, reduced workload and increased precision. has previously been demonstrated through several motion-based simulations. In order to prove the results in flight, the V/STOL System Research Aircraft (VSRA) was developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. The VSRA is the YAV-8B Prototype modified with a research flight control system using a series-parallel servo configuration in all the longitudinal degrees of freedom (including thrust and thrust vector angle) to provide an integrated flight and propulsion control system in a limited envelope. Development of the system has been completed and flight evaluations of the response types have been performed. In this paper we will discuss the development of the VSRA, the evolution of the flight path command and translational rate command response types and the Guest Pilot evaluations of the system. Pilot evaluation results will be used to draw conclusions regarding the suitability of the system to satisfy V/STOL requirements.

  18. V/STOL systems research aircraft: A tool for cockpit integration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stortz, Michael W.; ODonoghue, Dennis P.

    1995-01-01

    The next generation ASTOVL aircraft will have a complicated propulsion system. The configuration choices include Direct Lift, Lift-Fan and Lift + Lift/Cruise but the aircraft must also have supersonic performance and low-observable characteristics. The propulsion system may have features such as flow blockers, vectoring nozzles and flow transfer schemes. The flight control system will necessarily fully integrate the aerodynamic surfaces and the propulsive elements. With a fully integrated, fly-by-wire flight/propulsion control system, the options for cockpit integration are interesting and varied. It is possible to de-couple longitudinal and vertical responses allowing the pilot to close the loop on flightpath and flightpath acceleration directly. In the hover, the pilot can control the translational rate directly without having to stabilize the inner rate and attitude loops. The benefit of this approach, reduced workload and increased precision, has previously been demonstrated through several motion-based simulations. In order to prove the results in flight, the V/STOL System Research Aircraft (VSRA) was developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. The VSRA is the YAV-8B Prototype modified with a research flight control system using a series-parallel servo configuration in all the longitudinal degrees of freedom (including thrust and thrust vector angle) to provide an integrated flight and propulsion control system in a limited envelope. Development of the system has been completed and flight evaluations of the response types have been performed. In this paper we will discuss the development of the VSRA, the evolution of the flightpath command and translational rate command response types and the Guest Pilot evaluations of the system. Pilot evaluation results are used to draw conclusions regarding the suitability of the system to satisfy V/STOL requirements.

  19. The U.S. Laboratory module arrives at KSC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    NASA's 'Super Guppy' aircraft arrives in KSC air space escorted by two T-38 aircraft after leaving Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The whale-like airplane carries the U.S. Laboratory module, considered the centerpiece of the International Space Station. The module will undergo final pre- launch preparations at KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. Scheduled for launch aboard the Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS- 98, the laboratory comprises three cylindrical sections with two end cones. Each end-cone contains a hatch opening for entering and exiting the lab. The lab will provide a shirtsleeve environment for research in such areas as life science, microgravity science, Earth science and space science. Designated Flight 5A, this mission is targeted for launch in early 2000.

  20. A neural based intelligent flight control system for the NASA F-15 flight research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Urnes, James M.; Hoy, Stephen E.; Ladage, Robert N.; Stewart, James

    1993-01-01

    A flight control concept that can identify aircraft stability properties and continually optimize the aircraft flying qualities has been developed by McDonnell Aircraft Company under a contract with the NASA-Dryden Flight Research Facility. This flight concept, termed the Intelligent Flight Control System, utilizes Neural Network technology to identify the host aircraft stability and control properties during flight, and use this information to design on-line the control system feedback gains to provide continuous optimum flight response. This self-repairing capability can provide high performance flight maneuvering response throughout large flight envelopes, such as needed for the National Aerospace Plane. Moreover, achieving this response early in the vehicle's development schedule will save cost.

  1. The solar-powered Helios Prototype flying wing frames two modified F-15 research aircraft in a hanga

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    The solar-powered Helios Prototype flying wing frames two modified F-15 research aircraft in a hangar at NASA's Dryden flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The elongated 247-foot span lightweight aircraft, resting on its ground maneuvering dolly, stretched almost the full length of the 300-foot long hangar while on display during a visit of NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and other NASA officials on Jan. 31, 2002. The unique solar-electric flying wing reached an altitude of 96,863 feet during an almost 17-hour flight near Hawaii on Aug. 13, 2001, a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a non-rocket powered aircraft. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, the Helios Prototype is the forerunner of a planned fleet of slow-flying, long duration, high-altitude uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) which can serve as 'atmospheric satellites,' performing Earth science missions or functioning as telecommunications relay platforms in the stratosphere.

  2. Air Force Research Laboratory Preparation for Year 2000.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-10-05

    Air Force Research Laboratory , Phillips Research Site , Kirkland Air Force Base, New...Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 20301-1900. The identity of each writer and caller is fully protected. Acronym AFRL Air Force Research Laboratory INSPECTOR...completion of the implementation phase was May 31, 1999. Air Force Research Laboratory . The Air Force Research

  3. NASA Dryden aircraft and avionics technicians install the nose cone on an inert Phoenix missile prior to a fit check on the center's F-15B research aircraft.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-11-13

    NASA Dryden aircraft and avionics technicians (from left) Bryan Hookland, Art Cope, Herman Rijfkogel and Jonathan Richards install the nose cone on a Phoenix missile prior to a fit check on the center's F-15B research aircraft.

  4. Broadband electromagnetic sensors for aircraft lightning research. [electromagnetic effects of lightning on aircraft digital equipment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trost, T. F.; Zaepfel, K. P.

    1980-01-01

    A set of electromagnetic sensors, or electrically-small antennas, is described. The sensors are designed for installation on an F-106 research aircraft for the measurement of electric and magnetic fields and currents during a lightning strike. The electric and magnetic field sensors mount on the aircraft skin. The current sensor mounts between the nose boom and the fuselage. The sensors are all on the order of 10 cm in size and should produce up to about 100 V for the estimated lightning fields. The basic designs are the same as those developed for nuclear electromagnetic pulse studies. The most important electrical parameters of the sensors are the sensitivity, or equivalent area, and the bandwidth (or rise time). Calibration of sensors with simple geometries is reliably accomplished by a geometric analysis; all the sensors discussed possess geometries for which the sensitivities have been calculated. For the calibration of sensors with more complex geometries and for general testing of all sensors, two transmission lines were constructed to transmit known pulsed fields and currents over the sensors.

  5. CV-990 Landing Systems Research Aircraft (LSRA) during final Space Shuttle tire test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    A Convair 990 (CV-990) was used as a Landing Systems Research Aircraft (LSRA) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to test space shuttle landing gear and braking systems as part of NASA's effort to upgrade and improve space shuttle capabilities. The first flight at Dryden of the CV-990 with shuttle test components occurred in April 1993, and tests continued into August 1995, when this photo shows a test of the shuttle tires. The purpose of this series of tests was to determine the performance parameters and failure limits of the tires. This particular landing was on the dry lakebed at Edwards, but other tests occurred on the main runway there. The CV-990, built in 1962 by the Convair Division of General Dynamics Corp., Ft. Worth, Texas, served as a research aircraft at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, before it came to Dryden.

  6. Lockheed ER-2 #709 high altitude research aircraft in flight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-03-02

    ER-2 tail number 709, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation.

  7. Evaluation and use of remotely piloted aircraft systems for operations and research - RxCADRE 2012

    Treesearch

    Thomas J. Zajkowski; Matthew B. Dickinson; J. Kevin Hiers; William Holley; Brett W. Williams; Alexander Paxton; Otto Martinez; Gregory W. Walker

    2016-01-01

    Small remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are expected to provide important contributions to wildland fire operations and research, but their evaluation and use have been limited. Our objectives were to leverage US Air Force-controlled airspace to (1) deploy RPAS in support of the 2012 Prescribed Fire...

  8. Flight testing the fixed-wing configuration of the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, G. W.; Morris, P. M.

    1985-01-01

    The Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) is a unique research aircraft designed to flight test advanced helicopter rotor system. Its principal flight test configuration is as a compound helicopter. The fixed wing configuration of the RSRA was primarily considered an energy fly-home mode in the event it became necessary to sever an unstable rotor system in flight. While it had always been planned to flight test the fixed wing configuration, the selection of the RSRA as the flight test bed for the X-wing rotor accelerated this schedule. This paper discusses the build-up to, and the test of, the RSRA fixed wing configuration. It is written primarily from the test pilot's perspective.

  9. The European Research Infrastructure IAGOS - From dedicated field studies to routine observations of the atmosphere by instrumented passenger aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petzold, Andreas; Volz-Thomas, Andreas; Gerbig, Christoph; Thouret, Valerie; Cammas, Jean-Pierre; Brenninkmeijer, Carl A. M.; Iagos Team

    2013-04-01

    The global distribution of trace species is controlled by a complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks, atmospheric short- to long-range transport, and in future by diverse, largely not yet quantified feedback mechanisms such as enhanced evaporation of water vapour in a warming climate or possibly the release of methane from melting marine clathrates. Improving global trace gas budgets and reducing the uncertainty of climate predictions crucially requires representative data from routine long-term observations as independent constraint for the evaluation and improvement of model parameterizations. IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System; www.iagos.org) is a new European Research Infrastructure which operates a unique global observing system by deploying autonomous instruments aboard a fleet of passenger aircraft. IAGOS consists of two complementary building blocks: IAGOS-CORE deploys newly developed high-tech instrumentation for regular in-situ measurements of atmospheric chemical species (O3, CO, CO2, NOx, NOy, H2O, CH4), aerosols and cloud particles. Involved airlines ensure global operation of the network. In IAGOS-CARIBIC a cargo container is operated as a flying laboratory aboard one passenger aircraft. IAGOS aims at the provision of long-term, frequent, regular, accurate, and spatially resolved in-situ observations of the atmospheric chemical composition in the UTLS and the extra tropical troposphere and on vertical profiles of greenhouse gases, reactive trace gases and aerosols throughout the troposphere. It builds on almost 20 years of scientific and technological expertise gained in the research projects MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapour on Airbus In-service Aircraft) and CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container). The European consortium includes research centres, universities, national weather services, airline operators and aviation

  10. Low-speed airspeed calibration data for a single-engine research-support aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holmes, B. J.

    1980-01-01

    A standard service airspeed system on a single engine research support airplane was calibrated by the trailing anemometer method. The effects of flaps, power, sideslip, and lag were evaluated. The factory supplied airspeed calibrations were not sufficiently accurate for high accuracy flight research applications. The trailing anemometer airspeed calibration was conducted to provide the capability to use the research support airplane to perform pace aircraft airspeed calibrations.

  11. CV-990 Landing Systems Research Aircraft (LSRA) during Space Shuttle tire test

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1995-08-02

    A NASA CV-990, modified as a Landing Systems Research Aircraft (LSRA), lands on the Edwards AFB main runway in test of the space shuttle landing gear system. In this case, the shuttle tire failed, bursting into flame during the rollout. The space shuttle landing gear test unit, operated by a high-pressure hydraulic system, allowed engineers to assess and document the performance of space shuttle main and nose landing gear systems, tires and wheel assemblies, plus braking and nose wheel steering performance. The series of 155 test missions for the space shuttle program provided extensive data about the life and endurance of the shuttle tire systems and helped raise the shuttle crosswind landing limits at Kennedy. The CV-990 used as the LSRA was built in 1962 by the Convair Division of General Dynamics Corp., Ft. Worth, Texas, served as a research aircraft at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, before it came to Dryden.

  12. Helical Explosive Flux Compression Generator Research at the Air Force Research Laboratory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-06-01

    Air Force Research Laboratory Kirtland AFB...ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory Kirtland AFB, NM 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT...in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) explosive pulsed power program. These include circuit codes such as Microcap and

  13. Effects of aircraft cabin noise on passenger comfort.

    PubMed

    Pennig, Sibylle; Quehl, Julia; Rolny, Vinzent

    2012-01-01

    The effects of cabin noise on subjective comfort assessments were systematically investigated in order to reveal optimisation potentials for an improved passenger noise acceptance. Two aircraft simulation studies were conducted. An acoustic laboratory test facility provided with loudspeaker systems for realistic sound presentations and an aircraft cabin simulator (Dornier Do 728) with a high degree of ecological validity were used. Subjects were exposed to nine different noise patterns (three noise levels ranging from 66 to 78 dB(A) combined with three different frequency spectra). Regression analysis demonstrated a significant increase of passengers' acceptance with lower noise levels and significant effects of different frequency spectra determined by seat position in the aircraft cabin (front, middle, rear). Acoustic cabin design should therefore consider measures beyond noise level reduction altering noise characteristics to improve passengers' comfort and well-being in the aircraft cabin. To improve passenger comfort in the aircraft with respect to cabin noise, passengers' reactions to specific noise conditions were systematically investigated. Two laboratory studies showed significant dose-response relationships between sound pressure level and subjective comfort ratings which differed due to the noise at specific seat positions in the aircraft.

  14. Military aircraft and missile technology at the Langley Research Center: A selected bibliography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maddalon, D. V.

    1980-01-01

    A compilation of reference material is presented on the Langley Research Center's efforts in developing advanced military aircraft and missile technology over the past twenty years. Reference material includes research made in aerodynamics, performance, stability, control, stall-spin, propulsion integration, flutter, materials, and structures.

  15. Network Science Research Laboratory (NSRL) Discrete Event Toolkit

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-01

    ARL-TR-7579 ● JAN 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Network Science Research Laboratory (NSRL) Discrete Event Toolkit by...Laboratory (NSRL) Discrete Event Toolkit by Theron Trout and Andrew J Toth Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, ARL...Research Laboratory (NSRL) Discrete Event Toolkit 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Theron Trout

  16. Burner Rig Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-12

    The Fuel Burner Rig is a test laboratory at NASA Glenn, which subjects new jet engine materials, treated with protective coatings, to the hostile, high temperature, high velocity environment found inside aircraft turbine engines. These samples face 200-mile per hour flames to simulate the temperatures of aircraft engines in flight. The rig can also simulate aircraft carrier and dusty desert operations where salt and sand can greatly reduce engine life and performance.

  17. Auditory and Acoustic Research & Development at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    aircraft noise measurement and modeling, speech communication in noise, and national and international standards for over 60 years. This article ...substantial technical document and a complete review is beyond the scope of this article . The purpose of this section is to give some examples of...acoustics facilities and instrumentation. The multi-disciplinary researchers included experts in audiology , biomedical engineering, human factors

  18. The all-electric aircraft - A systems view and proposed NASA research Programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spitzer, C. R.

    1984-01-01

    It is expected that all-electric aircraft, whether military or commercial, will exhibit reduced weight, acquisition cost and fuel consumption, an expanded flight envelope and improved survivability and reliability, simpler maintenance, and reduced support equipment. Also noteworthy are dramatic improvements in mission adaptability, based on the degree to which control system performance relies on easily exchanged software. Flight-critical secondary power and control systems whose malfunction would mean loss of an aircraft pose failure detection and design methodology problems, however, that have only begun to be addressed. NASA-sponsored research activities concerned with these problems and prospective benefits are presently discussed.

  19. NASA/Army Rotorcraft Technology. Volume 3: Systems Integration, Research Aircraft, and Industry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    This is part 3 of the conference proceedings on rotorcraft technology. This volume is divided into areas on systems integration, research aircraft, and industry. Representative titles from each area are: system analysis in rotorcraft design, the past decade; rotorcraft flight research with emphasis on rotor systems; and an overview of key technology thrusts at Bell Helicopter Textron.

  20. Aircraft surface coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    Liquid, spray on elastomeric polyurethanes are selected and investigated as best candidates for aircraft external protective coatings. Flight tests are conducted to measure drag effects of these coatings compared to paints and a bare metal surface. The durability of two elastometric polyurethanes are assessed in airline flight service evaluations. Laboratory tests are performed to determine corrosion protection properties, compatibility with aircraft thermal anti-icing systems, the effect of coating thickness on erosion durability, and the erosion characteristics of composite leading edges-bare and coated. A cost and benefits assessment is made to determine the economic value of various coating configurations to the airlines.

  1. Human Laboratory Paradigms in Alcohol Research

    PubMed Central

    Plebani, Jennifer G.; Ray, Lara A.; Morean, Meghan E.; Corbin, William R.; Mackillop, James; Amlung, Michael; King, Andrea C.

    2014-01-01

    Human laboratory studies have a long and rich history in the field of alcoholism. Human laboratory studies have allowed for advances in alcohol research in a variety of ways, including elucidating of the neurobehavioral mechanisms of risk, identifying phenotypically distinct sub-types of alcohol users, investigating of candidate genes underlying experimental phenotypes for alcoholism, and testing mechanisms of action of alcoholism pharmacotherapies on clinically-relevant translational phenotypes, such as persons exhibiting positive-like alcohol effects or alcohol craving. Importantly, the field of human laboratory studies in addiction has progressed rapidly over the past decade and has built upon earlier findings of alcohol's neuropharmacological effects to advancing translational research on alcoholism etiology and treatment. To that end, the new generation of human laboratory studies has focused on applying new methodologies, further refining alcoholism phenotypes, and translating these findings to studies of alcoholism genetics, medication development, and pharmacogenetics. The combination of experimental laboratory approaches with recent developments in neuroscience and pharmacology has been particularly fruitful in furthering our understanding of the impact of individual differences in alcoholism risk and in treatment response. This review of the literature focuses on human laboratory studies of subjective intoxication, alcohol craving, anxiety, and behavioral economics. Each section discusses opportunities for phenotype refinement under laboratory conditions, as well as its application to translational science of alcoholism. A summary and recommendations for future research are also provided. PMID:22309888

  2. Correction of static pressure on a research aircraft in accelerated flight using differential pressure measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodi, A. R.; Leon, D. C.

    2012-11-01

    A method is described that estimates the error in the static pressure measurement on an aircraft from differential pressure measurements on the hemispherical surface of a Rosemount model 858AJ air velocity probe mounted on a boom ahead of the aircraft. The theoretical predictions for how the pressure should vary over the surface of the hemisphere, involving an unknown sensitivity parameter, leads to a set of equations that can be solved for the unknowns - angle of attack, angle of sideslip, dynamic pressure and the error in static pressure - if the sensitivity factor can be determined. The sensitivity factor was determined on the University of Wyoming King Air research aircraft by comparisons with the error measured with a carefully designed sonde towed on connecting tubing behind the aircraft - a trailing cone - and the result was shown to have a precision of about ±10 Pa over a wide range of conditions, including various altitudes, power settings, and gear and flap extensions. Under accelerated flight conditions, geometric altitude data from a combined Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) system are used to estimate acceleration effects on the error, and the algorithm is shown to predict corrections to a precision of better than ±20 Pa under those conditions. Some limiting factors affecting the precision of static pressure measurement on a research aircraft are discussed.

  3. The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS): Research Collaborations with the NASA Langley Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tarry, Scott E.; Bowen, Brent D.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.

    2002-01-01

    The aviation industry is an integral part of the world s economy. Travelers have consistently chosen aviation as their mode of transportation as it is reliable, time efficient and safe. The out- dated Hub and Spoke system, coupled with high demand, has led to delays, cancellations and gridlock. NASA is developing innovative solutions to these and other air transportation problems. This research is being conducted through partnerships with federal agencies, industry stakeholders, and academia, specifically the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Each collaborator is pursuing the NASA General Aviation Roadmap through their involvement in the expansion of the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS). SATS will utilize technologically advanced small aircraft to transport travelers to and from rural and isolated communities. Additionally, this system will provide a safe alternative to the hub and spoke system, giving more time to more people through high-speed mobility and increased accessibility.

  4. Battelle's Marine Research Laboratory, Sequim

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Becker, C.D.; Strand, J.A.

    Scientists at Battelle's Marine Research Laboratory (MRL) in Sequim, Washington study the effect of human activities on marine ecosystems, with emphasis on near shore and estuarine environments. The laboratory provides research and development assistance to industry and government agencies engaged in management of marine technologies, operation of coastal power utilities, protection of the marine environment, and related areas. This paper outlines and discusses the functions of Battelle's MRL, it's history, it's unique features, it's areas of expertise, it's current programs, and it's cooperating agencies.

  5. Advanced Methods for Acoustic and Thrust Benefits for Aircraft Engine Nozzles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, Morris H., III; Gilinsky, Mikhail M.

    2000-01-01

    The Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics Laboratory (FM&AL) was established At Hampton University in June of 1996. In addition, the FM&AL jointly conducted research with the Central AeroHydrodynamics Institute (TsAGI, Moscow) in Russia under a 2.5 year Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). The goals of the FM&AL programs are two fold: 1) to improve the working efficiency of the FM&AL team in generating new innovative ideas and in conducting research in the field of fluid dynamics and acoustics, basically for improvement of supersonic and subsonic aircraft engines, and 2) to attract promising minority students to this research and training and, in cooperation with other HU departments, to teach them basic knowledge in Aerodynamics, Gas Dynamics, and Theoretical and Experimental Methods in Aeroacoustics and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The research at the FM&AL supports reduction schemes associated with the emission of engine pollutants for commercial aircraft and concepts for reduction of observables for military aircraft. These research endeavors relate to the goals of the NASA Strategic Enterprise in Aeronautics concerning the development of environmentally acceptable aircraft. It is in this precise area, where the US aircraft industry, academia, and Government are in great need of trained professionals and which is a high priority goal of the Minority University Research and Education (MUREP) Program, that the HU FM&AL can make its most important contribution. This project already benefits NASA and HU because: First, the innovation, testing, and further development of new techniques for advanced propulsion systems are necessary for the successful attainment of the NASA Long Term Goals in Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology (ASTT) including Global Civil Aviation, Revolutionary Technology Leaps, Access to Space, R&D Services, and the economic competitiveness of the US Aircraft Industry in the 2 1 st century. Secondly, the joint

  6. A compact, fast UV photometer for measurement of ozone from research aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, R. S.; Ballard, J.; Watts, L. A.; Thornberry, T. D.; Ciciora, S. J.; McLaughlin, R. J.; Fahey, D. W.

    2012-09-01

    In situ measurements of atmospheric ozone (O3) are performed routinely from many research aircraft platforms. The most common technique depends on the strong absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light by ozone. As atmospheric science advances to the widespread use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), there is an increasing requirement for minimizing instrument space, weight, and power while maintaining instrument accuracy, precision and time response. The design and use of a new, dual-beam, UV photometer instrument for in situ O3 measurements is described. A polarization optical-isolator configuration is utilized to fold the UV beam inside the absorption cells, yielding a 60-cm absorption length with a 30-cm cell. The instrument has a fast sampling rate (2 Hz at <200 hPa, 1 Hz at 200-500 hPa, and 0.5 Hz at ≥ 500 hPa), high accuracy (3% excluding operation in the 300-450 hPa range, where the accuracy may be degraded to about 5%), and excellent precision (1.1 × 1010 O3 molecules cm-3 at 2 Hz, which corresponds to 3.0 ppb at 200 K and 100 hPa, or 0.41 ppb at 273 K and 1013 hPa). The size (36 l), weight (18 kg), and power (50-200 W) make the instrument suitable for many UASs and other airborne platforms. Inlet and exhaust configurations are also described for ambient sampling in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (1000-50 hPa) that control the sample flow rate to maximize time response while minimizing loss of precision due to induced turbulence in the sample cell. In-flight and laboratory intercomparisons with existing O3 instruments show that measurement accuracy is maintained in flight.

  7. Performance of Hoods for Aircraft Exhaust-Gas Turbines

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1946-11-01

    vanes and hood-entrance fairing band at a blade -to- Jet speed ratio of 0.4 and a pressure ratio’ of 2.0. Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory... engine , the gases leave the turbine with an axial velocity of about 700 feet per second. At an airspeed of 375 miles_ per hour, a jet power...importance of providing efficient exhaust hoods for turbine - compressor jet -propulsion engines is even more obvious as all the power of these units is

  8. Advancement of proprotor technology. Task 1: Design study summary. [aerodynamic concept of minimum size tilt proprotor research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1969-01-01

    A tilt-proprotor proof-of-concept aircraft design study has been conducted. The results are presented. The ojective of the contract is to advance the state of proprotor technology through design studies and full-scale wind-tunnel tests. The specific objective is to conduct preliminary design studies to define a minimum-size tilt-proprotor research aircraft that can perform proof-of-concept flight research. The aircraft that results from these studies is a twin-engine, high-wing aircraft with 25-foot, three-bladed tilt proprotors mounted on pylons at the wingtips. Each pylon houses a Pratt and Whitney PT6C-40 engine with a takeoff rating of 1150 horsepower. Empty weight is estimated at 6876 pounds. The normal gross weight is 9500 pounds, and the maximum gross weight is 12,400 pounds.

  9. Development and testing of cabin sidewall acoustic resonators for the reduction of cabin tone levels in propfan-powered aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuntz, H. L.; Gatineau, R. J.; Prydz, R. A.; Balena, F. J.

    1991-01-01

    The use of Helmholtz resonators to increase the sidewall transmission loss (TL) in aircraft cabin sidewalls is evaluated. Development, construction, and test of an aircraft cabin acoustic enclosure, built in support of the Propfan Test Assessment (PTA) program, is described. Laboratory and flight test results are discussed. Resonators (448) were located between the enclosure trim panels and the fuselage shell. In addition, 152 resonators were placed between the enclosure and aircraft floors. The 600 resonators were each tuned to a propfan fundamental blade passage frequency (235 Hz). After flight testing on the PTA aircraft, noise reduction (NR) tests were performed with the enclosure in the Kelly Johnson Research and Development Center Acoustics Laboratory. Broadband and tonal excitations were used in the laboratory. Tonal excitation simulated the propfan flight test excitation. The resonators increase the NR of the cabin walls around the resonance frequency of the resonator array. Increases in NR of up to 11 dB were measured. The effects of flanking, sidewall absorption, cabin absorption, resonator loading of trim panels, and panel vibrations are presented. Resonator and sidewall panel design and test are discussed.

  10. Aircraft operations management manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    The NASA aircraft operations program is a multifaceted, highly diverse entity that directly supports the agency mission in aeronautical research and development, space science and applications, space flight, astronaut readiness training, and related activities through research and development, program support, and mission management aircraft operations flights. Users of the program are interagency, inter-government, international, and the business community. This manual provides guidelines to establish policy for the management of NASA aircraft resources, aircraft operations, and related matters. This policy is an integral part of and must be followed when establishing field installation policy and procedures covering the management of NASA aircraft operations. Each operating location will develop appropriate local procedures that conform with the requirements of this handbook. This manual should be used in conjunction with other governing instructions, handbooks, and manuals.

  11. NASA Aircraft in the Hangar at Lewis Research Center

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1970-09-21

    Several aircraft parked inside the Flight Research Building, or hangar, at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. A Convair F-106B Delta Dart is in the foreground, a Convair F-102A Delta Dagger is to the right, a Douglas DC-3 is in the back to left, and a Convair T-29 is in background. Lewis’ Martin B-57B Canberra is not seen in this photograph. The F-102A had just been acquired by Lewis to serve as a chase plane for the F-106B. The Lewis team removed the weapons system and 700 pounds of wire from the F-106B when it was acquired on October 20, 1966. The staff cut holes in the wings and modified the elevons to mount the test nacelles. A 228-gallon fuel tank was installed in the missile bay, and the existing wing tanks were used for instrumentation. This photograph contains a rare view of the Block House, seen to the left of the aircraft. Lewis acquired three large developmental programs in 1962—the Centaur and Agena rockets and the M-1 engine. The center was short on office space at the time, and its flight research program was temporarily on the wane. Lewis management decided to construct a large cinderblock structure inside one half of the hangar to house the new personnel. This structure was used until 1965 when the new Developmental Engineering Building was built. The Block House was eventually torn down in 1973.

  12. The second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, shown here in its protective shipping jig, arrives at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-01-31

    The second of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, shown here in its protective shipping jig, arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on January 31, 2001. The arrival of the second X-43A from its manufacturer, MicroCraft, Inc., of Tullahoma, Tenn., followed by only a few days the mating of the first X-43A and its specially-designed adapter to the first stage of a modified Pegasus® booster rocket. The booster, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., will accelerate the 12-foot-long, unpiloted research aircraft to a predetermined altitude and speed after the X-43A/booster "stack" is air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership. The X-43A will then separate from the rocket and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it impacts into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10 (seven and 10 times the speed of sound respectively) with the first tentatively scheduled for early summer, 2001. The X-43A is powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engine, and will use the underbody of the aircraft to form critical elements of the engine. The forebody shape helps compress the intake airflow, while the aft section acts as a nozzle to direct thrust. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by an air-breathing scramjet engine.

  13. 41 CFR 101-25.109 - Laboratory and research equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Laboratory and research...-General Policies § 101-25.109 Laboratory and research equipment. (a) This section prescribes controls for use by Federal agencies in managing laboratory and research equipment in Federal laboratories...

  14. 41 CFR 101-25.109 - Laboratory and research equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Laboratory and research...-General Policies § 101-25.109 Laboratory and research equipment. (a) This section prescribes controls for use by Federal agencies in managing laboratory and research equipment in Federal laboratories...

  15. 41 CFR 101-25.109 - Laboratory and research equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Laboratory and research...-General Policies § 101-25.109 Laboratory and research equipment. (a) This section prescribes controls for use by Federal agencies in managing laboratory and research equipment in Federal laboratories...

  16. Smart aircraft fastener evaluation (SAFE) system: a condition-based corrosion detection system for aging aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoess, Jeffrey N.; Seifert, Greg; Paul, Clare A.

    1996-05-01

    The smart aircraft fastener evaluation (SAFE) system is an advanced structural health monitoring effort to detect and characterize corrosion in hidden and inaccessible locations of aircraft structures. Hidden corrosion is the number one logistics problem for the U.S. Air Force, with an estimated maintenance cost of $700M per year in 1990 dollars. The SAFE system incorporates a solid-state electrochemical microsensor and smart sensor electronics in the body of a Hi-Lok aircraft fastener to process and autonomously report corrosion status to aircraft maintenance personnel. The long-term payoff for using SAFE technology will be in predictive maintenance for aging aircraft and rotorcraft systems, fugitive emissions applications such as control valves, chemical pipeline vessels, and industrial boilers. Predictive maintenance capability, service, and repair will replace the current practice of scheduled maintenance to substantially reduce operational costs. A summary of the SAFE concept, laboratory test results, and future field test plans is presented.

  17. 2nd Annual Postdoc Research Day: US Army Research Laboratory PosterSymposia and Activities

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-04-12

    ARL-SR-0394•APR 2018 US Army Research Laboratory 2nd Annual Postdoc Research Day: US Army Research Laboratory Poster Symposia and Activities by...Do not return it to the originator. ARL-SR-0394•APR 2018 US Army Research Laboratory 2nd Annual Postdoc Research Day: US Army Research Laboratory...Poster Symposia and Activities by Efraín Hernández–Rivera Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL Julia Cline Oak Ridge Institute for Science and

  18. The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket recently underwent c

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket recently underwent combined systems testing while mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ('scramjet') engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound). The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster was built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va.,After being air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership, the booster will accelerate the X-43A to test speed and altitude. The X-43A will then separate from the rocket and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  19. A brief review of aircraft controls research opportunities in the general aviation field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kendall, E. R.

    1984-01-01

    A review of aircraft controls research in the general aviation field is given. Among the topics included are: controls technology benefits, military and commercial test programs, flight tests, ride quality control, and wind loading.

  20. Science requirements and feasibility/design studies of a very-high-altitude aircraft for atmospheric research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Russell, Philip B.; Lux, David P.; Reed, R. Dale; Loewenstein, Max; Wegener, Steven

    1991-01-01

    The advantages and shortcomings of currently available aircraft for use in very high altitude missions to study such problems as polar ozone or stratosphere-troposphere exchange pose the question of whether to develop advanced aircraft for atmospheric research. To answer this question, NASA conducted a workshop to determine science needs and feasibility/design studies to assess whether and how those needs could be met. It was determined that there was a need for an aircraft that could cruise at an altitude of 30 km with a range of 6,000 miles with vertical profiling down to 10 km and back at remote points and carry a payload of 3,000 lbs.

  1. The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS), Higher Volume Operations (HVO) Concept and Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baxley, B.; Williams, D.; Consiglio, M.; Adams, C.; Abbott, T.

    2005-01-01

    The ability to conduct concurrent, multiple aircraft operations in poor weather at virtually any airport offers an important opportunity for a significant increase in the rate of flight operations, a major improvement in passenger convenience, and the potential to foster growth of operations at small airports. The Small Aircraft Transportation System, (SATS) Higher Volume Operations (HVO) concept is designed to increase capacity at the 3400 non-radar, non-towered airports in the United States where operations are currently restricted to one-in/one-out procedural separation during low visibility or ceilings. The concept s key feature is that pilots maintain their own separation from other aircraft using air-to-air datalink and on-board software within the Self-Controlled Area (SCA), an area of flight operations established during poor visibility and low ceilings around an airport without Air Traffic Control (ATC) services. While pilots self-separate within the SCA, an Airport Management Module (AMM) located at the airport assigns arriving pilots their sequence based on aircraft performance, position, winds, missed approach requirements, and ATC intent. The HVO design uses distributed decision-making, safe procedures, attempts to minimize pilot and controller workload, and integrates with today's ATC environment. The HVO procedures have pilots make their own flight path decisions when flying in Instrument Metrological Conditions (IMC) while meeting these requirements. This paper summarizes the HVO concept and procedures, presents a summary of the research conducted and results, and outlines areas where future HVO research is required. More information about SATS HVO can be found at http://ntrs.nasa.gov.

  2. Practical Application of a Subscale Transport Aircraft for Flight Research in Control Upset and Failure Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cunningham, Kevin; Foster, John V.; Morelli, Eugene A.; Murch, Austin M.

    2008-01-01

    Over the past decade, the goal of reducing the fatal accident rate of large transport aircraft has resulted in research aimed at the problem of aircraft loss-of-control. Starting in 1999, the NASA Aviation Safety Program initiated research that included vehicle dynamics modeling, system health monitoring, and reconfigurable control systems focused on flight regimes beyond the normal flight envelope. In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on adaptive control technologies for recovery from control upsets or failures including damage scenarios. As part of these efforts, NASA has developed the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) flight facility to allow flight research and validation, and system testing for flight regimes that are considered too risky for full-scale manned transport airplane testing. The AirSTAR facility utilizes dynamically-scaled vehicles that enable the application of subscale flight test results to full scale vehicles. This paper describes the modeling and simulation approach used for AirSTAR vehicles that supports the goals of efficient, low-cost and safe flight research in abnormal flight conditions. Modeling of aerodynamics, controls, and propulsion will be discussed as well as the application of simulation to flight control system development, test planning, risk mitigation, and flight research.

  3. Design and Calibration of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Closed Loop Laboratory Radio Frequency (RF) Propagation Section

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    ARL-TR-7860 ● OCT 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Design and Calibration of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Closed Loop ...ARL-TR-7860 ● OCT 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Design and Calibration of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Closed Loop Laboratory...Design and Calibration of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Closed Loop Laboratory Radio Frequency (RF) Propagation Section 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER

  4. Lockheed ER-2 #709 high altitude research aircraft during take off

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-02-18

    ER-2 tail number 709, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation.

  5. Lockheed ER-2 #709 high altitude research aircraft during take off

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-03-02

    ER-2 tail number 709, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation.

  6. Stirling laboratory research engine survey report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, J. W.; Hoehn, F. W.

    1979-01-01

    As one step in expanding the knowledge relative to and accelerating the development of Stirling engines, NASA, through the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is sponsoring a program which will lead to a versatile Stirling Laboratory Research Engine (SLRE). An objective of this program is to lay the groundwork for a commercial version of this engine. It is important to consider, at an early stage in the engine's development, the needs of the potential users so that the SLRE can support the requirements of educators and researchers in academic, industrial, and government laboratories. For this reason, a survey was performed, the results of which are described.

  7. Artist's Concept of NASA's Propulsion Research Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    A new, world-class laboratory for research into future space transportation technologies is under construction at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL. The state-of-the-art Propulsion Research Laboratory will serve as a leading national resource for advanced space propulsion research. Its purpose is to conduct research that will lead to the creation and development of irnovative propulsion technologies for space exploration. The facility will be the epicenter of the effort to move the U.S. space program beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of greatly improved access to space and rapid transit throughout the solar system. The Laboratory is designed to accommodate researchers from across the United States, including scientists and engineers from NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, universities, and industry. The facility, with 66,000 square feet of useable laboratory space, will feature a high degree of experimental capability. Its flexibility will allow it to address a broad range of propulsion technologies and concepts, such as plasma, electromagnetic, thermodynamic, and propellantless propulsion. An important area of emphasis will be development and utilization of advanced energy sources, including highly energetic chemical reactions, solar energy, and processes based on fission, fusion, and antimatter. The Propulsion Research Laboratory is vital for developing the advanced propulsion technologies needed to open up the space frontier, and will set the stage of research that could revolutionize space transportation for a broad range of applications.

  8. Optics research at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Hoffman, Craig; Giallorenzi, T G; Slater, Leo B

    2015-11-01

    The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) was established in Washington, DC in 1923 and is the corporate laboratory for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Today NRL is a world-class research institution conducting a broad program of research and development (R&D), including many areas of optical science and technology. NRL is conducting cutting-edge R&D programs to explore new scientific areas to enable unprecedented Navy capabilities as well as improving current technologies to increase the effectiveness of Navy and other Department of Defense systems. This paper provides a broad overview of many of NRL's achievements in optics. Some of the remaining articles in this feature issue will discuss NRL's most recent research in individual areas, while other articles will present more detailed historical perspectives of NRL's research concerning particular scientific topics.

  9. Research and the planned Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Researchers perform tests at Kennedy Space Center. New facilities for such research will be provided at the Space Experiment Research Procession Laboratory (SERPL). The SERPL is a planned 100,000-square-foot laboratory that will provide expanded and upgraded facilities for hosting International Space Station experiment processing. In addition, it will provide better support for other biological and life sciences payload processing at KSC. It will serve as a magnet facility for a planned 400-acre Space Station Commerce Park.

  10. A 13-Week Research-Based Biochemistry Laboratory Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lefurgy, Scott T.; Mundorff, Emily C.

    2017-01-01

    Here, we present a 13-week research-based biochemistry laboratory curriculum designed to provide the students with the experience of engaging in original research while introducing foundational biochemistry laboratory techniques. The laboratory experience has been developed around the directed evolution of an enzyme chosen by the instructor, with…

  11. The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket recently underwent combined systems testing while mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-03-15

    The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket recently underwent combined systems testing while mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound). The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster was built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va.,After being air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership, the booster will accelerate the X-43A to test speed and altitude. The X-43A will then separate from the rocket and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  12. An automated calibration laboratory - Requirements and design approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    O'Neil-Rood, Nora; Glover, Richard D.

    1990-01-01

    NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility (Ames-Dryden), operates a diverse fleet of research aircraft which are heavily instrumented to provide both real time data for in-flight monitoring and recorded data for postflight analysis. Ames-Dryden's existing automated calibration (AUTOCAL) laboratory is a computerized facility which tests aircraft sensors to certify accuracy for anticipated harsh flight environments. Recently, a major AUTOCAL lab upgrade was initiated; the goal of this modernization is to enhance productivity and improve configuration management for both software and test data. The new system will have multiple testing stations employing distributed processing linked by a local area network to a centralized database. The baseline requirements for the new AUTOCAL lab and the design approach being taken for its mechanization are described.

  13. Helmet-Mounted Display Research Capabilities of the NASA/Army Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacobsen, R. A.; Bivens, C. C.; Rediess, N. A.; Hindson, W. S.; Aiken, E. W.; Aiken, Edwin W. (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    The Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) is a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter that is being modified by the US Army and NASA for flight systems research. The principal systems that are being installed in the aircraft are a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) and imaging system, and a programmable full authority Research Flight Control System (RFCS). In addition, comprehensive instrumentation of both the rigid body of the helicopter and the rotor system is provided. The paper will describe the capabilities of these systems and their current state of development. A brief description of initial research applications is included. The wide (40 X 60 degree) field-of-view HMD system has been provided by Kaiser Electronics. It can be configured as a monochromatic system for use in bright daylight conditions, a two color system for darker ambients, or a full color system for use in night viewing conditions. Color imagery is achieved using field sequential video and a mechanical color wheel. In addition to the color symbology, high resolution computer-gene rated imagery from an onboard Silicon Graphics Reality Engine Onyx processor is available for research in virtual reality applications. This synthetic imagery can also be merged with real world video from a variety of imaging systems that can be installed easily on the front of the helicopter. These sensors include infrared or tv cameras, or potentially small millimeter wave radars. The Research Flight Control System is being developed for the aircraft by a team of contractors led by Boeing Helicopters. It consists of a full authority high bandwidth fly-by-wire actuators that drive the main rotor swashplate actuators and the tail rotor actuator in parallel. This arrangement allows the basic mechanical flight control system of the Black Hawk to be retained so that the safety pilot can monitor the operation of the system through the action of his own controls. The evaluation pilot will signal the fly

  14. Sandia National Laboratories: Research

    Science.gov Websites

    Programs Nuclear Weapons About Nuclear Weapons Safety & Security Weapons Science & Technology Robotics R&D 100 Awards Laboratory Directed Research & Development Technology Deployment Centers Audit Sandia's Economic Impact Licensing & Technology Transfer Browse Technology Portfolios

  15. A research update for southeast poultry research laboratory

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory continues with their modernization plan. The 35% architectural drawings have been completed and the project is currently out for bid for the completion of the design and building of the new facility. Research activities in the Exotic and Emerging Avian Vir...

  16. Adaptive Training and Education Research at the US Army Research Laboratory: Bibliography (2016-2017)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-03-05

    Validation suite. Synthetic training environments. Service orientated architecture. Citation: Robson, E., Ray, F., Sinatra, A. M., & Sinatra, A. M. (2017...ARL-SR-0393 ● MAR 2018 US Army Research Laboratory Adaptive Training and Education Research at the US Army Research Laboratory... Training and Education Research at the US Army Research Laboratory: Bibliography (2016–2017) by Robert A Sottilare Human Research and

  17. Research and Development. Laboratory Activities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallaway, Ann, Ed.

    Research and Development is a laboratory-oriented course that includes the appropriate common essential elements for industrial technology education plus concepts and skills related to research and development. This guide provides teachers of the course with learning activities for secondary students. Introductory materials include an…

  18. Laboratory directed research and development program, FY 1996

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1997-02-01

    The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 1996 report is compiled from annual reports submitted by principal investigators following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes the projects supported and summarizes their accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program planning and documentation process that includes an annual planning cycle, projection selection, implementation, and review. The Berkeley Lab LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory`s forefront scientific research capabilities toward vital, excellent, and emerging scientific challenges. The program provides themore » resources for Berkeley Lab scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The LDRD program also advances the Laboratory`s core competencies, foundations, and scientific capability, and permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. Areas eligible for support include: (1) Work in forefront areas of science and technology that enrich Laboratory research and development capability; (2) Advanced study of new hypotheses, new experiments, and innovative approaches to develop new concepts or knowledge; (3) Experiments directed toward proof of principle for initial hypothesis testing or verification; and (4) Conception and preliminary technical analysis to explore possible instrumentation, experimental facilities, or new devices.« less

  19. Aircraft surface coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1983-01-01

    A series of studies in which films and liquid spray-on materials were evaluated in the laboratory for transport aircraft external surface coatings are summarized. Elastomeric polyurethanes were found to best meet requirements. Two commercially available products, CAAPCO B-274 and Chemglaze M313, were subjected to further laboratory testing, airline service evaluations, and drag-measurement flight tests. It was found that these coatings were compatible with the severe operating environment of airlines and that coatings reduced airplane drag. An economic analysis indicated significant dollar benefits to airlines from application of the coatings.

  20. A Research-Based Laboratory Course Designed to Strengthen the Research-Teaching Nexus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parra, Karlett J.; Osgood, Marcy P.; Pappas, Donald L., Jr.

    2010-01-01

    We describe a 10-week laboratory course of guided research experiments thematically linked by topic, which had an ultimate goal of strengthening the undergraduate research-teaching nexus. This undergraduate laboratory course is a direct extension of faculty research interests. From DNA isolation, characterization, and mutagenesis, to protein…

  1. Perspectives from Former Executives of the DOD Corporate Research Laboratories

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC; and the Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) in Dayton, Ohio respectively. These individuals are: John Lyons...13 Vincent Russo and the Air Force Research Laboratory The Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) was activated in 1997. Prior to the creation of... AFRL , the Air Force conducted its research at four major

  2. A Research Update for Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory continues with their modernization plan. The 35% architectural drawings have been completed and the project is currently out for bid for the completion of the design and building of the new facility. Research activities include responding to the H7N9 highl...

  3. 41 CFR 101-25.109 - Laboratory and research equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... equipped and/or used for scientific research, testing, or analysis, except clinical laboratories operating... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Laboratory and research...-General Policies § 101-25.109 Laboratory and research equipment. (a) This section prescribes controls for...

  4. Annoyance by aircraft noise and fear of overflying aircraft in relation to attitudes toward the environment and community

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loeb, M.; Moran, S. V.

    1977-01-01

    It has been suggested that expressions of annoyance attributable to aircraft noise may reflect in part fear of aircraft overflights and possible crashes. If this is true, then residents of areas where crashes have occurred should express more annoyance. To test this hypothesis, 50 residents of an Albany, New York area where an aircraft crash producing fatalities recently occurred and 50 residents of a comparable nearby area without such a history, were asked to respond to a 'Quality of Life Questionnaire.' Among the items were some designed to test annoyance by noise and fear of aircraft overflights. It was predicted that those in the crash area would express more fear and would more often identify aircraft as a noise source. These hypotheses were sustained. A near-replication was carried out in Louisville, Kentucky; results were much the same. Analyses indicated that for the crash-area groups, there was associating of aircraft fear and noise annoyance responses; this was true to an apparently lesser extent for non-crash groups. The greater annoyance of crash groups by aircraft community noise apparently does not carry over to situations in which aircraft noise is assessed in the laboratory.

  5. Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Research Foundations: Nanodevices

    Science.gov Websites

    ; Technology Defense Systems & Assessments About Defense Systems & Assessments Program Areas Robotics R&D 100 Awards Laboratory Directed Research & Development Technology Deployment Centers Audit Sandia's Economic Impact Licensing & Technology Transfer Browse Technology Portfolios

  6. Aerospace Energy Systems Laboratory - Requirements and design approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glover, Richard D.

    1988-01-01

    The NASA Ames/Dryden Flight Research Facility operates a mixed fleet of research aircraft employing NiCd batteries in a variety of flight-critical applications. Dryden's Battery Systems Laboratory (BSL), a computerized facility for battery maintenance servicing, has evolved over two decades into one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world. Recently a major BSL upgrade was initiated with the goal of modernization to provide flexibility in meeting the needs of future advanced projects. The new facility will be called the Aerospace Energy Systems Laboratory (AESL) and will employ distributed processing linked to a centralized data base. AESL will be both a multistation servicing facility and a research laboratory for the advancement of energy storage system maintenance techniques. This paper describes the baseline requirements for the AESL and the design approach being taken for its mechanization.

  7. Interior and exterior fuselage noise measured on NASA's C-8a augmentor wing jet-STOL research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shovlin, M. D.

    1977-01-01

    Interior and exterior fuselage noise levels were measured on NASA's C-8A Augmentor Wing Jet-STOL Research Aircraft in order to provide design information for the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA), which will use a modified C-8A fuselage. The noise field was mapped by 11 microphones located internally and externally in three areas: mid-fuselage, aft fuselage, and on the flight deck. Noise levels were recorded at four power settings varying from takeoff to flight idle and were plotted in one-third octave band spectra. The overall sound pressure levels of the external noise field were compared to previous tests and found to correlate well with engine primary thrust levels. Fuselage values were 145 + or - 3 dB over the aircraft's normal STOL operating range.

  8. Durability of aircraft composite materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dextern, H. B.

    1982-01-01

    Confidence in the long term durability of advanced composites is developed through a series of flight service programs. Service experience is obtained by installing secondary and primary composite components on commercial and military transport aircraft and helicopters. Included are spoilers, rudders, elevators, ailerons, fairings and wing boxes on transport aircraft and doors, fairings, tail rotors, vertical fins, and horizontal stabilizers on helicopters. Materials included in the evaluation are boron/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy, graphite/epoxy and boron/aluminum. Inspection, maintenance, and repair results for the components in service are reported. The effects of long term exposure to laboratory, flight, and outdoor environmental conditions are reported for various composite materials. Included are effects of moisture absorption, ultraviolet radiation, and aircraft fuels and fluids.

  9. Pathfinder aircraft flight #1

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1996-11-19

    The Pathfinder solar-powered research aircraft settles in for landing on the bed of Rogers Dry Lake at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, after a successful test flight Nov. 19, 1996. The ultra-light craft flew a racetrack pattern at low altitudes over the flight test area for two hours while project engineers checked out various systems and sensors on the uninhabited aircraft. The Pathfinder was controlled by two pilots, one in a mobile control unit which followed the craft, the other in a stationary control station. Pathfinder, developed by AeroVironment, Inc., is one of several designs being evaluated under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program.

  10. The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket nestled under the wi

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket are nestled under the wing of NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft during pre-flight systems testing at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ('scramjet') engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound). The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster was built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va. After being air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership, the booster will accelerate the X-43A to test speed and altitude. The X-43A will then separate from the rocket and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  11. Laboratory Animal Technician | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies and services that are focused

  12. NACA Researcher Examines the Cyclotron

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1951-02-21

    Researcher James Blue examines the new cyclotron at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. Researchers at NACA Lewis began postulating about the use of atomic power for propulsion immediately after World War II. The NACA concentrated its efforts on the study of high temperature materials and heat transfer since it did not have access to the top secret fission information. The military studied the plausibility of nuclear propulsion for aircraft in the late 1940s. The military program was cancelled after four years without any breakthroughs, but the Atomic Energy Commission took on the effort in 1951. The NACA Lewis laboratory was expanding its nuclear-related research during this period. In 1948, Lewis engineers were assigned to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to obtain expertise in high temperature heat transfer and advanced materials technology. The following year a new 80-person Nuclear Reactor Division was created, and an in-house nuclear school was established to train these researchers. The cyclotron was built behind the Materials and Structures Laboratory to support thermodynamic and materials research for both nuclear aircraft and nuclear rockets. The original NACA Lewis cyclotron was used to accelerate two kinds of particles. To better match the space radiation environment, the cyclotron was later modified to accelerate particles of the newly-discovered Van Allen radiation belts.

  13. Earth Resources Laboratory research and technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1983-01-01

    The accomplishments of the Earth Resources Laboratory's research and technology program are reported. Sensors and data systems, the AGRISTARS project, applied research and data analysis, joint research projects, test and evaluation studies, and space station support activities are addressed.

  14. Human Response to Aircraft-Noise-Induced Building Vibration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cawthorn, J. M.; Dempsey, T. K.; DeLoach, R.

    1978-01-01

    The effects of noise induced building structure vibration and the rattle of objects on human response to aircraft flyover noise were investigated in a series of studies conducted in both the field and the laboratory. The subjective detection thresholds for vibration and rattle were determined as well as the effect of vibration and rattle upon aircraft noise annoyance.

  15. Stirling Laboratory Research Engine: Preprototype configuration report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoehn, F. W.

    1982-01-01

    The concept of a simple Stirling research engine that could be used by industrial, university, and government laboratories was studied. The conceptual and final designs, hardware fabrication and the experimental validation of a preprototype stirling laboratory research engine (SLRE) were completed. Also completed was a task to identify the potential markets for research engines of this type. An analytical effort was conducted to provide a stirling cycle computer model. The versatile engine is a horizontally opposed, two piston, single acting stirling engine with a split crankshaft drive mechanism; special instrumentation is installed at all component interfaces. Results of a thermodynamic energy balance for the system are reported. Also included are the engine performance results obtained over a range of speeds, working pressures, phase angles and gas temperatures. The potential for a stirling research engine to support the laboratory requirements of educators and researchers was demonstrated.

  16. Visitor's Guide | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research headquarters are located at the Advanced Technology and Research Facility (ATRF), located at 8560 Progress Drive, Frederick Maryland. Additional offices and laboratories are locatedon the NC

  17. The Columbia River Research Laboratory

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maule, Alec

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL) was established in 1978 at Cook, Washington, in the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland, Oregon. The CRRL, as part of the Western Fisheries Research Center, conducts research on fishery issues in the Columbia River Basin. Our mission is to: 'Serve the public by providing scientific information to support the stewardship of our Nation's fish and aquatic resources...by conducting objective, relevant research'.

  18. 41 CFR 109-25.109 - Laboratory and research equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Laboratory and research... PROCUREMENT 25-GENERAL 25.1-General Policies § 109-25.109 Laboratory and research equipment. The provisions of 41 CFR 101-25.109 and this section apply to laboratory and research equipment in the possession of...

  19. Crime Laboratory Proficiency Testing Research Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Joseph L.; And Others

    A three-year research effort was conducted to design a crime laboratory proficiency testing program encompassing the United States. The objectives were to: (1) determine the feasibility of preparation and distribution of different classes of physical evidence; (2) assess the accuracy of criminalistics laboratories in the processing of selected…

  20. Aircraft flight flutter testing at the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kehoe, Michael W.

    1988-01-01

    Many parameter identification techniques have been used at the NASA Ames Research Center, Dryden Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base to determine the aeroelastic stability of new and modified research vehicles in flight. This paper presents a summary of each technique used with emphasis on fast Fourier transform methods. Experiences gained from application of these techniques to various flight test programs are discussed. Also presented are data-smoothing techniques used for test data distorted by noise. Data are presented for various aircraft to demonstrate the accuracy of each parameter identification technique discussed.

  1. Overview of Fundamental High-Lift Research for Transport Aircraft at NASA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leavitt, L. D.; Washburn, A. E.; Wahls, R. A.

    2007-01-01

    NASA has had a long history in fundamental and applied high lift research. Current programs provide a focus on the validation of technologies and tools that will enable extremely short take off and landing coupled with efficient cruise performance, simple flaps with flow control for improved effectiveness, circulation control wing concepts, some exploration into new aircraft concepts, and partnership with Air Force Research Lab in mobility. Transport high-lift development testing will shift more toward mid and high Rn facilities at least until the question: "How much Rn is required" is answered. This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of High-Lift research at NASA.

  2. Refan Engine in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1974-10-21

    A refanned Pratt and Whitney JT-8D-109 turbofan engine installed in Cell 4 of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. NASA Lewis’ Refan Program sought to demonstrate that noise reduction modifications could be applied to existing aircraft engines with minimal costs and without diminishing the engine’s performance or integrity. At the time, Pratt and Whitney’s JT-8D turbofans were one of the most widely used engines in the commercial airline industry. The engines powered Boeing’s 727 and 737 and McDonnell Douglas’ DC-9 aircraft. Pratt and Whitney worked with the airline manufacturers on a preliminary study that verified feasibility of replacing the JT-8D’s two-stage fan with a larger single-stage fan. The new fan slowed the engine’s exhaust, which significantly reduced the amount of noise it generated. Booster stages were added to maintain the proper level of airflow through the engine. Pratt and Whitney produced six of the modified engines, designated JT-8D-109, and performed the initial testing. One of the JT-8D-109 engines, seen here, was tested in simulated altitude conditions in NASA Lewis’ Propulsion Systems Laboratory. The Refan engine was ground-tested on an actual aircraft before making a series of flight tests on 727 and DC-9 aircraft in early 1976. The Refan Program reduced the JT-8D’s noise by 50 percent while increasing the fuel efficiency. The retro-fit kits were estimated to cost between $1 million and $1.7 million per aircraft.

  3. Experimental Validation: Subscale Aircraft Ground Facilities and Integrated Test Capability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bailey, Roger M.; Hostetler, Robert W., Jr.; Barnes, Kevin N.; Belcastro, Celeste M.; Belcastro, Christine M.

    2005-01-01

    Experimental testing is an important aspect of validating complex integrated safety critical aircraft technologies. The Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) Testbed is being developed at NASA Langley to validate technologies under conditions that cannot be flight validated with full-scale vehicles. The AirSTAR capability comprises a series of flying sub-scale models, associated ground-support equipment, and a base research station at NASA Langley. The subscale model capability utilizes a generic 5.5% scaled transport class vehicle known as the Generic Transport Model (GTM). The AirSTAR Ground Facilities encompass the hardware and software infrastructure necessary to provide comprehensive support services for the GTM testbed. The ground facilities support remote piloting of the GTM aircraft, and include all subsystems required for data/video telemetry, experimental flight control algorithm implementation and evaluation, GTM simulation, data recording/archiving, and audio communications. The ground facilities include a self-contained, motorized vehicle serving as a mobile research command/operations center, capable of deployment to remote sites when conducting GTM flight experiments. The ground facilities also include a laboratory based at NASA LaRC providing near identical capabilities as the mobile command/operations center, as well as the capability to receive data/video/audio from, and send data/audio to the mobile command/operations center during GTM flight experiments.

  4. Laboratory Directed Research and Development FY2001 Annual Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Ayat, R

    2002-06-20

    Established by Congress in 1991, the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program provides the Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) laboratories, like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL or the Laboratory), with the flexibility to invest up to 6% of their budget in long-term, high-risk, and potentially high payoff research and development (R&D) activities to support the DOE/NNSA's national security missions. By funding innovative R&D, the LDRD Program at LLNL develops and extends the Laboratory's intellectual foundations and maintains its vitality as a premier research institution. As proof of the Program's success, many of the research thrusts thatmore » started many years ago under LDRD sponsorship are at the core of today's programs. The LDRD Program, which serves as a proving ground for innovative ideas, is the Laboratory's most important single resource for fostering excellent science and technology for today's needs and tomorrow's challenges. Basic and applied research activities funded by LDRD enhance the Laboratory's core strengths, driving its technical vitality to create new capabilities that enable LLNL to meet DOE/NNSA's national security missions. The Program also plays a key role in building a world-class multidisciplinary workforce by engaging the Laboratory's best researchers, recruiting its future scientists and engineers, and promoting collaborations with all sectors of the larger scientific community.« less

  5. Summer Research Program (1992). Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP) Reports. Volume 8. Phillips Laboratory.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-12-28

    Research Program Starfire Optical Range, Phillips Laboratory /LITE Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, NM 87117 Sponsored by: Air ... Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by: Air Force Office of Scientific Research Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico September, 1992 18-1 PROGRESS...Report for: Summer Research Program Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by: Air

  6. Measurement and analysis of aircraft and vehicle LRCS in outfield test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Chang-Qing; Zeng, Xiao-dong; Fan, Zhao-jin; Feng, Zhe-jun; Lai, Zhi

    2015-04-01

    The measurement of aircraft and vehicle Laser Radar Cross Section (LRCS) is of crucial importance for the detection system evaluation and the characteristic research of the laser scattering. A brief introduction of the measuring theory of the laser scattering from the full-scale aircraft and vehicle targets is presented in this paper. By analyzing the measuring condition in outfield test, the laser systems and test steps are designed for full-scale aircraft and vehicle LRCS and verified by the experiment in laboratory. The processing data error 7% below is obtained of the laser radar cross section by using Gaussian compensation and elimination of sky background for original test data. The study of measurement and analysis proves that the proposed method is effective and correct to get laser radar cross section data in outfield test. The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop structural concepts for different LRCS fuselage configurations constructed of conventional materials; (2) to compare these findings with those of aircrafts or vehicles; (3) to assess the application of advanced materials for each configuration; (4) to conduct an analytical investigation of the aerodynamic loads, vertical drag and mission performance of different LRCS configurations; and (5) to compare these findings with those of the aircrafts or vehicles.

  7. ARIES: NASA Langley's Airborne Research Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wusk, Michael S.

    2002-01-01

    In 1994, the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) acquired a B-757-200 aircraft to replace the aging B-737 Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV). The TSRV was a modified B-737-100, which served as a trailblazer in the development of glass cockpit technologies and other innovative aeronautical concepts. The mission for the B-757 is to continue the three-decade tradition of civil transport technology research begun by the TSRV. Since its arrival at Langley, this standard 757 aircraft has undergone extensive modifications to transform it into an aeronautical research "flying laboratory". With this transformation, the aircraft, which has been designated Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System (ARIES), has become a unique national asset which will continue to benefit the U.S. aviation industry and commercial airline customers for many generations to come. This paper will discuss the evolution of the modifications, detail the current capabilities of the research systems, and provide an overview of the research contributions already achieved.

  8. Unmanned aircraft systems in wildlife research: Current and future applications of a transformative technology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Christie, Katherine S.; Gilbert, Sophie L.; Brown, Casey L.; Hatfield, Michael; Hanson, Leanne

    2016-01-01

    Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones – are an emerging tool that may provide a safer, more cost-effective, and quieter alternative to traditional research methods. We review examples where UAS have been used to document wildlife abundance, behavior, and habitat, and illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of this technology with two case studies. We summarize research on behavioral responses of wildlife to UAS, and discuss the need to understand how recreational and commercial applications of this technology could disturb certain species. Currently, the widespread implementation of UAS by scientists is limited by flight range, regulatory frameworks, and a lack of validation. UAS are most effective when used to examine smaller areas close to their launch sites, whereas manned aircraft are recommended for surveying greater distances. The growing demand for UAS in research and industry is driving rapid regulatory and technological progress, which in turn will make them more accessible and effective as analytical tools.

  9. Research on the aircraft level measurement by laser tracker

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Xiaowen; Tang, Wuzhong; Cao, Chun

    2014-09-01

    The measuring principle of laser tracking system was introduced. The aircraft level measurement was completed by establish the measurement datum mark, select public sites, set up the aircraft coordinate system and transfer stations. Laser tracking measurement technology improved the work efficiency and ensured the installation precision of key components.

  10. Judgments of aircraft noise in a traffic noise background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Powell, C. A.; Rice, C. G.

    1975-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to determine subjective response to aircraft noise in different road traffic backgrounds. In addition, two laboratory techniques for presenting the aircraft noise with the background noise were evaluated. For one technique, the background noise was continuous over an entire test session; for the other, the background noise level was changed with each aircraft noise during a session. Subjective response to aircraft noise was found to decrease with increasing background noise level, for a range of typical indoor noise levels. Subjective response was found to be highly correlated with the Noise Pollution Level (NPL) measurement scale.

  11. Nondestructive inspection of bonded composite doublers for aircraft

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roach, D.; Moore, D.; Walkington, P.

    1996-12-31

    One major thrust in FAA`s National Aging Aircraft Research Program is to foster new technologies in civil aircraft maintenance. Recent DOD and other government developments in using bonded composite doublers on metal structures support the need for validation of such doubler applications on US certificated airplanes. In this study, a specific composite application was chosen on an L-1011 aircraft. Primary inspection requirements for these doublers include identifying disbonds between composite laminate and aluminum parent material, and delaminations in the composite laminate. Surveillance of cracks or corrosion in the parent aluminum material beneath the double is also a concern. No singlemore » NDI method can inspect for every flaw type, therefore we need to know NDI capabilities and limitations. This paper reports on a series of NDI tests conducted on laboratory test structures and on a fuselage section from a retired L-1011. Application of ultrasonics, x-ray, and eddy current to composite doublers and results from test specimens loaded to provide a changing flaw profile, are presented in this paper. Development of appropriate inspection calibration standards are also discussed.« less

  12. Research Laboratories and Centers Fact Sheet

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Office of Research and Development is the research arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has three national laboratories and four national centers located in 14 facilities across the country.

  13. Dual-Mission Large Aircraft Feasibility Study and Aerodynamic Investigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mavris, Dimitri

    1997-01-01

    A Dual-Mission Large Aircraft, or DMLA, represents the possibility of a single aircraft capable of fulfilling both a Global Reach Aircraft (GRA) and Very Large Transport (VLT) roles. The DMLA, by combining the GRA and VLT into a single new aircraft, could possibly lower the aircraft manufacturer's production costs through the resulting increase in production quantity. This translates into lower aircraft acquisition costs, a primary concern for both the Air Force and commercial airlines. This report outlines the first steps taken in this study, namely the assessment of technical and economic feasibility of the DMLA concept. In the course of this project, specialized GRA and VLT aircraft were sized for their respective missions, using baseline conventional (i.e., lacking advanced enabling technologies) aircraft models from previous work for the Air Force's Wright Laboratory and NASA-Langley. DMLA baseline aircraft were then also developed, by first sizing the aircraft for the more critical of the two missions and then analyzing the aircraft's performance over the other mission. The resulting aircraft performance values were then compared to assess technical feasibility. Finally, the life-cycle costs of each aircraft (GRA, VLT, and DMLA) were analyzed to quantify economic feasibility. These steps were applied to both a two-engine aircraft set, and a four-engine aircraft set.

  14. Applications of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) 'MASC' in Atmospheric Boundary Layer Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wildmann, Norman; Platis, Andreas; Tupman, David-James; Bange, Jens

    2015-04-01

    The remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) MASC (Multipurpose Airborne Sensor Carrier) was developed at the University of Tübingen in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart, University of Applied Sciences Ostwestfalen-Lippe and 'ROKE-Modelle'. Its purpose is the investigation of thermodynamic processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), including observations of temperature, humidity and wind profiles, as well as the measurement of turbulent heat, moisture and momentum fluxes. The aircraft is electrically powered, has a maximum wingspan of 3.40~m and a total weight of 5-8~kg, depending on the battery- and payload. The standard meteorological payload consists of two temperature sensors, a humidity sensor, a flow probe, an inertial measurement unit and a GNSS. The sensors were optimized for the resolution of small-scale turbulence down to length scales in the sub-meter range. In normal operation, the aircraft is automatically controlled by the ROCS (Research Onboard Computer System) autopilot to be able to fly predefined paths at constant altitude and airspeed. Only take-off and landing are carried out by a human RC pilot. Since 2012, the system is operational and has since then been deployed in more than ten measurement campaigns, with more than 100 measurement flights. The fields of research that were tackled in these campaigns include sensor validation, fundamental boundary-layer research and wind-energy research. In 2014, for the first time, two MASC have been operated at the same time within a distance of a few kilometres, in order to investigate the wind field over an escarpment in the Swabian Alb. Furthermore, MASC was first deployed off-shore in October 2014, starting from the German island Heligoland in the North Sea, for the purpose of characterization of the marine boundary layer for offshore wind parks. Detailed descriptions of the experimental setup and first preliminary results will be presented.

  15. Fabrication and evaluation of advanced titanium structural panels for supersonic cruise aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Payne, L.

    1977-01-01

    Flightworthy primary structural panels were designed, fabricated, and tested to investigate two advanced fabrication methods for titanium alloys. Skin-stringer panels fabricated using the weldbraze process, and honeycomb-core sandwich panels fabricated using a diffusion bonding process, were designed to replace an existing integrally stiffened shear panel on the upper wing surface of the NASA YF-12 research aircraft. The investigation included ground testing and Mach 3 flight testing of full-scale panels, and laboratory testing of representative structural element specimens. Test results obtained on full-scale panels and structural element specimens indicate that both of the fabrication methods investigated are suitable for primary structural applications on future civil and military supersonic cruise aircraft.

  16. Research on flight stability performance of rotor aircraft based on visual servo control method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Yanan; Chen, Jing

    2016-11-01

    control method based on visual servo feedback is proposed, which is used to improve the attitude of a quad-rotor aircraft and to enhance its flight stability. Ground target images are obtained by a visual platform fixed on aircraft. Scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorism is used to extract image feature information. According to the image characteristic analysis, fast motion estimation is completed and used as an input signal of PID flight control system to realize real-time status adjustment in flight process. Imaging tests and simulation results show that the method proposed acts good performance in terms of flight stability compensation and attitude adjustment. The response speed and control precision meets the requirements of actual use, which is able to reduce or even eliminate the influence of environmental disturbance. So the method proposed has certain research value to solve the problem of aircraft's anti-disturbance.

  17. Frederick National Laboratory and Georgetown University Launch Research and Education Collaboration | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    FREDERICK, Md. -- A new collaboration established between Georgetown University and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research aims to expand both institutions’ research and training missions in the biomedical sciences. Representatives f

  18. Application of a cost/performance measurement system on a research aircraft project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Diehl, J. J.

    1978-01-01

    The fundamentals of the cost/performance management system used in the procurement of two tilt rotor aircraft for a joint NASA/Army research project are discussed. The contractor's reporting system and the GPO's analyses are examined. The use of this type of reporting system is assessed. Recommendations concerning the use of like systems on future projects are included.

  19. Tour of Research Laboratories at the Ford Company

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reitz, J. R.

    1981-01-01

    A brief description of the physics programs encountered on the tour of the Ford Motor Company Research Laboratories is provided. A visit to the Research Laboratories of the Ford Motor Company is part of the Conference on Physics in the Automotive Industry. The visit will show a cross-section of the programs in Research Staff which are clearly identified as physics research as well as other areas where physicists have established themselves as dominant or team members in what might traditionally be regarded as the province of engineering R&D. After a brief orientation, the Conference visitors will be divided into tour groups and will visit laboratories involved in combustion research, arc-discharge physics, various spectroscopic applications, metal gauging, energy management, optical display systems and solar energy research. Synopses of the specific tour visits follow.

  20. NASA Researcher Examines an Aircraft Model with a Four-Fan Thrust Reverser

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1972-03-21

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researcher John Carpenter inspects an aircraft model with a four-fan thrust reverser which would be studied in the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the Lewis Research Center. Thrust reversers were introduced in the 1950s as a means for slowing high-speed jet aircraft during landing. Engineers sought to apply the technology to Vertical and Short Takeoff and Landing (VSTOL) aircraft in the 1970s. The new designs would have to take into account shorter landing areas, noise levels, and decreased thrust levels. A balance was needed between the thrust reverser’s efficiency, its noise generation, and the engine’s power setting. This model underwent a series of four tests in the 9- by 15-foot tunnel during April and May 1974. The model, with a high-wing configuration and no tail, was equipped with four thrust-reverser engines. The investigations included static internal aerodynamic tests on a single fan/reverser, wind tunnel isolated fan/reverser thrust tests, installation effects on a four-fan airplane model in a wind tunnel, and single reverser acoustic tests. The 9-by 15 was built inside the return leg of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel in 1968. The facility generates airspeeds from 0 to 175 miles per hour to evaluate the aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics of nozzles, inlets, and propellers, and investigate hot gas re-ingestion of advanced VSTOL concepts. John Carpenter was a technician in the Wind Tunnels Service Section of the Test Installations Division.

  1. Aerospace energy systems laboratory: Requirements and design approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glover, Richard D.

    1988-01-01

    The NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards, California, operates a mixed fleet of research aircraft employing nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries in a variety of flight-critical applications. Dryden's Battery Systems Laboratory (BSL), a computerized facility for battery maintenance servicing, has developed over two decades into one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world. Recently a major BSL upgrade was initiated with the goal of modernization to provide flexibility in meeting the needs of future advanced projects. The new facility will be called the Aerospace Energy Systems Laboratory (AESL) and will employ distributed processing linked to a centralized data base. AESL will be both a multistation servicing facility and a research laboratory for the advancement of energy storage system maintenance techniques. This paper describes the baseline requirements for the AESL and the design approach being taken for its mechanization.

  2. The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket nestled under the wing of NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft during pre-flight systems testing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-03-15

    The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket are nestled under the wing of NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft during pre-flight systems testing at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound). The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster was built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va. After being air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership, the booster will accelerate the X-43A to test speed and altitude. The X-43A will then separate from the rocket and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  3. Flight Test Experience with an Electromechanical Actuator on the F-18 Systems Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jensen, Stephen C.; Jenney, Gavin D.; Raymond, Bruce; Dawson, David; Flick, Brad (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Development of reliable power-by-wire actuation systems for both aeronautical and space applications has been sought recently to eliminate hydraulic systems from aircraft and spacecraft and thus improve safety, efficiency, reliability, and maintainability. The Electrically Powered Actuation Design (EPAD) program was a joint effort between the Air Force, Navy, and NASA to develop and fly a series of actuators validating power-by-wire actuation technology on a primary flight control surface of a tactical aircraft. To achieve this goal, each of the EPAD actuators was installed in place of the standard hydraulic actuator on the left aileron of the NASA F/A-18B Systems Research Aircraft (SRA) and flown throughout the SRA flight envelope. Numerous parameters were recorded, and overall actuator performance was compared with the performance of the standard hydraulic actuator on the opposite wing. This paper discusses the integration and testing of the EPAD electromechanical actuator (EMA) on the SRA. The architecture of the EMA system is discussed, as well as its integration with the F/A-18 Flight Control System. The flight test program is described, and actuator performance is shown to be very close to that of the standard hydraulic actuator it replaced. Lessons learned during this program are presented and discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.

  4. Flight Test Experience With an Electromechanical Actuator on the F-18 Systems Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jensen, Stephen C.; Jenney, Gavin D.; Raymond, Bruce; Dawson, David

    2000-01-01

    Development of reliable power-by-wire actuation systems for both aeronautical and space applications has been sought recently to eliminate hydraulic systems from aircraft and spacecraft and thus improve safety, efficiency, reliability, and maintainability. The Electrically Powered Actuation Design (EPAD) program was a joint effort between the Air Force, Navy, and NASA to develop and fly a series of actuators validating power-by-wire actuation technology on a primary flight control surface of a tactical aircraft. To achieve this goal, each of the EPAD actuators was installed in place of the standard hydraulic actuator on the left aileron of the NASA F/A-18B Systems Research Aircraft (SRA) and flown throughout the SRA flight envelope. Numerous parameters were recorded, and overall actuator performance was compared with the performance of the standard hydraulic actuator on the opposite wing. This paper discusses the integration and testing of the EPAD electromechanical actuator (EMA) on the SRA. The architecture of the EMA system is discussed, as well as its integration with the F/A-18 Flight Control System. The flight test program is described, and actuator performance is shown to be very close to that of the standard hydraulic actuator it replaced. Lessons learned during this program are presented and discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.

  5. Aircraft modifications: Assessing the current state of Air Force aircraft modifications and the implications for future military capability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, Owen Jacob

    How prepared is the U.S. Air Force to modify its aircraft fleet in upcoming years? Aircraft modernization is a complex interaction of new and legacy aircraft, organizational structure, and planning policy. This research will take one component of modernization: aircraft modification, and apply a new method of analysis in order to help formulate policy to promote modernization. Departing from previous small-sample studies dependent upon weight as a chief explanatory variable, this dissertation incorporates a comprehensive dataset that was constructed for this research of all aircraft modifications from 1996 through 2005. With over 700 modification programs, this dataset is used to examine changes to the current modification policy using policy-response regression models. These changes include separating a codependent procurement and installation schedule, reducing the documentation requirements for safety modifications, and budgeting for aging aircraft modifications. The research then concludes with predictive models for the F-15 and F-16 along with their replacements: the F-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

  6. The SR-71 Test Bed Aircraft: A Facility for High-Speed Flight Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Corda, Stephen; Moes, Timothy R.; Mizukami, Masashi; Hass, Neal E.; Jones, Daniel; Monaghan, Richard C.; Ray, Ronald J.; Jarvis, Michele L.; Palumbo, Nathan

    2000-01-01

    The SR-71 test bed aircraft is shown to be a unique platform to flight-test large experiments to supersonic Mach numbers. The test bed hardware mounted on the SR-71 upper fuselage is described. This test bed hardware is composed of a fairing structure called the "canoe" and a large "reflection plane" flat plate for mounting experiments. Total experiment weights, including the canoe and reflection plane, as heavy as 14,500 lb can be mounted on the aircraft and flight-tested to speeds as fast as Mach 3.2 and altitudes as high as 80,000 ft. A brief description of the SR-71 aircraft is given, including details of the structural modifications to the fuselage, modifications to the J58 engines to provide increased thrust, and the addition of a research instrumentation system. Information is presented based on flight data that describes the SR-71 test bed aerodynamics, stability and control, structural and thermal loads, the canoe internal environment, and reflection plane flow quality. Guidelines for designing SR-71 test bed experiments are also provided.

  7. Laboratory Directed Research and Development FY-15 Annual Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pillai, Rekha Sukamar

    The Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by March of each year. The program operates under the authority of DOE Order 413.2B, “Laboratory Directed Research and Development” (April 19, 2006), which establishes DOE’s requirements for the program while providing the laboratory director broad flexibility for program implementation. LDRD funds are obtained through a charge to all INL programs. This report includes summaries of all INL LDRD research activities supported during Fiscal Year (FY) 2015.

  8. The X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket mounted to NASA's NB

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    The first of three X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus booster rocket recently underwent combined systems testing while mounted to NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The combined systems test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. One of the major goals of the Hyper-X program is flight validation of airframe-integrated, air-breathing propulsion system, which so far have only been tested in ground facilities, such as wind tunnels. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ('scramjet') engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The X-43A design uses the underbody of the aircraft to form critical elements of the engine. The forebody shape helps compress the intake airflow, while the aft section acts as a nozzle to direct thrust. The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., will accelerate the X-43A after the X-43A/booster 'stack' is air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership. The X-43A will separate from the rocket at a predetermined altitude and speed and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  9. A laboratory study of subjective annoyance response to sonic booms and aircraft flyovers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leatherwood, Jack D.; Sullivan, Brenda M.

    1994-01-01

    Three experiments were conducted to determine subjective equivalence of aircraft subsonic flyover noise and sonic booms. Two of the experiments were conducted in a loudspeaker-driven sonic boom simulator, and the third in a large room containing conventional loudspeakers. The sound generation system of the boom simulator had a frequency response extending to very low frequencies (about 1 Hz) whereas the large room loudspeakers were limited to about 20 Hz. Subjective equivalence between booms and flyovers was quantified in terms of the difference between the noise level of a boom and that of a flyover when the two were judged equally annoying. Noise levels were quantified in terms of the following noise descriptors: Perceived Level (PL), Perceived Noise Level (PNL), C-weighted sound exposure level (SELC), and A-weighted sound exposure level (SELA). Results from the present study were compared, where possible, to similar results obtained in other studies. Results showed that noise level differences depended upon the descriptor used, specific boom and aircraft noise events being compared and, except for the PNL descriptor, varied between the simulator and large room. Comparison of noise level differences obtained in the present study with those of other studies indicated good agreement across studies only for the PNL and SELA descriptors. Comparison of the present results with assessments of community response to high-energy impulsive sounds made by Working Group 84 of the National Research Council's Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics, and Biomechanics (CHABA) showed good agreement when boom/flyover noise level differences were based on SELA. However, noise level differences obtained by CHABA using SELA for aircraft flyovers and SELC for booms were not in agreement with results obtained in the present study.

  10. Laboratory Directed Research and Development FY-10 Annual Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dena Tomchak

    2011-03-01

    The FY 2010 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Annual Report is a compendium of the diverse research performed to develop and ensure the INL's technical capabilities can support the future DOE missions and national research priorities. LDRD is essential to the INL -- it provides a means for the laboratory to pursue novel scientific and engineering research in areas that are deemed too basic or risky for programmatic investments. This research enhances technical capabilities at the laboratory, providing scientific and engineering staff with opportunities for skill building and partnership development.

  11. Research and test facilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    A description is given of each of the following Langley research and test facilities: 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel, 7-by 10-Foot High Speed Tunnel, 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel, 13-Inch Magnetic Suspension & Balance System, 14-by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel, 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel, 16-by 24-Inch Water Tunnel, 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel, 30-by 60-Foot Wind Tunnel, Advanced Civil Transport Simulator (ACTS), Advanced Technology Research Laboratory, Aerospace Controls Research Laboratory (ACRL), Aerothermal Loads Complex, Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ALDF), Avionics Integration Research Laboratory, Basic Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (BART), Compact Range Test Facility, Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS), Enhanced/Synthetic Vision & Spatial Displays Laboratory, Experimental Test Range (ETR) Flight Research Facility, General Aviation Simulator (GAS), High Intensity Radiated Fields Facility, Human Engineering Methods Laboratory, Hypersonic Facilities Complex, Impact Dynamics Research Facility, Jet Noise Laboratory & Anechoic Jet Facility, Light Alloy Laboratory, Low Frequency Antenna Test Facility, Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel, Mechanics of Metals Laboratory, National Transonic Facility (NTF), NDE Research Laboratory, Polymers & Composites Laboratory, Pyrotechnic Test Facility, Quiet Flow Facility, Robotics Facilities, Scientific Visualization System, Scramjet Test Complex, Space Materials Research Laboratory, Space Simulation & Environmental Test Complex, Structural Dynamics Research Laboratory, Structural Dynamics Test Beds, Structures & Materials Research Laboratory, Supersonic Low Disturbance Pilot Tunnel, Thermal Acoustic Fatigue Apparatus (TAFA), Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT), Transport Systems Research Vehicle, Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the Visual Motion Simulator (VMS).

  12. The Combined Effects of Aircraft and Road Traffic Noise and Aircraft and Railway Noise on Noise Annoyance-An Analysis in the Context of the Joint Research Initiative NORAH.

    PubMed

    Wothge, Jördis; Belke, Christin; Möhler, Ulrich; Guski, Rainer; Schreckenberg, Dirk

    2017-08-02

    The Noise Related Annoyance Cognition and Health (NORAH) research initiative is one of the most extensive studies on the physiological and psychological long-term effects of transportation noise in Europe. It includes research on the quality of life and annoyance as well as cardiovascular effects, sleep disturbance, breast cancer, blood pressure, depression and the cognitive development of children. Within the realm of the annoyance module of the study approximately 10,000 residents of the Rhine-Main district were surveyed on the combined effects of transportation noise. This included combined noise from aircraft and road traffic noise ( N = 4905), or aircraft and railway noise ( N = 4777). Results show that judgment of the total noise annoyance of participants was strongly determined by the sound source which was judged as more annoying (in this case aircraft noise). To a lesser extent, the average sound pressure level of the two present sources was also of relevance.

  13. The Combined Effects of Aircraft and Road Traffic Noise and Aircraft and Railway Noise on Noise Annoyance—An Analysis in the Context of the Joint Research Initiative NORAH

    PubMed Central

    Wothge, Jördis; Belke, Christin; Möhler, Ulrich; Guski, Rainer; Schreckenberg, Dirk

    2017-01-01

    The Noise Related Annoyance Cognition and Health (NORAH) research initiative is one of the most extensive studies on the physiological and psychological long-term effects of transportation noise in Europe. It includes research on the quality of life and annoyance as well as cardiovascular effects, sleep disturbance, breast cancer, blood pressure, depression and the cognitive development of children. Within the realm of the annoyance module of the study approximately 10,000 residents of the Rhine-Main district were surveyed on the combined effects of transportation noise. This included combined noise from aircraft and road traffic noise (N = 4905), or aircraft and railway noise (N = 4777). Results show that judgment of the total noise annoyance of participants was strongly determined by the sound source which was judged as more annoying (in this case aircraft noise). To a lesser extent, the average sound pressure level of the two present sources was also of relevance. PMID:28767095

  14. Challenges in the Management and Stewardship of Airborne Observational Data at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aquino, J.; Daniels, M. D.

    2015-12-01

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) funding for the operation, maintenance and upgrade of two research aircraft: the NSF/NCAR High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER) Gulfstream V and the NSF/NCAR Hercules C-130. A suite of in-situ and remote sensing airborne instruments housed at the EOL Research Aviation Facility (RAF) provide a basic set of measurements that are typically deployed on most airborne field campaigns. In addition, instruments to address more specific research requirements are provided by collaborating participants from universities, industry, NASA, NOAA or other agencies (referred to as Principal Investigator, or PI, instruments). At the 2014 AGU Fall Meeting, a poster (IN13B-3639) was presented outlining the components of Airborne Data Management included field phase data collection, formats, data archival and documentation, version control, storage practices, stewardship and obsolete data formats, and public data access. This talk will cover lessons learned, challenges associated with the above components, and current developments to address these challenges, including: tracking data workflows for aircraft instrumentation to facilitate identification, and correction, of gaps in these workflows; implementation of dataset versioning guidelines; and assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to data and instrumentation to facilitate tracking data and facility use in publications.

  15. Aircraft Capability Management

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mumaw, Randy; Feary, Mike

    2018-01-01

    This presentation presents an overview of work performed at NASA Ames Research Center in 2017. The work concerns the analysis of current aircraft system management displays, and the initial development of an interface for providing information about aircraft system status. The new interface proposes a shift away from current aircraft system alerting interfaces that report the status of physical components, and towards displaying the implications of degradations on mission capability. The proposed interface describes these component failures in terms of operational consequences of aircraft system degradations. The research activity was an effort to examine the utility of different representations of complex systems and operating environments to support real-time decision making of off-nominal situations. A specific focus was to develop representations that provide better integrated information to allow pilots to more easily reason about the operational consequences of the off-nominal situations. The work is also seen as a pathway to autonomy, as information is integrated and understood in a form that automated responses could be developed for the off-nominal situations in the future.

  16. USAF Summer Research Program - 1994 Graduate Student Research Program Final Reports, Volume 8, Phillips Laboratory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-12-01

    Research Group at the Phillips Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base...for Summer Graduate Student Research Program Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by: Air Force Office of Scientific Research Boiling Air Force Base, DC...2390 S. York Street Denver, CO 80208-0177 Final Report for: Summer Faculty Research Program Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by: Air Force

  17. The lift-fan aircraft: Lessons learned

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deckert, Wallace H.

    1995-01-01

    This report summarizes the highlights and results of a workshop held at NASA Ames Research Center in October 1992. The objective of the workshop was a thorough review of the lessons learned from past research on lift fans, and lift-fan aircraft, models, designs, and components. The scope included conceptual design studies, wind tunnel investigations, propulsion systems components, piloted simulation, flight of aircraft such as the SV-5A and SV-5B and a recent lift-fan aircraft development project. The report includes a brief summary of five technical presentations that addressed the subject The Lift-Fan Aircraft: Lessons Learned.

  18. NASA rotor systems research aircraft: Fixed-wing configuration flight-test results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Erickson, R. E.; Cross, J. L.; Kufeld, R. M.; Acree, C. W.; Nguyen, D.; Hodge, R. W.

    1986-01-01

    The fixed-wing, airplane configuration flight-test results of the Rotor System Research Aircraft (RSRA), NASA 740, at Ames/Dryden Flight Research Center are documented. Fourteen taxi and flight tests were performed from December 1983 to October 1984. This was the first time the RSRA was flown with the main rotor removed; the tail rotor was installed. These tests confirmed that the RSRA is operable as a fixed-wing aircraft. Data were obtained for various takeoff and landing distances, control sensitivity, trim and dynamics stability characteristics, performance rotor-hub drag, and acoustics signature. Stability data were obtained with the rotor hub both installed and removed. The speed envelope was developed to 261 knots true airspeed (KTAS), 226 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS) at 10,000 ft density altitude. The airplane was configured at 5 deg. wing incidence with 5 deg. wing flaps as a normal configuration. Level-flight data were acquired at 167 KCAS for wing incidence from 0 to 10 deg. Step inputs and doublet inputs of various magnitudes were utilized to acquire dynamic stability and control sensitivity data. Sine-wave inputs of constantly increasing frequency were used to generate parameter identification data. The maximum load factor attained was 2.34 g at 206 KCAS.

  19. Small unmanned aircraft systems for remote sensing and Earth science research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hugenholtz, Chris H.; Moorman, Brian J.; Riddell, Kevin; Whitehead, Ken

    2012-06-01

    To understand and predict Earth-surface dynamics, scientists often rely on access to the latest remote sensing data. Over the past several decades, considerable progress has been made in the development of specialized Earth observation sensors for measuring a wide range of processes and features. Comparatively little progress has been made, however, in the development of new platforms upon which these sensors can be deployed. Conventional platforms are still almost exclusively restricted to piloted aircraft and satellites. For many Earth science research questions and applications these platforms do not yet have the resolution or operational flexibility to provide answers affordably. The most effective remote sensing data match the spatiotemporal scale of the process or feature of interest. An emerging technology comprising unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), is poised to offer a viable alternative to conventional platforms for acquiring high-resolution remote sensing data with increased operational flexibility, lower cost, and greater versatility (Figure 1).

  20. Nano-G research laboratory for a spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vonbun, Friedrich O. (Inventor); Garriott, Owen K. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    An acceleration free research laboratory is provided that is confined within a satellite but free of any physical engagement with the walls of the satellite, wherein the laboratory has adequate power, heating, cooling, and communications services to conduct basic research and development. An inner part containing the laboratory is positioned at the center-of-mass of a satellite within the satellite's outer shell. The satellite is then positioned such that its main axes are in a position parallel to its flight velocity vector or in the direction of the residual acceleration vector. When the satellite is in its desired orbit, the inner part is set free so as to follow that orbit without contacting the inside walls of the outer shell. Sensing means detect the position of the inner part with respect to the outer shell, and activate control rockets to move the outer shell; thereby, the inner part is repositioned such that it is correctly positioned at the center-of-mass of the satellite. As a consequence, all disturbing forces, such as drag forces, act on the outer shell, and the inner part containing the laboratory is shielded and is affected only by gravitational forces. Power is supplied to the inner part and to the laboratory by a balanced microwave/laser link which creates the kind of environment necessary for basic research to study critical phenomena such as the Lambda transition in helium and crystal growth, and to perform special metals and alloys research, etc.

  1. Experimental aerothermodynamic research of hypersonic aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cleary, Joseph W.

    1987-01-01

    The 2-D and 3-D advance computer codes being developed for use in the design of such hypersonic aircraft as the National Aero-Space Plane require comparison of the computational results with a broad spectrum of experimental data to fully assess the validity of the codes. This is particularly true for complex flow fields with control surfaces present and for flows with separation, such as leeside flow. Therefore, the objective is to provide a hypersonic experimental data base required for validation of advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer codes and for development of more thorough understanding of the flow physics necessary for these codes. This is being done by implementing a comprehensive test program for a generic all-body hypersonic aircraft model in the NASA/Ames 3.5 foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel over a broad range of test conditions to obtain pertinent surface and flowfield data. Results from the flow visualization portion of the investigation are presented.

  2. GaAs/Ge Solar Powered Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Colozza, Anthony J.; Scheiman, David A.; Brinker, David J.

    1998-01-01

    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are being proposed for many applications for many applications including surveillance, mapping and atmospheric studies. These applications require a lightweight, low speed, medium to long duration aircraft. Due to the weight, speed, and altitude constraints imposed on such an aircraft, solar array generated electric power can be a viable alternative to air-breathing engines for certain missions. Development of such an aircraft is currently being funded under the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has built a Solar Electric Airplane to demonstrate UAV technology. This aircraft utilizes high efficiency Applied Solar Energy Corporation (ASEC) GaAs/Ge space solar cells. The cells have been provided by the Air Force through the ManTech Office.

  3. A History of Full-Scale Aircraft and Rotorcraft Crash Testing and Simulation at NASA Langley Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jackson, Karen E.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Fasanella, Edwin L.; Jones, Lisa E.; Lyle, Karen H.

    2004-01-01

    This paper summarizes 2-1/2 decades of full-scale aircraft and rotorcraft crash testing performed at the Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) located at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The IDRF is a 240-ft.-high steel gantry that was built originally as a lunar landing simulator facility in the early 1960's. It was converted into a full-scale crash test facility for light aircraft and rotorcraft in the early 1970 s. Since the first full-scale crash test was preformed in February 1974, the IDRF has been used to conduct: 41 full-scale crash tests of General Aviation (GA) aircraft including landmark studies to establish baseline crash performance data for metallic and composite GA aircraft; 11 full-scale crash tests of helicopters including crash qualification tests of the Bell and Sikorsky Advanced Composite Airframe Program (ACAP) prototypes; 48 Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS) qualification tests of Army helicopters; 3 vertical drop tests of Boeing 707 transport aircraft fuselage sections; and, 60+ crash tests of the F-111 crew escape module. For some of these tests, nonlinear transient dynamic codes were utilized to simulate the impact response of the airframe. These simulations were performed to evaluate the capabilities of the analytical tools, as well as to validate the models through test-analysis correlation. In September 2003, NASA Langley closed the IDRF facility and plans are underway to demolish it in 2007. Consequently, it is important to document the contributions made to improve the crashworthiness of light aircraft and rotorcraft achieved through full-scale crash testing and simulation at the IDRF.

  4. Correction of static pressure on a research aircraft in accelerated flight using differential pressure measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodi, A. R.; Leon, D. C.

    2012-05-01

    Geometric altitude data from a combined Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) system on the University of Wyoming King Air research aircraft are used to estimate acceleration effects on static pressure measurement. Using data collected during periods of accelerated flight, comparison of measured pressure with that derived from GNSS/IMU geometric altitude show that errors exceeding 150 Pa can occur which is significant in airspeed and atmospheric air motion determination. A method is developed to predict static pressure errors from analysis of differential pressure measurements from a Rosemount model 858 differential pressure air velocity probe. The method was evaluated with a carefully designed probe towed on connecting tubing behind the aircraft - a "trailing cone" - in steady flight, and shown to have a precision of about ±10 Pa over a wide range of conditions including various altitudes, power settings, and gear and flap extensions. Under accelerated flight conditions, compared to the GNSS/IMU data, this algorithm predicts corrections to a precision of better than ±20 Pa. Some limiting factors affecting the precision of static pressure measurement on a research aircraft are examined.

  5. Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate Leadership Legacy, 1960-2011

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-01

    AFRL -RY-WP-TM-2011-1017 AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY SENSORS DIRECTORATE LEADERSHIP LEGACY, 1960-2011 Compiled by Raymond C. Rang...Structures Divi- sion, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory , Kirtland AFB, N.M. 7. March 1998 - July 1999, Chief, Integration and... Research Laboratory ( AFRL ), and Deputy Director of the Sensors Direc- torate, Air Force Research

  6. Status of research into lightning effects on aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Plumer, J. A.

    1976-01-01

    Developments in aircraft lightning protection since 1938 are reviewed. Potential lightning problems resulting from present trends toward the use of electronic controls and composite structures are discussed, along with presently available lightning test procedures for problem assessment. The validity of some procedures is being questioned because of pessimistic results and design implications. An in-flight measurement program is needed to provide statistics on lightning severity at flight altitudes and to enable more realistic tests, and operators are urged to supply researchers with more details on electronic components damaged by lightning strikes. A need for review of certain aspects of fuel system vulnerability is indicated by several recent accidents, and specific areas for examination are identified. New educational materials and standardization activities are also noted.

  7. Consolidated B-24M Liberator Equipped for Icing Research

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1946-07-21

    A Consolidated B-25M Liberator modified for icing research by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. NACA Lewis performed a limited amount of icing research during World War II, but the program expanded significantly in 1946. The accumulation of ice on aircraft was a continual problem. The ice formations could result in extra weight, aerodynamic penalties, and blockage engine inlets. Although the Lewis icing researchers utilized numerous aircraft, the program’s two workhorses were the B-24M Liberator, seen here, and a North American XB-25E Mitchell. The Consolidated Aircraft Company created the four-engine bomber in the early 1940s. During World War II the bomber was employed on long-duration bombing missions in both Europe and the Pacific. Production of the B-24M version did not begin until October 1944 with the end of the war in Europe approaching. This resulted in scores of unneeded bombers when hostilities ended. This B-24M arrived at the NACA Lewis laboratory in November 1945. At Lewis the B-24M was repeatedly modified to study ice accretion on aircraft components. Researchers analyzed different anti-icing and deicing strategies and gathered statistical ice measurement data. The B-24M was also used to study ice buildup on jet engines. A General Electric I-16 engine was installed in the aircraft’s waist compartment with an air scoop on the top of the aircraft to duct air to the engine. Water spray nozzles inside the aircraft were employed to simulate icing conditions at the turbojet’s inlet.

  8. Commissioning a materials research laboratory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    SAVAGE,GERALD A.

    2000-03-28

    This presentation covers the process of commissioning a new 150,000 sq. ft. research facility at Sandia National Laboratories. The laboratory being constructed is a showcase of modern design methods being built at a construction cost of less than $180 per sq. ft. This is possible in part because of the total commissioning activities that are being utilized for this project. The laboratory's unique approach to commissioning will be presented in this paper. The process will be followed through from the conceptual stage on into the actual construction portion of the laboratory. Lessons learned and cost effectiveness will be presented inmore » a manner that will be usable for others making commissioning related decisions. Commissioning activities at every stage of the design will be presented along with the attributed benefits. Attendees will hear answers to the what, when, who, and why questions associated with commissioning of this exciting project.« less

  9. Aircraft to aircraft intercomparison during SEMAPHORE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lambert, Dominique; Durand, Pierre

    1998-10-01

    During the Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphère, Propriétés des Hétérogénéités Océaniques: Recherche Expérimentale (SEMAPHORE) experiment, performed in the Azores region in 1993, two French research aircraft were simultaneously used for in situ measurements in the atmospheric boundary layer. We present the results obtained from one intercomparison flight between the two aircraft. The mean parameters generally agree well, although the temperature has to be slightly shifted in order to be in agreement for the two aircraft. A detailed comparison of the turbulence parameters revealed no bias. The agreement is good for variances and is satisfactory for fluxes and skewness. A thorough study of the errors involved in flux computation revealed that the greatest accuracy is obtained for latent heat flux. Errors in sensible heat flux are considerably greater, and the worst results are obtained for momentum flux. The latter parameter, however, is more accurate than expected from previous parameterizations.

  10. Tree Topping Ceremony at NASA's Propulsion Research Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    A new, world-class laboratory for research into future space transportation technologies is under construction at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL. The state-of-the-art Propulsion Research Laboratory will serve as a leading national resource for advanced space propulsion research. Its purpose is to conduct research that will lead to the creation and development of irnovative propulsion technologies for space exploration. The facility will be the epicenter of the effort to move the U.S. space program beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of greatly improved access to space and rapid transit throughout the solar system. The Laboratory is designed to accommodate researchers from across the United States, including scientists and engineers from NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, universities, and industry. The facility, with 66,000 square feet of useable laboratory space, will feature a high degree of experimental capability. Its flexibility will allow it to address a broad range of propulsion technologies and concepts, such as plasma, electromagnetic, thermodynamic, and propellantless propulsion. An important area of emphasis will be development and utilization of advanced energy sources, including highly energetic chemical reactions, solar energy, and processes based on fission, fusion, and antimatter. The Propulsion Research Laboratory is vital for developing the advanced propulsion technologies needed to open up the space frontier, and will set the stage of research that could revolutionize space transportation for a broad range of applications. This photo depicts construction workers taking part in a tree topping ceremony as the the final height of the laboratory is framed. The ceremony is an old German custom of paying homage to the trees that gave their lives in preparation of the building site.

  11. Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base, CA

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-27

    Air Force Research Laboratory (AFMC) AFRL /RZS 1 Ara Road Edwards AFB CA 93524-7013 AFRL -RZ-ED-VG-2011-269 9...SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) Air Force Research Laboratory (AFMC) AFRL /RZS 11. SPONSOR...Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239.18 Air Force Research Laboratory Ed d Ai F B CA Col Mike Platt war s r orce

  12. Universal Stationary/Mobile NoFoam Unit (USNOFU) for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Vehicles

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-01-01

    AFFF aqueous film forming foam AFRL Air Force Research Laboratory ARFF Aircraft Rescue and...distribution system checks use a fire-fighting agent called aqueous film forming foam ( AFFF ) and generate significant amounts of AFFF wastewater. Despite its...but it has been classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). As a result, the AFFF wastewater resulting from foam distribution

  13. In-flight control and communication architecture of the GLORIA imaging limb sounder on atmospheric research aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kretschmer, E.; Bachner, M.; Blank, J.; Dapp, R.; Ebersoldt, A.; Friedl-Vallon, F.; Guggenmoser, T.; Gulde, T.; Hartmann, V.; Lutz, R.; Maucher, G.; Neubert, T.; Oelhaf, H.; Preusse, P.; Schardt, G.; Schmitt, C.; Schönfeld, A.; Tan, V.

    2015-06-01

    The Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere (GLORIA), a Fourier-transform-spectrometer-based limb spectral imager, operates on high-altitude research aircraft to study the transit region between the troposphere and the stratosphere. It is one of the most sophisticated systems to be flown on research aircraft in Europe, requiring constant monitoring and human intervention in addition to an automation system. To ensure proper functionality and interoperability on multiple platforms, a flexible control and communication system was laid out. The architectures of the communication system as well as the protocols used are reviewed. The integration of this architecture in the automation process as well as the scientific campaign flight application context are discussed.

  14. In-flight control and communication architecture of the GLORIA imaging limb-sounder on atmospheric research aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kretschmer, E.; Bachner, M.; Blank, J.; Dapp, R.; Ebersoldt, A.; Friedl-Vallon, F.; Guggenmoser, T.; Gulde, T.; Hartmann, V.; Lutz, R.; Maucher, G.; Neubert, T.; Oelhaf, H.; Preusse, P.; Schardt, G.; Schmitt, C.; Schönfeld, A.; Tan, V.

    2015-02-01

    The Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere (GLORIA), a Fourier transform spectrometer based limb spectral imager, operates on high-altitude research aircraft to study the transit region between the troposphere and the stratosphere. It is one of the most sophisticated systems to be flown on research aircraft in Europe, requiring constant monitoring and human intervention in addition to an automation system. To ensure proper functionality and interoperability on multiple platforms, a flexible control and communication system was laid out. The architectures of the communication system as well as the protocols used are reviewed. The integration of this architecture in the automation process as well as the scientific campaign flight application context are discussed.

  15. 1995 Laboratory-Directed Research and Development Annual report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cauffman, D.P.; Shoaf, D.L.; Hill, D.A.

    1995-12-31

    The Laboratory-Directed Research and Development Program (LDRD) is a key component of the discretionary research conducted by Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company (Lockheed Idaho) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The threefold purpose and goal of the LDRD program is to maintain the scientific and technical vitality of the INEL, respond to and support new technical opportunities, and enhance the agility and flexibility of the national laboratory and Lockheed Idaho to address the current and future missions of the Department of Energy.

  16. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Focused Long Term Challenges

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-04-01

    Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) mission is to provide support to the Air Force (AF) and the warfighters with... Air Force Research Laboratory’s Focused Long Term Challenges Leo J Rose Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory , 101 W Eglin Blvd...This technology vision, which was born in our Air Force Research Laboratory , builds on the Air Force’s traditional kill

  17. Novel methods for aircraft corrosion monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bossi, Richard H.; Criswell, Thomas L.; Ikegami, Roy; Nelson, James; Normand, Eugene; Rutherford, Paul S.; Shrader, John E.

    1995-07-01

    Monitoring aging aircraft for hidden corrosion is a significant problem for both military and civilian aircraft. Under a Wright Laboratory sponsored program, Boeing Defense & Space Group is investigating three novel methods for detecting and monitoring hidden corrosion: (1) atmospheric neutron radiography, (2) 14 MeV neutron activation analysis and (3) fiber optic corrosion sensors. Atmospheric neutron radiography utilizes the presence of neutrons in the upper atmosphere as a source for interrogation of the aircraft structure. Passive track-etch neutron detectors, which have been previously placed on the aircraft, are evaluated during maintenance checks to assess the presence of corrosion. Neutrons generated by an accelerator are used via activation analysis to assess the presence of distinctive elements in corrosion products, particularly oxygen. By using fast (14 MeV) neutrons for the activation, portable, high intensity sources can be employed for field testing of aircraft. The third novel method uses fiber optics as part of a smart structure technology for corrosion detection and monitoring. Fiber optic corrosion sensors are placed in the aircraft at locations known to be susceptible to corrosion. Periodic monitoring of the sensors is used to alert maintenance personnel to the presence and degree of corrosion at specific locations on the aircraft. During the atmospheric neutron experimentation, we identified a fourth method referred to as secondary emission radiography (SER). This paper discusses the development of these methods.

  18. Research on motion model for the hypersonic boost-glide aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Shenda; Wu, Jing; Wang, Xueying

    2015-11-01

    A motion model for the hypersonic boost-glide aircraft(HBG) was proposed in this paper, which also analyzed the precision of model through simulation. Firstly the trajectory of HBG was analyzed, and a scheme which divide the trajectory into two parts then build the motion model on each part. Secondly a restrained model of boosting stage and a restrained model of J2 perturbation were established, and set up the observe model. Finally the analysis of simulation results show the feasible and high-accuracy of the model, and raise a expectation for intensive research.

  19. A perspective on 15 years of proof-of-concept aircraft development and flight research at Ames-Moffett by the Rotorcraft and Powered-Lift Flight Projects Division, 1970-1985

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Few, David D.

    1987-01-01

    A proof-of-concept (POC) aircraft is defined and the concept of interest described for each of the six aircraft developed by the Ames-Moffet Rotorcraft and Powered-Lift Flight Projects Division from 1970 through 1985; namely, the OV-10, the C-8A Augmentor Wing, the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA), the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft (TRRA), the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA)-compound, and the yet-to-fly RSRA/X-Wing Aircraft. The program/project chronology and most noteworthy features of the concepts are reviewed. The paper discusses the significance of each concept and the project demonstrating it; it briefly looks at what concepts are on the horizon as potential POC research aircraft and emphasizes that no significant advanced concept in aviation technology has ever been accepted by civilian or military users without first completing a demonstration through flight testing.

  20. NARVAL North - Remote Sensing of Postfrontal Convective Clouds and Precipitation over the North Atlantic with the Research Aircraft HALO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klepp, Christian; Ament, Felix; Bakan, Stephan; Crewell, Susanne; Hagen, Martin; Hirsch, Lutz; Jansen, Friedhelm; Konow, Heike; Mech, Mario; Pfeilsticker, Klaus; Schäfler, Andreas; Stevens, Bjorn

    2014-05-01

    The new German research aircraft HALO (High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft) became recently available for measurement flights in atmospheric research. It's capacity of measuring from a high altitude vertical profiles of all components of atmospheric water - like vapor, liquid and ice, in both cloud and precipitation forms, as well as the aerosol particles upon which cloud droplets form - makes it a unique research platform. The aircraft, equipped with advanced radiometers, radar and lidar technology, the HALO Microwave Package (HAMP), is an initiative by German climate and environmental research institutions and is operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). One of the first major missions to exploit the capabilities of HALO was conducted for the NARVAL project (Next-generation Aircraft Remote-Sensing for Validation Studies) during January 2014. After studying subtropical clouds one month before in the first NARVAL phase, the interest of NARVAL North focused on the study of cold air convection and precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Based at Keflavik airport (Iceland), several flights were conducted to examine the specific small-scale precipitation structures behind the backsides of cold fronts over the North Atlantic. This should help to narrow the gap in the understanding of substantial differences between satellite observations and model calculations in such situations. First data analysis of these measurements indicate promising results. The poster will describe the HALO instrument packages as well as the collected observations during the campaign and will present preliminary scientific findings.

  1. Data on the Design of Plywood for Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elmendorf, Armin

    1921-01-01

    This report makes available data which will aid the designer in determining the plywood that is best adapted to various aircraft parts. It gives the results of investigations made by the Forest Products Laboratory of the United States Forest Service at Madison, Wisconsin, for the Army and Navy Departments, and is one of a series of reports on the use of wood in aircraft prepared by the Forest Products Laboratory for publication by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The object of the study was to determine, through comprehensive tests, the mechanical and physical properties of plywood and how these properties vary with density, number, thickness, arrangement of the plies and direction of grain of the plies.

  2. MicroCub Subscale Aircraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-18

    The MicroCub is the newest addition to NASA Armstrong's fleet of subscale research aircraft. The aircraft is a modified a Bill Hempel 60-percent-scale super cub, designed with a 21-foot wingspan, a Piccolo Autopilot guidance system and a JetCat SPT-15 Turboprop.

  3. Nanoscience and Technology at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-05-01

    AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY ( AFRL ) Dr. Richard A. Vaia Dr. Daniel Miracle Dr. Thomas Cruse Air Force Research ...Technology At The Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 AFRL NST Overview 2 AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY VISION We defend

  4. Nanoscience and Technology at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-02-01

    AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY ( AFRL ) Dr. Richard A. Vaia Dr. Daniel Miracle Dr. Thomas Cruse Air Force Research ...Technology At The Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 AFRL NST Overview 2 AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY VISION We defend

  5. Laboratory Directed Research and Development Annual Report FY 2017

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sullivan, Kelly O.

    A national laboratory must establish and maintain an environment in which creativity and innovation are encouraged and supported in order to fulfill its missions and remain viable in the long term. As such, multiprogram laboratories are given discretion to allocate a percentage of their operating budgets to support research and development projects that align to PNNL’s and DOE’s missions and support the missions of other federal agencies, including DHS, DOD, and others. DOE Order 413.2C sets forth DOE’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) policy and guidelines for DOE multiprogram laboratories, and it authorizes the national laboratories to allocate upmore » to 6 percent of their operating budgets to fund the program. LDRD is innovative research and development, selected by the Laboratory Director or his/her designee, for the purpose of maintaining the scientific and technological vitality of the Laboratory. The projects supported by LDRD funding all have demonstrable ties to DOE/DHS missions and may also be relevant to the missions of other federal agencies that sponsor work at the Laboratory. The program plays a key role in attracting the best and brightest scientific staff, which is needed to serve the highest priority DOE mission objectives. Individual project reports comprise the bulk of this LDRD report. The Laboratory focuses its LDRD research on scientific assets that often address more than one scientific discipline.« less

  6. Laboratory Directed Research and Development Annual Report FY 2016

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sullivan, Kelly O.

    A national laboratory must establish and maintain an environment in which creativity and innovation are encouraged and supported in order to fulfill its missions and remain viable in the long term. As such, multiprogram laboratories are given discretion to allocate a percentage of their operating budgets to support research and development projects that align to PNNL’s and DOE’s missions and support the missions of other federal agencies, including DHS, DOD, and others. DOE Order 413.2C sets forth DOE’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) policy and guidelines for DOE multiprogram laboratories, and it authorizes the national laboratories to allocate upmore » to 6 percent of their operating budgets to fund the program. LDRD is innovative research and development, selected by the Laboratory Director or his/her designee, for the purpose of maintaining the scientific and technological vitality of the Laboratory. The projects supported by LDRD funding all have demonstrable ties to DOE/DHS missions and may also be relevant to the missions of other federal agencies that sponsor work at the Laboratory. The program plays a key role in attracting the best and brightest scientific staff, which is needed to serve the highest priority DOE mission objectives. Individual project reports comprise the bulk of this LDRD report. The Laboratory focuses its LDRD research on scientific assets that often address more than one scientific discipline.« less

  7. Summer Research Program (1992). Summer Faculty Research Program (SFRP) Reports. Volume 3. Phillips Laboratory.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-12-28

    Phillips Laboratory Kirtland Air Force Base NM 87117-6008 Sponsored by: Air Force Office of Scientific Research Bolling Air Force Base...Zindel, D.: 1963, Z. Astrophys. 57, 82. 29-13 FINAL REPORT SUMMER FACULTY RESEARCH PROGRAM AT PHILLIPS LABORATORY KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE...Program Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by: Air Force Office of Scientific

  8. Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Biodefense

    Science.gov Websites

    Programs Nuclear Weapons About Nuclear Weapons Safety & Security Weapons Science & Technology Robotics R&D 100 Awards Laboratory Directed Research & Development Technology Deployment Centers Audit Sandia's Economic Impact Licensing & Technology Transfer Browse Technology Portfolios

  9. Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Bioscience

    Science.gov Websites

    Programs Nuclear Weapons About Nuclear Weapons Safety & Security Weapons Science & Technology Robotics R&D 100 Awards Laboratory Directed Research & Development Technology Deployment Centers Audit Sandia's Economic Impact Licensing & Technology Transfer Browse Technology Portfolios

  10. Research and the planned Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Original photo and caption dated October 8, 1991: 'Plant researchers Neil Yorio and Lisa Ruffe prepare to harvest a crop of Waldann's Green Lettuce from KSC's Biomass Production Chamber (BPC). KSC researchers have grown several different crops in the BPC to determine which plants will better produce food, water and oxygen on long-duration space missions.' Their work is an example of the type of life sciences research that will be conducted at the Space Experiment Research Procession Laboratory (SERPL). The SERPL is a planned 100,000-square-foot laboratory that will provide expanded and upgraded facilities for hosting International Space Station experiment processing. In addition, it will provide better support for other biological and life sciences payload processing at KSC. It will serve as a magnet facility for a planned 400-acre Space Station Commerce Park.

  11. Research and the planned Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Original photo and caption dated October 8, 1991: 'Plant researchers Lisa Ruffe and Neil Yorio prepare to harvest a crop of Waldann's Green Lettuce from KSC's Biomass Production Chamber (BPC). KSC researchers have grown several different crops in the BPC to determine which plants will better produce food, water and oxygen on long-duration space missions.' Their work is an example of the type of life sciences research that will be conducted at the Space Experiment Research Procession Laboratory (SERPL). The SERPL is a planned 100,000-square-foot laboratory that will provide expanded and upgraded facilities for hosting International Space Station experiment processing. In addition, it will provide better support for other biological and life sciences payload processing at KSC. It will serve as a magnet facility for a planned 400-acre Space Station Commerce Park.

  12. Idaho National Laboratory Research & Development Impacts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stricker, Nicole

    Technological advances that drive economic growth require both public and private investment. The U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories play a crucial role by conducting the type of research, testing and evaluation that is beyond the scope of regulators, academia or industry. Examples of such work from the past year can be found in these pages. Idaho National Laboratory’s engineering and applied science expertise helps deploy new technologies for nuclear energy, national security and new energy resources. Unique infrastructure, nuclear material inventory and vast expertise converge at INL, the nation’s nuclear energy laboratory. Productive partnerships with academia, industry and governmentmore » agencies deliver high-impact outcomes. This edition of INL’s Impacts magazine highlights national and regional leadership efforts, growing capabilities, notable collaborations, and technology innovations. Please take a few minutes to learn more about the critical resources and transformative research at one of the nation’s premier applied science laboratories.« less

  13. Senior Laboratory Animal Technician | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies and services that are focused

  14. Definition of experiments and instruments for a communication/navigation research laboratory. Volume 3: Laboratory descriptions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The following study objectives are covered: (1) identification of major laboratory equipment; (2) systems and operations analysis in support of the laboratory design; and (3) conceptual design of the comm/nav research laboratory.

  15. Altus I aircraft on lakebed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    The remotely-piloted Altus I aircraft climbs away after takeoff from Rogers Dry Lake adjacent to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The short series of test flights sponsored by the Naval Postgraduate School in early August, 1997, were designed to demonstrate the ability of the experimental craft to cruise at altitudes above 40,000 feet for sustained durations. On its final flight Aug. 15, the Altus I reached an altitude of 43,500 feet. The Altus I and its sister ship, the Altus II, are variants of the Predator surveillance drone built by General Atomics/Aeronautical Systems, Inc. They are designed for high-altitude, long-duration scientific sampling missions, and are powered by turbocharged piston engines. The Altus I incorporates a single-stage turbocharger, while the Altus II, built for NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology program, sports a two-stage turbocharger to enable the craft to fly at altitudes above 55,000 feet. The Altus II, the first of the two craft to be completed, made its first flight on May 1, 1996. With its engine augmented by a single-stage turbocharger, the Altus II reached an altitude of 37,000 ft during its first series of development flights at Dryden in Aug., 1996. In Oct. of that year, the Altus II was flown in an Atmospheric Radiation Measurement study for the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratory in Oklahoma. During the course of those flights, the Altus II set a single-flight endurance record for remotely-operated aircraft of more than 26 hours. The Altus I, completed in 1997, flew a series of development flights at Dryden that summer. Those test flights culminated with the craft reaching an altitude of 43,500 ft while carrying a simulated 300-lb payload, a record for an unmanned aircraft powered by a piston engine augmented with a single-stage turbocharger. The Altus II sustained an altitudeof 55,000 feet for four hours in 1999. A pilot in a control station on the ground flies the

  16. Impact analysis of composite aircraft structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pifko, Allan B.; Kushner, Alan S.

    1993-01-01

    The impact analysis of composite aircraft structures is discussed. Topics discussed include: background remarks on aircraft crashworthiness; comments on modeling strategies for crashworthiness simulation; initial study of simulation of progressive failure of an aircraft component constructed of composite material; and research direction in composite characterization for impact analysis.

  17. OVRhyp, Scramjet Test Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aslan, J.; Bisard, T.; Dallinga, S.; Draper, K.; Hufford, G.; Peters, W.; Rogers, J.

    1990-01-01

    A preliminary design for an unmanned hypersonic research vehicle to test scramjet engines is presented. The aircraft will be launched from a carrier aircraft at an altitude of 40,000 feet at Mach 0.8. The vehicle will then accelerate to Mach 6 at an altitude of 100,000 feet. At this stage the prototype scramjet will be employed to accelerate the vehicle to Mach 10 and maintain Mach 10 flight for 2 minutes. The aircraft will then decelerate and safely land.

  18. Effects of commercial aircraft operating environment on composite materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chapman, A. J.; Hoffman, D. J.; Hodges, W. T.

    1980-01-01

    Long term effects of commercial aircraft operating environment on the properties and durability of composite materials are being systematically explored. Composite specimens configured for various mechanical property tests are exposed to environmental conditions on aircraft in scheduled airline service, on racks at major airports, and to controlled environmental conditions in the laboratory. Results of tests following these exposures will identify critical parameters affecting composite durability, and correlation of the data will aid in developing methods for predicting durability. Interim results of these studies show that mass change of composite specimens on commercial aircraft depends upon the regional climate and season, and that mass loss from composite surfaces due to ultraviolet radiation can be largely prevented by aircraft paint.

  19. Pilot Ed Lewis with T-34C aircraft on ramp

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-03-04

    NASA pilot Ed Lewis with the T-34C aircraft on the Dryden Flight Research Center Ramp. The aircraft was previously used at the Lewis Research Center in propulsion experiments involving turboprop engines, and was used as a chase aircraft at Dryden for smaller and slower research projects. Chase aircraft accompany research flights for photography and video purposes, and also as support for safety and research. At Dryden, the T-34 is used mainly for smaller remotely piloted vehicles which fly slower than NASA's F-18's, used for larger scale projects. This aircraft was returned to the U.S. Navy in May of 2002.

  20. Noise of High Performance Aircraft at Afterburner

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-10

    Navy F18E and the Air Force F22 aircraft became available to the principal investigator. The present project is to analyze these data to identify...the end of the first year of this project (2015), we were able to clearly identify two new dominant noise components from the F22 at afterburner...F18E and F22 aircraft. Compare the noise spectra with those of laboratory hot supersonic jets. ii. Identify any new dominant noise components emitted

  1. Acceleration display system for aircraft zero-gravity research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Millis, Marc G.

    1987-01-01

    The features, design, calibration, and testing of Lewis Research Center's acceleration display system for aircraft zero-gravity research are described. Specific circuit schematics and system specifications are included as well as representative data traces from flown trajectories. Other observations learned from developing and using this system are mentioned where appropriate. The system, now a permanent part of the Lewis Learjet zero-gravity program, provides legible, concise, and necessary guidance information enabling pilots to routinely fly accurate zero-gravity trajectories. Regular use of this system resulted in improvements of the Learjet zero-gravity flight techniques, including a technique to minimize later accelerations. Lewis Gates Learjet trajectory data show that accelerations can be reliably sustained within 0.01 g for 5 consecutive seconds, within 0.02 g for 7 consecutive seconds, and within 0.04 g for up to 20 second. Lewis followed the past practices of acceleration measurement, yet focussed on the acceleration displays. Refinements based on flight experience included evolving the ranges, resolutions, and frequency responses to fit the pilot and the Learjet responses.

  2. 1999 LDRD Laboratory Directed Research and Development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rita Spencer; Kyle Wheeler

    This is the FY 1999 Progress Report for the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory. It gives an overview of the LDRD Program, summarizes work done on individual research projects, relates the projects to major Laboratory program sponsors, and provides an index to the principal investigators. Project summaries are grouped by their LDRD component: Competency Development, Program Development, and Individual Projects. Within each component, they are further grouped into nine technical categories: (1) materials science, (2) chemistry, (3) mathematics and computational science, (4) atomic, molecular, optical, and plasma physics, fluids, and particle beams, (5)more » engineering science, (6) instrumentation and diagnostics, (7) geoscience, space science, and astrophysics, (8) nuclear and particle physics, and (9) bioscience.« less

  3. Annoyance caused by aircraft en route noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccurdy, David A.

    1992-01-01

    A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify the annoyance response of people on the ground to enroute noise generated by aircraft at cruise conditions. The en route noises were ground level recordings of eight advanced turboprop aircraft flyovers and six conventional turbofan flyovers. The eight advanced turboprop enroute noises represented the NASA Propfan Test Assessment aircraft operating at different combinations of altitude, aircraft Mach number, and propeller tip speed. The conventional turbofan en route noises represented six different commercial airliners. The overall durations of the en route noises varied from approximately 40 to 160 sec. In the experiment, 32 subjects judged the annoyance of the en route noises as well as recordings of the takeoff and landing noises of each of 5 conventional turboprop and 5 conventional turbofan aircraft. Each of the noises was presented at three sound pressure levels to the subjects in an anechoic listening room. Analysis of the judgments found small differences in annoyance between three combinations of aircraft type and operation. Current tone and corrections did not significantly improve en route annoyance prediction. The optimum duration-correction magnitude for en route noise was approximately 1 dB per doubling of effective duration.

  4. Annoyance caused by aircraft en route noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCurdy, David A.

    1992-03-01

    A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify the annoyance response of people on the ground to enroute noise generated by aircraft at cruise conditions. The en route noises were ground level recordings of eight advanced turboprop aircraft flyovers and six conventional turbofan flyovers. The eight advanced turboprop enroute noises represented the NASA Propfan Test Assessment aircraft operating at different combinations of altitude, aircraft Mach number, and propeller tip speed. The conventional turbofan en route noises represented six different commercial airliners. The overall durations of the en route noises varied from approximately 40 to 160 sec. In the experiment, 32 subjects judged the annoyance of the en route noises as well as recordings of the takeoff and landing noises of each of 5 conventional turboprop and 5 conventional turbofan aircraft. Each of the noises was presented at three sound pressure levels to the subjects in an anechoic listening room. Analysis of the judgments found small differences in annoyance between three combinations of aircraft type and operation. Current tone and corrections did not significantly improve en route annoyance prediction. The optimum duration-correction magnitude for en route noise was approximately 1 dB per doubling of effective duration.

  5. Sources, control, and effects of noise from aircraft propellers and rotors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mixson, J. S.; Greene, G. C.; Dempsey, T. K.

    1981-01-01

    Recent NASA and NASA sponsored research on the prediction and control of propeller and rotor source noise, on the analysis and design of fuselage sidewall noise control treatments, and on the measurement and quantification of the response of passengers to aircraft noise is described. Source noise predictions are compared with measurements for conventional low speed propellers, for new high speed propellers (propfans), and for a helicopter. Results from a light aircraft demonstration program are considered which indicates that about 5 dB reduction of flyover noise can be obtained without significant performance penalty. Sidewall design studies are examined for interior noise control in light general aviation aircraft and in large transports using propfan propulsion. The weight of the added acoustic treatment is estimated and tradeoffs between weight and noise reduction are discussed. A laboratory study of passenger response to combined broadband and tonal propeller-like noise is described. Subject discomfort ratings of combined tone broadband noises are compared with ratings of broadband (boundary layer) noise alone and the relative importance of the propeller tones is examined.

  6. Noise of High-Performance Aircraft at Afterburner

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-07

    Naval Research Project Title : Noise of High-Performance Aircraft at Afterburner Principal Investigator Dr. Christopher Tam Department...to 08/14/2015 Noise of High-Performance Aircraft at Afterburner Tam, Christopher Sponsored Research Administratiion Florida State University

  7. X-Wing Research Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1986-01-01

    One of the most unusual experimental flight vehicles appearing at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center) in the 1980s was the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) X-Wing aircraft, seen here on the ramp. The craft was developed originally and then modified by Sikorsky Aircraft for a joint NASA-Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program and was rolled out 19 August 1986. Taxi tests and initial low-altitude flight tests without the main rotor attached were carried out at Dryden before the program was terminated in 1988. The unusual aircraft that resulted from the Ames Research Center/Army X-Wing Project was flown at the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (now Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, beginning in the spring of 1984, with a follow-on program beginning in 1986. The program, was conceived to provide an efficient combination of the vertical lift characteristic of conventional helicopters and the high cruise speed of fixed-wing aircraft. It consisted of a hybrid vehicle called the NASA/Army Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA), which was equipped with advanced X-wing rotor systems. The program began in the early 1970s to investigate ways to increase the speed of rotor aircraft, as well as their performance, reliability, and safety . It also sought to reduce the noise, vibration, and maintenance costs of helicopters. Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Technologies Laboratories built two RSRA aircraft. NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, did some initial testing and transferred the program to Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, for an extensive flight research program conducted by Ames and the Army. The purpose of the 1984 tests was to demonstrate the fixed-wing capability of the helicopter/airplane hybrid research vehicle and explore its flight envelope and flying qualities. These tests, flown by Ames pilot G. Warren Hall and Army Maj (soon

  8. Factors influencing aircraft ground handling performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yager, T. J.

    1983-01-01

    Problems associated with aircraft ground handling operations on wet runways are discussed and major factors which influence tire/runway braking and cornering traction capability are identified including runway characteristics, tire hydroplaning, brake system anomalies, and pilot inputs. Research results from tests with instrumented ground vehicles and aircraft, and aircraft wet runway accident investigation are summarized to indicate the effects of different aircraft, tire, and runway parameters. Several promising means are described for improving tire/runway water drainage capability, brake system efficiency, and pilot training to help optimize aircraft traction performance on wet runways.

  9. Virtual Instruction: A Qualitative Research Laboratory Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stadtlander, Lee M.; Giles, Martha J.

    2010-01-01

    Online graduate programs in psychology are becoming common; however, a concern has been whether instructors in the programs provide adequate research mentoring. One issue surrounding research mentoring is the absence of research laboratories in the virtual university. Students attending online universities often do research without peer or lab…

  10. The Use of In-service Passenger Aircraft for Measuring Atmospheric Composition on a Global Scale : the European Research Infrastructure IAGOS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blot, R.; Nedelec, P.; Petetin, H.; Thouret, V.; Cohen, Y.

    2017-12-01

    The In-Service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS; http://www.iagos.org) is an European Research Infrastructure that provides cost-effective global atmospheric composition measurements at high resolution using commercial passenger aircraft. It is the continuation of the MOZAIC (1994-2014) and the CARIBIC (since 1997) programs that has provided a unique scientific database using 6 aircraft operated by European airlines over two decades. Thanks to growing interests of several international Airlines to contribute to the academic climate research, the IAGOS aircraft fleet (started in 2011), with the IAGOS-CORE basic instrumentation, has expanded to 9 Airbus A340/A330 aircraft up to now. Here, we present this IAGOS-CORE instrumentation that continuously sample carbon monoxide, ozone, water vapor and cloud droplets. We focus on carbon monoxide and ozone measurements which are performed by optimized, but well known, methods such as UV absorption and IR correlation. We describe the data processing/validation and the data quality control. With already more than 20 and 15 years of continuous ozone and carbon monoxide measurements, respectively, the IAGOS/MOZAIC data are particularly suitable for climatologies and trends. Also, since commercial aircraft are daily operated, the near-real time IAGOS-CORE data are also used to observe pollution plumes and to validate air-quality models as well as satellite products.

  11. Current safety practices in nano-research laboratories in China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Can; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Guoyu

    2014-06-01

    China has become a key player in the global nanotechnology field, however, no surveys have specifically examined safety practices in the Chinese nano-laboratories in depth. This study reports results of a survey of 300 professionals who work in research laboratories that handle nanomaterials in China. We recruited participants at three major nano-research laboratories (which carry out research in diverse fields such as chemistry, material science, and biology) and the nano-chemistry session of the national meeting of the Chinese Chemical Society. Results show that almost all nano-research laboratories surveyed had general safety regulations, whereas less than one third of respondents reported having nanospecific safety rules. General safety measures were in place in most surveyed nano-research laboratories, while nanospecific protective measures existed or were implemented less frequently. Several factors reported from the scientific literature including nanotoxicology knowledge gaps, technical limitations on estimating nano-exposure, and the lack of nano-occupational safety legislation may contribute to the current state of affairs. With these factors in mind and embracing the precautionary principle, we suggest strengthening or providing nanosafety training (including raising risk awareness) and establishing nanosafety guidelines in China, to better protect personnel in the nano-workplace.

  12. Experimental Validation of PALM - A System for Precise Aircraft Location

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1975-04-29

    resulting ellipse on an airport plan view. In Fig. 8, we plot this upper bound for two cases at runway 13L at JFK airport . The two cases are: 1. Aircraft...Laboratory have shown that within a 30-mile range of JFK airport in New York there are likely to be as many as 55 transponder equipped aircraft. For

  13. Flight assessment of a large supersonic drone aircraft for research use

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eckstrom, C. V.; Peele, E. L.

    1974-01-01

    An assessment is made of the capabilities of the BQM-34E supersonic drone aircraft as a test bed research vehicle. This assessment is made based on a flight conducted for the purpose of obtaining flight test measurements of wing loads at various maneuver flight conditions. Flight plan preparation, flight simulation, and conduct of the flight test are discussed along with a presentation of the test data obtained and an evaluation of how closely the flight test followed the test plan.

  14. An experimental and analytical method for approximate determination of the tilt rotor research aircraft rotor/wing download

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jordon, D. E.; Patterson, W.; Sandlin, D. R.

    1985-01-01

    The XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft download phenomenon was analyzed. This phenomenon is a direct result of the two rotor wakes impinging on the wing upper surface when the aircraft is in the hover configuration. For this study the analysis proceeded along tow lines. First was a method whereby results from actual hover tests of the XV-15 aircraft were combined with drag coefficient results from wind tunnel tests of a wing that was representative of the aircraft wing. Second, an analytical method was used that modeled that airflow caused gy the two rotors. Formulas were developed in such a way that acomputer program could be used to calculate the axial velocities were then used in conjunction with the aforementioned wind tunnel drag coefficinet results to produce download values. An attempt was made to validate the analytical results by modeling a model rotor system for which direct download values were determinrd..

  15. Science and Technology: The Making of the Air Force Research Laboratory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-01-01

    AFRL . . . . . . . . . . . 187 11 Air Force Research Laboratory : Before and After...United States Air Force during my tenure as chief of staff—the crea - tion of the Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ). As the “high technology” service...consolidate four existing laboratories into one Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) designed to lead to a more efficient and streamlined

  16. USAF Summer Research Program - 1993 Graduate Student Research Program Final Reports, Volume 8, Phillips Laboratory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-12-01

    Research Program Phillips Laboratory Kirtland Air Force Base Albuquerque, New Mexico Sponsored by: Air ...Summer Research Program Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico...UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM -- 1993 SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM FINAL REPORTS VOLUME 8

  17. Daedalus Project's Light Eagle - Human powered aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1987-01-01

    The Michelob Light Eagle is seen here in flight over Rogers Dry Lake at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The Light Eagle and Daedalus human powered aircraft were testbeds for flight research conducted at Dryden between January 1987 and March 1988. These unique aircraft were designed and constructed by a group of students, professors, and alumni of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology within the context of the Daedalus project. The construction of the Light Eagle and Daedalus aircraft was funded primarily by the Anheuser Busch and United Technologies Corporations, respectively, with additional support from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, MIT, and a number of other sponsors. To celebrate the Greek myth of Daedalus, the man who constructed wings of wax and feathers to escape King Minos, the Daedalus project began with the goal of designing, building and testing a human-powered aircraft that could fly the mythical distance, 115 km. To achieve this goal, three aircraft were constructed. The Light Eagle was the prototype aircraft, weighing 92 pounds. On January 22, 1987, it set a closed course distance record of 59 km, which still stands. Also in January of 1987, the Light Eagle was powered by Lois McCallin to set the straight distance, the distance around a closed circuit, and the duration world records for the female division in human powered vehicles. Following this success, two more aircraft were built, the Daedalus 87 and Daedalus 88. Each aircraft weighed approximately 69 pounds. The Daedalus 88 aircraft was the ship that flew the 199 km from the Iraklion Air Force Base on Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, to the island of Santorini in 3 hours, 54 minutes. In the process, the aircraft set new records in distance and endurance for a human powered aircraft. The specific areas of flight research conducted at Dryden included characterizing the rigid body and flexible dynamics of the Light Eagle, investigating sensors for an

  18. Biological and Physical Space Research Laboratory 2002 Science Review

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Curreri, P. A. (Editor); Robinson, M. B. (Editor); Murphy, K. L. (Editor)

    2003-01-01

    With the International Space Station Program approaching core complete, our NASA Headquarters sponsor, the new Code U Enterprise, Biological and Physical Research, is shifting its research emphasis from purely fundamental microgravity and biological sciences to strategic research aimed at enabling human missions beyond Earth orbit. Although we anticipate supporting microgravity research on the ISS for some time to come, our laboratory has been vigorously engaged in developing these new strategic research areas.This Technical Memorandum documents the internal science research at our laboratory as presented in a review to Dr. Ann Whitaker, MSFC Science Director, in July 2002. These presentations have been revised and updated as appropriate for this report. It provides a snapshot of the internal science capability of our laboratory as an aid to other NASA organizations and the external scientific community.

  19. Neural networks for aircraft control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Linse, Dennis

    1990-01-01

    Current research in Artificial Neural Networks indicates that networks offer some potential advantages in adaptation and fault tolerance. This research is directed at determining the possible applicability of neural networks to aircraft control. The first application will be to aircraft trim. Neural network node characteristics, network topology and operation, neural network learning and example histories using neighboring optimal control with a neural net are discussed.

  20. Modeling Programs Increase Aircraft Design Safety

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2012-01-01

    Flutter may sound like a benign word when associated with a flag in a breeze, a butterfly, or seaweed in an ocean current. When used in the context of aerodynamics, however, it describes a highly dangerous, potentially deadly condition. Consider the case of the Lockheed L-188 Electra Turboprop, an airliner that first took to the skies in 1957. Two years later, an Electra plummeted to the ground en route from Houston to Dallas. Within another year, a second Electra crashed. In both cases, all crew and passengers died. Lockheed engineers were at a loss as to why the planes wings were tearing off in midair. For an answer, the company turned to NASA s Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) at Langley Research Center. At the time, the newly renovated wind tunnel offered engineers the capability of testing aeroelastic qualities in aircraft flying at transonic speeds near or just below the speed of sound. (Aeroelasticity is the interaction between aerodynamic forces and the structural dynamics of an aircraft or other structure.) Through round-the-clock testing in the TDT, NASA and industry researchers discovered the cause: flutter. Flutter occurs when aerodynamic forces acting on a wing cause it to vibrate. As the aircraft moves faster, certain conditions can cause that vibration to multiply and feed off itself, building to greater amplitudes until the flutter causes severe damage or even the destruction of the aircraft. Flutter can impact other structures as well. Famous film footage of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington in 1940 shows the main span of the bridge collapsing after strong winds generated powerful flutter forces. In the Electra s case, faulty engine mounts allowed a type of flutter known as whirl flutter, generated by the spinning propellers, to transfer to the wings, causing them to vibrate violently enough to tear off. Thanks to the NASA testing, Lockheed was able to correct the Electra s design flaws that led to the flutter conditions and return the

  1. Follow on Researches for X-56A Aircraft at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (Progress Report)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pak, Chan-Gi

    2012-01-01

    A lot of composite materials are used for the modern aircraft to reduce its weight. Aircraft aeroservoelastic models are typically characterized by significant levels of model parameter uncertainty due to composite manufacturing process. Small modeling errors in the finite element model will eventually induce errors in the structural flexibility and mass, thus propagating into unpredictable errors in the unsteady aerodynamics and the control law design. One of the primary objectives of X-56A aircraft is the flight demonstration of active flutter suppression, and therefore in this study, the identification of the primary and secondary modes is based on the flutter analysis of X-56A aircraft. It should be noted that for all three Mach number cases rigid body modes and mode numbers seven and nine are participated 89.1 92.4 % of the first flutter mode. Modal participation of the rigid body mode and mode numbers seven and nine for the second flutter mode are 94.6 96.4%. Rigid body mode and the first two anti-symmetric modes, eighth and tenth modes, are participated 93.2 94.6% of the third flutter mode. Therefore, rigid body modes and the first four flexible modes of X-56A aircraft are the primary modes during the model tuning procedure. The ground vibration test-validated structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A aircraft is to obtain in this study. The structural dynamics finite element model of X-56A aircraft is improved using the parallelized big-bang big-crunch algorithm together with a hybrid optimization technique.

  2. Wright R–2600–8 Engine in the Engine Propeller Research Building

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1943-03-21

    A Wright Aeronautical R–2600 Cyclone piston engine installed in the Engine Propeller Research Building, or Prop House, at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. The R–2600 was among the most powerful engines that emerged during World War II. The engine, which was developed for commercial applications in 1939, was used to power the North American B–25 bomber and several other midsize military aircraft. The higher altitudes required by the military caused problems with the engine's cooling and fuel systems. The military requested that the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory analyze the performance of the R–2600, improve its cooling system, and reduce engine knock. The NACA researchers subjected the engine to numerous tests in its Prop House. The R–2600 was the subject of the laboratory's first technical report, which was written by members of the Fuels and Lubricants Division. The Prop House contained soundproof test cells in which piston engines and propellers were mounted and operated at high powers. Electrically driven fans drew air through ducts to create a stream of cooling air over the engines. Researchers tested the performance of fuels, turbochargers, water-injection and cooling systems here during World War II. The facility was also investigated a captured German V–I buzz bomb during the war.

  3. A real-time, dual processor simulation of the rotor system research aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mackie, D. B.; Alderete, T. S.

    1977-01-01

    A real-time, man-in-the loop, simulation of the rotor system research aircraft (RSRA) was conducted. The unique feature of this simulation was that two digital computers were used in parallel to solve the equations of the RSRA mathematical model. The design, development, and implementation of the simulation are documented. Program validation was discussed, and examples of data recordings are given. This simulation provided an important research tool for the RSRA project in terms of safe and cost-effective design analysis. In addition, valuable knowledge concerning parallel processing and a powerful simulation hardware and software system was gained.

  4. The IAGOS Information System: From the aircraft measurements to the users.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boulanger, Damien; Thouret, Valérie; Cammas, Jean-Pierre; Petzold, Andreas; Volz-Thomas, Andreas; Gerbig, Christoph; Brenninkmeijer, Carl A. M.

    2013-04-01

    IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System, http://www.iagos.org) aims at the provision of long-term, frequent, regular, accurate, and spatially resolved in-situ observations of atmospheric chemical composition throughout the troposphere and in the UTLS. It builds on almost 20 years of scientific and technological expertise gained in the research projects MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapour on Airbus In-service Aircraft) and CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container). The European consortium includes research centres, universities, national weather services, airline operators and aviation industry. IAGOS consists of two complementary building blocks proving a unique global observation system: IAGOS-CORE deploys newly developed instrumentation for regular in-situ measurements of atmospheric chemical species both reactive and greenhouse gases (O3, CO, NOx, NOy, H2O, CO2, CH4), aerosols and cloud particles. In IAGOS-CARIBIC a cargo container is deployed monthly as a flying laboratory aboard one aircraft. Involved airlines ensure global operation of the network. Today, 5 aircraft are flying with the MOZAIC (3) or IAGOS-CORE (2) instrumentation namely 3 aircraft from Lufthansa, 1 from Air Namibia, and 1 from China Airlines Taiwan. A main improvement and new aspect of the IAGOS-CORE instrumentation compared to MOZAIC is to deliver the raw data in near real time (i.e. as soon as the aircraft lands data are transmitted). After a first and quick validation of the O3 and CO measurements, preliminary data are made available in the central database for both the MACC project (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate) and scientific research groups. In addition to recorded measurements, the database also contains added-value products such as meteorological information (tropopause height, air mass backtrajectories) and lagrangian model outputs (FLEXPART). Data access is handled by open

  5. The Use of a Satellite Communications System for Command and Control of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Surrogate Unmanned Aerial System Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howell, Charles T.; Jones, Frank; Hutchinson, Brian; Joyce, Claude; Nelson, Skip; Melum, Mike

    2017-01-01

    The NASA Langley Research Center has transformed a Cirrus Design SR22 general aviation (GA) aircraft into an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Surrogate research aircraft which has served for several years as a platform for unmanned systems research and development. The aircraft is manned with a Safety Pilot and a Research Systems Operator (RSO) that allows for flight operations almost any-where in the national airspace system (NAS) without the need for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Authorization (COA). The UAS Surrogate can be remotely controlled from a modular, transportable ground control station (GCS) like a true UAS. Ground control of the aircraft is accomplished by the use of data links that allow the two-way passage of the required data to control the aircraft and provide the GCS with situational awareness. The original UAS Surrogate data-link system was composed of redundant very high frequency (VHF) data radio modems with a maximum range of approximately 40 nautical miles. A new requirement was developed to extend this range beyond visual range (BVR). This new requirement led to the development of a satellite communications system that provided the means to command and control the UAS Surrogate at ranges beyond the limits of the VHF data links. The system makes use of the Globalstar low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications system. This paper will provide details of the development, implementation, and flight testing of the satellite data communications system on the UAS Surrogate research aircraft.

  6. Missile airframe simulation testbed: MANPADS (MAST-M) for test and evaluation of aircraft survivability equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clements, Jim; Robinson, Richard; Bunt, Leslie; Robinson, Joe

    2011-06-01

    A number of techniques have been utilized to evaluate the performance of Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) against threat Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). These techniques include flying actual threat MANPADS against stationary ASE with simulated aircraft signatures, testing installed ASE systems against simulated threat signatures, and laboratory hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing with simulated aircraft and simulated missile signatures. All of these tests lack the realism of evaluating installed ASE against in-flight MANPADS on a terminal homing intercept path toward the actual ASE equipped aircraft. This limitation is due primarily to the current inability to perform non-destructive MANPADS/Aircraft flight testing. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research and Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) is working to overcome this limitation with the development of a recoverable surrogate MANPADS missile system capable of engaging aircraft equipped with ASE while guaranteeing collision avoidance with the test aircraft. Under its Missile Airframe Simulation Testbed - MANPADS (MAST-M) program, the AMRDEC is developing a surrogate missile system which will utilize actual threat MANPADS seeker/guidance sections to control the flight of a surrogate missile which will perform a collision avoidance and recovery maneuver prior to intercept to insure non-destructive test and evaluation of the ASE and reuse of the MANPADS seeker/guidance section. The remainder of this paper provides an overview of this development program and intended use.

  7. Wet runways. [aircraft landing and directional control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Horne, W. B.

    1975-01-01

    Aircraft stopping and directional control performance on wet runways is discussed. The major elements affecting tire/ground traction developed by jet transport aircraft are identified and described in terms of atmospheric, pavement, tire, aircraft system and pilot performance factors or parameters. Research results are summarized, and means for improving or restoring tire traction/aircraft performance on wet runways are discussed.

  8. Research and the planned Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Original photo and caption dated June 22, 1988: 'A dwarf wheat variety known as Yecoro Rojo flourishes in KSC's Biomass Production Chamber. Researchers are gathering information on the crop's ability to produce food, water and oxygen, and then remove carbon dioxide. The confined quarters associated with space travel require researchers to focus on smaller plants that yield proportionately large amounts of biomass. This wheat crop takes about 85 days to grow before harvest.' Plant experiments such as this are the type of life sciences research that will be conducted at the Space Experiment Research Procession Laboratory (SERPL). The SERPL is a planned 100,000-square-foot laboratory that will provide expanded and upgraded facilities for hosting International Space Station experiment processing. In addition, it will provide better support for other biological and life sciences payload processing at KSC. It will serve as a magnet facility for a planned 400-acre Space Station Commerce Park.

  9. Pulsed Holographic Nondestructive Testing On Aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fagot, Hubert; Smigielski, Paul; Albe, Felix; Arnaud, Jean-Louis

    1983-06-01

    An holographic camera composed of two ruby lasers was built at ISL. It provides double exposure holograms with an adjustable time interval ranging from few ns to infinity. Various aircraft structures were first tested at ISL in laboratory conditions: honeycomb panels, wings ... The industrial tests on a military aircraft in maintenance checking were performed in a hangar of the SNIAS at Saint-Nazaire: wings, trap-door of the rear landing gear, air-brake... Electromechanical shocks were used to make the structure vibrate and to allow a fast trigger of the lasers. This avoids disturbance due to ambiant noises and vibrations.

  10. Our Story | Materials Research Laboratory at UCSB: an NSF MRSEC

    Science.gov Websites

    this site Materials Research Laboratory at UCSB: an NSF MRSEC logo Materials Research Laboratory at & Workshops Visitor Info Research IRG-1: Magnetic Intermetallic Mesostructures IRG 2: Polymeric Seminars Publications MRL Calendar Facilities Computing Energy Research Facility Microscopy &

  11. ALADINA - an unmanned research aircraft for observing vertical and horizontal distributions of ultrafine particles within the atmospheric boundary layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Altstädter, B.; Platis, A.; Wehner, B.; Scholtz, A.; Lampert, A.; Wildmann, N.; Hermann, M.; Käthner, R.; Bange, J.; Baars, H.

    2014-12-01

    This paper presents the unmanned research aircraft Carolo P360 "ALADINA" (Application of Light-weight Aircraft for Detecting IN-situ Aerosol) for investigating the horizontal and vertical distribution of ultrafine particles in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). It has a wingspan of 3.6 m, a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg and is equipped with aerosol instrumentation and meteorological sensors. A first application of the system, together with the unmanned research aircraft MASC (Multi-Purpose Airborne Carrier) of the Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen (EKUT), is described. As small payload for ALADINA, two condensation particle counters (CPC) and one optical particle counter (OPC) were miniaturized by re-arranging the vital parts and composing them in a space saving way in the front compartment of the airframe. The CPCs are improved concerning the lower detection threshold and the response time. Each system was characterized in the laboratory and calibrated with test aerosols. The CPCs are operated with two different lower detection threshold diameters of 6 and 18 nm. The amount of ultrafine particles, which is an indicator for new particle formation, is derived from the difference in number concentrations of the two CPCs. Turbulence and thermodynamic structure of the boundary layer are described by measurements of fast meteorological sensors that are mounted at the aircraft nose. A first demonstration of ALADINA and a feasibility study were conducted in Melpitz near Leipzig, Germany, at the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station of the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) on two days in October 2013. There, various ground-based instruments are installed for long-term atmospheric monitoring. The ground-based infrastructure provides valuable additional background information to embed the flights in the continuous atmospheric context and is used for validation of the airborne results. The development of the boundary layer, derived from

  12. Progress in supersonic cruise aircraft technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Driver, C.

    1978-01-01

    The supersonic cruise aircraft research program identified significant improvements in the technology areas of propulsion, aerodynamics, structures, takeoff and landing procedures, and advanced configuration concepts. Application of these technology areas to a commercial aircraft is discussed. An advanced SST family of aircraft which may be environmentally acceptable, have flexible range-payload capability, and be economically viable is projected.

  13. Turboprop aircraft against terrorism: a SWOT analysis of turboprop aircraft in CAS operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yavuz, Murat; Akkas, Ali; Aslan, Yavuz

    2012-06-01

    Today, the threat perception is changing. Not only for countries but also for defence organisations like NATO, new threat perception is pointing terrorism. Many countries' air forces become responsible of fighting against terorism or Counter-Insurgency (COIN) Operations. Different from conventional warfare, alternative weapon or weapon systems are required for such operatioins. In counter-terrorism operations modern fighter jets are used as well as helicopters, subsonic jets, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), turboprop aircraft, baloons and similar platforms. Succes and efficiency of the use of these platforms can be determined by evaluating the conditions, the threats and the area together. Obviously, each platform has advantages and disadvantages for different cases. In this research, examples of turboprop aircraft usage against terrorism and with a more general approach, turboprop aircraft for Close Air Support (CAS) missions from all around the world are reviewed. In this effort, a closer look is taken at the countries using turboprop aircraft in CAS missions while observing the fields these aircraft are used in, type of operations, specifications of the aircraft, cost and the maintenance factors. Thus, an idea about the convenience of using these aircraft in such operations can be obtained. A SWOT analysis of turboprop aircraft in CAS operations is performed. This study shows that turboprop aircraft are suitable to be used in counter-terrorism and COIN operations in low threat environment and is cost benefical compared to jets.

  14. The Johns Hopkins Hunterian Laboratory Philosophy: Mentoring Students in a Scientific Neurosurgical Research Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Tyler, Betty M; Liu, Ann; Sankey, Eric W; Mangraviti, Antonella; Barone, Michael A; Brem, Henry

    2016-06-01

    After over 50 years of scientific contribution under the leadership of Harvey Cushing and later Walter Dandy, the Johns Hopkins Hunterian Laboratory entered a period of dormancy between the 1960s and early 1980s. In 1984, Henry Brem reinstituted the Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, with a new focus on localized delivery of therapies for brain tumors, leading to several discoveries such as new antiangiogenic agents and Gliadel chemotherapy wafers for the treatment of malignant gliomas. Since that time, it has been the training ground for 310 trainees who have dedicated their time to scientific exploration in the lab, resulting in numerous discoveries in the area of neurosurgical research. The Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory has been a unique example of successful mentoring in a translational research environment. The laboratory's philosophy emphasizes mentorship, independence, self-directed learning, creativity, and people-centered collaboration, while maintaining productivity with a focus on improving clinical outcomes. This focus has been served by the diverse backgrounds of its trainees, both in regard to educational status as well as culturally. Through this philosophy and strong legacy of scientific contribution, the Hunterian Laboratory has maintained a positive and productive research environment that supports highly motivated students and trainees. In this article, the authors discuss the laboratory's training philosophy, linked to the principles of adult learning (andragogy), as well as the successes and the limitations of including a wide educational range of students in a neurosurgical translational laboratory and the phenomenon of combining clinical expertise with rigorous scientific training.

  15. B-52 Launch Aircraft in Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    NASA's venerable B-52 mothership is seen here photographed from a KC-135 Tanker aircraft. The X-43 adapter is visible attached to the right wing. The B-52, used for launching experimental aircraft and for other flight research projects, has been a familiar sight in the skies over Edwards for more than 40 years and is also both the oldest B-52 still flying and the aircraft with the lowest flight time of any B-52. NASA B-52, Tail Number 008, is an air launch carrier aircraft, 'mothership,' as well as a research aircraft platform that has been used on a variety of research projects. The aircraft, a 'B' model built in 1952 and first flown on June 11, 1955, is the oldest B-52 in flying status and has been used on some of the most significant research projects in aerospace history. Some of the significant projects supported by B-52 008 include the X-15, the lifting bodies, HiMAT (highly maneuverable aircraft technology), Pegasus, validation of parachute systems developed for the space shuttle program (solid-rocket-booster recovery system and the orbiter drag chute system), and the X-38. The B-52 served as the launch vehicle on 106 X-15 flights and flew a total of 159 captive-carry and launch missions in support of that program from June 1959 to October 1968. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo human spaceflight programs as well as space shuttle development. Between 1966 and 1975, the B-52 served as the launch aircraft for 127 of the 144 wingless lifting body flights. In the 1970s and 1980s, the B-52 was the launch aircraft for several aircraft at what is now the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to study spin-stall, high-angle-of attack, and maneuvering characteristics. These included the 3/8-scale F-15/spin research vehicle (SRV), the HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) research vehicle, and the DAST (drones for aerodynamic and structural testing). The aircraft supported

  16. Subsonic Aircraft Safety Icing Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Sharon Monica; Reveley, Mary S.; Evans, Joni K.; Barrientos, Francesca A.

    2008-01-01

    NASA's Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) Project is one of four projects within the agency s Aviation Safety Program (AvSafe) in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). The IRAC Project, which was redesigned in the first half of 2007, conducts research to advance the state of the art in aircraft control design tools and techniques. A "Key Decision Point" was established for fiscal year 2007 with the following expected outcomes: document the most currently available statistical/prognostic data associated with icing for subsonic transport, summarize reports by subject matter experts in icing research on current knowledge of icing effects on control parameters and establish future requirements for icing research for subsonic transports including the appropriate alignment. This study contains: (1) statistical analyses of accident and incident data conducted by NASA researchers for this "Key Decision Point", (2) an examination of icing in other recent statistically based studies, (3) a summary of aviation safety priority lists that have been developed by various subject-matter experts, including the significance of aircraft icing research in these lists and (4) suggested future requirements for NASA icing research. The review of several studies by subject-matter experts was summarized into four high-priority icing research areas. Based on the Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) Project goals and objectives, the IRAC project was encouraged to conduct work in all of the high-priority icing research areas that were identified, with the exception of the developing of methods to sense and document actual icing conditions.

  17. Aging aircraft NDI Development and Demonstration Center (AANC): An overview. [nondestructive inspection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walter, Patrick L.

    1992-01-01

    A major center with emphasis on validation of nondestructive inspection (NDI) techniques for aging aircraft, the Aging Aircraft NDI Development and Demonstration Center (AANC), has been funded by the FAA at Sandia National Laboratories. The Center has been assigned specific tasks in developing techniques for the nondestructive inspection of static engine parts, assessing inspection reliability (POD experiments), developing testbeds for NDI validation, maintaining a FAA library of characterized aircraft structural test specimens, and leasing a hangar to house a high flight cycle transport aircraft for use as a full scale test bed.

  18. USAF Summer Research Program - 1993 Summer Research Extension Program Final Reports, Volume 2, Phillips Laboratory

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-11-01

    Research Extension Program Phillips Laboratory Kirtland Air Force Base Sponsored by: Air Force Office of Scientific Research Boiling Air Force Base...Program Phillips Laboratory Sponsored by: Air Force Office of Scientific Research Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. and Arkansas Tech University...Summer Research Extension Program (SREP) Phillips

  19. 150 Passenger Commercial Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bucovsky, Adrian; Romli, Fairuz I.; Rupp, Jessica

    2002-01-01

    It has been projected that the need for a short-range mid-sized, aircraft is increasing. The future strategy to decrease long-haul flights will increase the demand for short-haul flights. Since passengers prefer to meet their destinations quickly, airlines will increase the frequency of flights, which will reduce the passenger load on the aircraft. If a point-to-point flight is not possible, passengers will prefer only a one-stop short connecting flight to their final destination. A 150-passenger aircraft is an ideal vehicle for these situations. It is mid-sized aircraft and has a range of 3000 nautical miles. This type of aircraft would market U.S. domestic flights or inter-European flight routes. The objective of the design of the 150-passenger aircraft is to minimize fuel consumption. The configuration of the aircraft must be optimized. This aircraft must meet CO2 and NOx emissions standards with minimal acquisition price and operating costs. This report contains all the work that has been performed for the completion of the design of a 150 passenger commercial aircraft. The methodology used is the Technology Identification, Evaluation, and Selection (TIES) developed at Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design laboratory (ASDL). This is an eight-step conceptual design process to evaluate the probability of meeting the design constraints. This methodology also allows for the evaluation of new technologies to be implemented into the design. The TIES process begins with defining the problem with a need established and a market targeted. With the customer requirements set and the target values established, a baseline concept is created. Next, the design space is explored to determine the feasibility and viability of the baseline aircraft configuration. If the design is neither feasible nor viable, new technologies can be implemented to open up the feasible design space and allow for a plausible solution. After the new technologies are identified, they must be evaluated

  20. Integrated controls pay-off. [for flight/propulsion aircraft systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Putnam, Terrill W.; Christiansen, Richard S.

    1989-01-01

    It is shown that the integration of the propulsion and flight control systems for high performance aircraft can help reduce pilot workload while simultaneously increasing overall aircraft performance. Results of the Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control (HiDEC) flight research program are presented to demonstrate the emerging payoffs of controls integration. Ways in which the performance of fighter aircraft can be improved through the use of propulsion for primary aircraft control are discussed. Research being conducted by NASA with the F-18 High Angle-of Attack Research Vehicle is described.

  1. Ground vibration test of the XV-15 Tiltrotor Research Aircraft and pretest predictions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Studebaker, Karen; Abrego, Anita

    1994-01-01

    The first comprehensive ground vibration survey was performed on the XV-15 Tiltrotor Research Aircraft to measure the vibration modes of the airframe and to provide data critical for determining whirl flutter stability margins. The aircraft was suspended by the wings with bungee cords and cables. A NASTRAN finite element model was used in the design of the suspension system to minimize its interference with the wing modes. The primary objective of the test was to measure the dynamic characteristics of the wings and pylons for aeroelastic stability analysis. In addition, over 130 accelerometers were placed on the airframe to characterize the fuselage, wing, and tail vibration. Pretest predictions were made with the NASTRAN model as well as correlations with the test data. The results showed that the suspension system provided the isolation necessary for modal measurements.

  2. Air Force Research Laboratory Success Stories. A Review of 2003

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    Metal -Polymer Hybrid Signal Wiring for Aircraft and Spacecraft 27 Engineers Develop First Response Expeditionary Fire Vehicle 28 Engineers Rapidly...operational committees. Mr. Bruce Rasmussen and Mr. Juan Calzada, of the directorate’s Metals , Ceramics, and Nondestructive Evaluation Division; Mr...be the solution, since they provided a more efficient method of running the depot operation. Researchers Develop High-Performance, Metal -Polymer

  3. Price Determination of General Aviation, Helicopter, and Transport Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, Joseph L.

    1978-01-01

    The NASA must assess its aeronautical research program with economic as well as performance measures. It thus is interested in what price a new technology aircraft would carry to make it attractive to the buyer. But what price a given airplane or helicopter will carry is largely a reflection of the manufacturer's assessment of the competitive market into which the new aircraft will be introduced. The manufacturer must weigh any new aerodynamic or system technology innovation he would add to an aircraft by the impact of this innovation upon the aircraft's economic attractiveness and price. The intent of this paper is to give price standards against which new technologies and the NASA's research program can be assessed. Using reported prices for general aviation, helicopter, and transport aircraft, price estimating relations in terms of engine and airframe characteristics have been developed. The relations are given in terms of the aircraft type, its manufactured empty weight, engine weight, horsepower or thrust. Factors for the effects of inflation are included to aid in making predictions of future aircraft prices. There are discussions of aircraft price in terms of number of passenger seats, airplane size and research and development costs related to an aircraft model, and indirectly as to how new technologies, aircraft complexity and inflation have affected these.

  4. Study of dynamics of X-14B VTOL aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loscutoff, W. V.; Mitchiner, J. L.; Roesener, R. A.; Seevers, J. A.

    1973-01-01

    Research was initiated to investigate certain facets of modern control theory and their integration with a digital computer to provide a tractable flight control system for a VTOL aircraft. Since the hover mode is the most demanding phase in the operation of a VTOL aircraft, the research efforts were concentrated in this mode of aircraft operation. Research work on three different aspects of the operation of the X-14B VTOL aircraft is discussed. A general theory for optimal, prespecified, closed-loop control is developed. The ultimate goal was optimal decoupling of the modes of the VTOL aircraft to simplify the pilot's task of handling the aircraft. Modern control theory is used to design deterministic state estimators which provide state variables not measured directly, but which are needed for state variable feedback control. The effect of atmospheric turbulence on the X-14B is investigated. A maximum magnitude gust envelope within which the aircraft could operate stably with the available control power is determined.

  5. Static noise tests on augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft (C8A Buffalo)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marrs, C. C.; Harkonen, D. L.; Okeefe, J. V.

    1974-01-01

    Results are presented for full scale ground static acoustic tests of over-area conical nozzles and a lobe nozzle installed on the Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft, a modified C8A Buffalo. The noise levels and spectrums of the test nozzles are compared against those of the standard conical nozzle now in use on the aircraft. Acoustic evaluations at 152 m (500 ft), 304 m (1000 ft), and 1216 m (4000 ft) are made at various engine power settings with the emphasis on approach and takeoff power. Appendix A contains the test log and propulsion calculations. Appendix B gives the original test plan, which was closely adhered to during the test. Appendix C describes the acoustic data recording and reduction systems, with calibration details.

  6. Tropical cyclones-Pacific Asian Research Campaign for Improvement of Intensity estimations/forecasts (T-PARCII): A research plan of typhoon aircraft observations in Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsuboki, Kazuhisa

    2017-04-01

    Typhoons are the most devastating weather system occurring in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea. Violent wind and heavy rainfall associated with a typhoon cause huge disaster in East Asia including Japan. In 2013, Supertyphoon Haiyan struck the Philippines caused a very high storm surge and more than 7000 people were killed. In 2015, two typhoons approached the main islands of Japan and severe flood occurred in the northern Kanto region. Typhoons are still the largest cause of natural disaster in East Asia. Moreover, many researches have projected increase of typhoon intensity with the climate change. This suggests that a typhoon risk is increasing in East Asia. However, the historical data of typhoon include large uncertainty. In particular, intensity data of the most intense typhoon category have larger error after the US aircraft reconnaissance of typhoon was terminated in 1987.The main objective of the present study is improvements of typhoon intensity estimations and of forecasts of intensity and track. We will perform aircraft observation of typhoon and the observed data are assimilated to numerical models to improve intensity estimation. Using radars and balloons, observations of thermodynamical and cloud-microphysical processes of typhoons will be also performed to improve physical processes of numerical model. In typhoon seasons (mostly in August and September), we will perform aircraft observations of typhoons. Using dropsondes from the aircraft, temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind are measured in surroundings of the typhoon inner core region. The dropsonde data are assimilated to a cloud-resolving model which has been developed in Nagoya University and named the Cloud Resolving Storm Simulator (CReSS). Then, more accurate estimations and forecasts of the typhoon intensity will be made as well as typhoon tracks. Furthermore, we will utilize a ground-based balloon with microscope camera, X-band precipitation radar, Ka-band cloud radar

  7. A survey of heating and turbulent boundary layer characteristics of several hypersonic research aircraft configurations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lawing, P. L.

    1981-01-01

    Four of the configurations investigated during a proposed NASA-Langley hypersonic research aircraft program were selected for phase-change-paint heat-transfer testing and forebody boundary layer pitot surveys. In anticipation of future hypersonic aircraft, both published and unpublished data and results are reviewed and presented with the purpose of providing a synoptic heat-transfer data base from the research effort. Engineering heat-transfer predictions are compared with experimental data on both a global and a local basis. The global predictions are shown to be sufficient for purposes of configuration development, and even the local predictions can be adequate when interpreted in light of the proper flow field. In that regard, cross flow in the forebody boundary layers was examined for significant heating and aerodynamic effect on the scramjet engines. A design philosophy which evolved from the research airplane effort is used to design a forebody shape that produces thin, uniform, forebody boundary layers on a hypersonic airbreathing missile. Finally, heating/boundary layer phenomena which are not predictable with state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques are shown and discussed.

  8. Solvent use in private research laboratories in Japan: comparison with the use in public research laboratories and on production floors in industries.

    PubMed

    Hanada, Takaaki; Zaitsu, Ai; Kojima, Satoshi; Ukai, Hirohiko; Nagasawa, Yasuhiro; Takada, Shiro; Kawakami, Takuya; Ohashi, Fumiko; Ikeda, Masayuki

    2014-01-01

    Solvents used in production facility-affiliated private laboratories have been seldomly reported. This study was initiated to specify solvent use characteristics in private laboratories in comparison with the use in public research laboratories and on production floors. Elucidation of the applicability of conclusions from a public laboratory survey to private institutions is not only of scientific interest but also of practical importance. A survey on use of 47 legally stipulated organic solvents was conducted. The results were compiled for April 2011 to March 2013. Through sorting, data were available for 479 unit workplaces in private laboratories. Similar sorting for April 2012 to March 2013 was conducted for public research laboratories (e.g., national universities) and production floors (in private enterprises) to obtain 621 and 937 cases, respectively. Sampling of workroom air followed by capillary gas-chromatographic analyses for solvents was conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements. More than one solvent was usually detected in the air of private laboratories. With regard to solvent types, acetone, methyl alcohol, chloroform and hexane were prevalently used in private laboratories, and this was similar to the case of public laboratories. Prevalent use of ethyl acetate was unique to private laboratories. Toluene use was less common both in private and public laboratories. The prevalence of administrative control class 1 (i.e., an adequately controlled environment) was higher in laboratories (both private and public) than production floors. Solvent use patterns are similar in private and public laboratories, except that the use of mixtures of solvents is substantially more popular in private laboratories than in public laboratories.

  9. A unique facility for V/STOL aircraft hover testing. [Langley Impact Dynamics Research Facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Culpepper, R. G.; Murphy, R. D.; Gillespie, E. A.; Lane, A. G.

    1979-01-01

    The Langley Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF) was modified to obtain static force and moment data and to allow assessment of aircraft handling qualities during dynamic tethered hover flight. Test probe procedures were also established. Static lift and control measurements obtained are presented along with results of limited dynamic tethered hover flight.

  10. NASA progress in aircraft noise prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Raney, J. P.; Padula, S. L.; Zorumski, W. E.

    1981-01-01

    Langley Research Center efforts to develop a methodology for predicting the effective perceived noise level (EPNL) produced by jet-powered CTOL aircraft to an accuracy of + or - 1.5 dB are summarized with emphasis on the aircraft noise prediction program (ANOPP) which contains a complete set of prediction methods for CTOL aircraft including propulsion system noise sources, aerodynamic or airframe noise sources, forward speed effects, a layered atmospheric model with molecular absorption, ground impedance effects including excess ground attenuation, and a received noise contouring capability. The present state of ANOPP is described and its accuracy and applicability to the preliminary aircraft design process is assessed. Areas are indicated where further theoretical and experimental research on noise prediction are needed. Topics covered include the elements of the noise prediction problem which are incorporated in ANOPP, results of comparisons of ANOPP calculations with measured noise levels, and progress toward treating noise as a design constraint in aircraft system studies.

  11. Aircraft Flutter Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    Wilmer Reed gained international recognition for his innovative research, contributions and patented ideas relating to flutter and aeroelasticity of aerospace vehicles at Langley Research Center. In the early 1980's, Reed retired from Langley and joined the engineering staff of Dynamic Engineering Inc. While at DEI, Reed conceived and patented the DEI Flutter Exciter, now used world-wide in flight flutter testing of new or modified aircraft designs. When activated, the DEI Flutter Exciter alternately deflects the airstream upward and downward in a rapid manner, creating a force similar to that produced by an oscillating trailing edge flap. The DEI Flutter Exciter is readily adaptable to a variety of aircraft.

  12. US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance 2014 Capstone Experiment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-07-01

    ARL-TR-7729 ● JULY 2016 US Army Research Laboratory US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance...TR-7729 ● JULY 2016 US Army Research Laboratory US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance 2014 Capstone...National Robotics Engineering Center, Pittsburgh, PA Robert Dean, Terence Keegan, and Chip Diberardino General Dynamics Land Systems, Westminster

  13. Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 2006 Annual Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sjoreen, Terrence P

    2007-04-01

    The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program reports its status to the US Departmental of Energy (DOE) in March of each year. The program operates under the authority of DOE Order 413.2B, 'Laboratory Directed Research and Development' (April 19, 2006), which establishes DOE's requirements for the program while providing the Laboratory Director broad flexibility for program implementation. LDRD funds are obtained through a charge to all Laboratory programs. This report includes summaries all ORNL LDRD research activities supported during FY 2006. The associated FY 2006 ORNL LDRD Self-Assessment (ORNL/PPA-2007/2) provides financial data about themore » FY 2006 projects and an internal evaluation of the program's management process.« less

  14. Nonclassical Flight Control for Unhealthy Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lu, Ping

    1997-01-01

    This research set out to investigate flight control of aircraft which has sustained damage in regular flight control effectors, due to jammed control surfaces or complete loss of hydraulic power. It is recognized that in such an extremely difficult situation unconventional measures may need to be taken to regain control and stability of the aircraft. Propulsion controlled aircraft (PCA) concept, initiated at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. represents a ground-breaking effort in this direction. In this approach, the engine is used as the only flight control effector in the rare event of complete loss of normal flight control system. Studies and flight testing conducted at NASA Dryden have confirmed the feasibility of the PCA concept. During the course of this research (March 98, 1997 to November 30, 1997), a comparative study has been done using the full nonlinear model of an F-18 aircraft. Linear controllers and nonlinear controllers based on a nonlinear predictive control method have been designed for normal flight control system and propulsion controlled aircraft. For the healthy aircraft with normal flight control, the study shows that an appropriately designed linear controller can perform as well as a nonlinear controller. On the other hand. when the normal flight control is lost and the engine is the only available means of flight control, a nonlinear PCA controller can significantly increase the size of the recoverable region in which the stability of the unstable aircraft can be attained by using only thrust modulation. The findings and controller design methods have been summarized in an invited paper entitled.

  15. Assessing the Impact of Aircraft Emissions on the Stratosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kawa, S. R.; Anderson, D. E.

    1999-01-01

    For the past decade, the NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP) has been the U.S. focal point for research on aircraft effects. In conjunction with U.S. basic research programs, AEAP and concurrent European research programs have driven remarkable progress reports released in 1999 [IPCC, 1999; Kawa et al., 1999]. The former report primarily focuses on aircraft effects in the upper troposphere, with some discussion on stratospheric impacts. The latter report focuses entirely on the stratosphere. The current status of research regarding aviation effects on stratospheric ozone and climate, as embodied by the findings of these reports, is reviewed. The following topics are addressed: Aircraft Emissions, Pollution Transport, Atmospheric Chemistry, Polar Processes, Climate Impacts of Supersonic Aircraft, Subsonic Aircraft Effect on the Stratosphere, Calculations of the Supersonic Impact on Ozone and Sensitivity to Input Conditions.

  16. Aircraft Drinking Water Rule Public Meetings and Summaries

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In developing the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, EPA used a collaborative process to obtain a broad range of views including the airlines, flight attendants, passengers, pilots, airports, laboratories, public health officials and environmental organizations

  17. Fish passage research: S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garebedian, Steve

    2008-01-01

    The Leetown Science Center’s S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific studies of fish passage and migration to define underlying principles and relationships of fish behavior and hydraulics, and to develop integrated, predictive research that can be applied to a wide range of fish passage problems.

  18. Airborne Synthetic Aperature Radar (AIRSAR) on left rear fuselage of DC-8 Airborne Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    A view of the Airborne Synthetic Aperature Radar (AIRSAR) antenna on the left rear fuselage of the DC-8. The AIRSAR captures images of the ground from the side of the aircraft and can provide precision digital elevation mapping capabilities for a variety of studies. The AIRSAR is one of a number of research systems that have been added to the DC-8. NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology.

  19. Alternative aircraft fuels technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grobman, J.

    1976-01-01

    NASA is studying the characteristics of future aircraft fuels produced from either petroleum or nonpetroleum sources such as oil shale or coal. These future hydrocarbon based fuels may have chemical and physical properties that are different from present aviation turbine fuels. This research is aimed at determining what those characteristics may be, how present aircraft and engine components and materials would be affected by fuel specification changes, and what changes in both aircraft and engine design would be required to utilize these future fuels without sacrificing performance, reliability, or safety. This fuels technology program was organized to include both in-house and contract research on the synthesis and characterization of fuels, component evaluations of combustors, turbines, and fuel systems, and, eventually, full-scale engine demonstrations. A review of the various elements of the program and significant results obtained so far are presented.

  20. Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Assessment for FY 2008

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Looney, J P; Fox, K J

    2008-03-31

    Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a multidisciplinary Laboratory that carries out basic and applied research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, and in selected energy technologies. It is managed by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC, (BSA) under contract with the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). BNL's Fiscal Year 2008 spending was $531.6 million. There are approximately 2,800 employees, and another 4,300 guest scientists and students who come each year to use the Laboratory's facilities and work with the staff. The BNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) annuallymore » in March, as required by DOE Order 413.2B, 'Laboratory Directed Research and Development,' April 19, 2006, and the Roles, Responsibilities, and Guidelines for Laboratory Directed Research and Development at the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratories dated June 13, 2006. The goals and objectives of BNL's LDRD Program can be inferred from the Program's stated purposes. These are to (1) encourage and support the development of new ideas and technology, (2) promote the early exploration and exploitation of creative and innovative concepts, and (3) develop new 'fundable' R&D projects and programs. The emphasis is clearly articulated by BNL to be on supporting exploratory research 'which could lead to new programs, projects, and directions' for the Laboratory. To be a premier scientific Laboratory, BNL must continuously foster groundbreaking scientific research and renew its research agenda. The competition for LDRD funds stimulates Laboratory scientists to think in new and creative ways, which becomes a major factor in achieving and maintaining research excellence and a means to address National needs within the overall mission of the DOE and BNL. By fostering high-risk, exploratory research, the LDRD program helps BNL to respond new scientific opportunities

  1. A Grounded Theory Study of Aircraft Maintenance Technician Decision-Making

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Norcross, Robert

    Aircraft maintenance technician decision-making and actions have resulted in aircraft system errors causing aircraft incidents and accidents. Aircraft accident investigators and researchers examined the factors that influence aircraft maintenance technician errors and categorized the types of errors in an attempt to prevent similar occurrences. New aircraft technology introduced to improve aviation safety and efficiency incur failures that have no information contained in the aircraft maintenance manuals. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, aircraft maintenance technicians must use only approved aircraft maintenance documents to repair, modify, and service aircraft. This qualitative research used a grounded theory approach to explore the decision-making processes and actions taken by aircraft maintenance technicians when confronted with an aircraft problem not contained in the aircraft maintenance manuals. The target population for the research was Federal Aviation Administration licensed aircraft and power plant mechanics from across the United States. Nonprobability purposeful sampling was used to obtain aircraft maintenance technicians with the experience sought in the study problem. The sample population recruitment yielded 19 participants for eight focus group sessions to obtain opinions, perceptions, and experiences related to the study problem. All data collected was entered into the Atlas ti qualitative analysis software. The emergence of Aircraft Maintenance Technician decision-making themes regarding Aircraft Maintenance Manual content, Aircraft Maintenance Technician experience, and legal implications of not following Aircraft Maintenance Manuals surfaced. Conclusions from this study suggest Aircraft Maintenance Technician decision-making were influenced by experience, gaps in the Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, reliance on others, realizing the impact of decisions concerning aircraft airworthiness, management pressures, and legal concerns

  2. Aircraft engine pollution reduction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rudey, R. A.

    1972-01-01

    The effect of engine operation on the types and levels of the major aircraft engine pollutants is described and the major factors governing the formation of these pollutants during the burning of hydrocarbon fuel are discussed. Methods which are being explored to reduce these pollutants are discussed and their application to several experimental research programs are pointed out. Results showing significant reductions in the levels of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen obtained from experimental combustion research programs are presented and discussed to point out potential application to aircraft engines.

  3. Cookstove Laboratory Research - Fiscal Year 2016 Report

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report provides an overview of the work conducted by the EPA cookstove laboratory research team in Fiscal Year 2016. The report describes research and activities including (1) ISO standards development, (2) capacity building for international testing and knowledge centers, ...

  4. Research on aircraft trailing vortex detection based on laser's multiplex information echo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Nan-xiang; Wu, Yong-hua; Hu, Yi-hua; Lei, Wu-hu

    2010-10-01

    Airfoil trailing vortex is an important reason for the crash, and vortex detection is the basic premise for the civil aeronautics boards to make the flight measures and protect civil aviation's security. So a new method of aircraft trailing vortex detection based on laser's multiplex information echo has been proposed in this paper. According to the classical aerodynamics theories, the formation mechanism of the trailing vortex from the airfoil wingtip has been analyzed, and the vortex model of Boeing 737 in the taking-off phase has also been established on the FLUENT software platform. Combining with the unique morphological structure characteristics of trailing vortex, we have discussed the vortex's possible impact on the frequency, amplitude and phase information of laser echo, and expounded the principle of detecting vortex based on fusing this information variation of laser echo. In order to prove the feasibility of this detecting technique, the field experiment of detecting the vortex of civil Boeing 737 by laser has been carried on. The experimental result has shown that the aircraft vortex could be found really in the laser scanning area, and its diffusion characteristic has been very similar to the previous simulation result. Therefore, this vortex detection means based on laser's multiplex information echo was proved to be practicable relatively in this paper. It will provide the detection and identification of aircraft's trailing vortex a new way, and have massive research value and extensive application prospect as well.

  5. Advanced structures technology and aircraft safety

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccomb, H. G., Jr.

    1983-01-01

    NASA research and development on advanced aeronautical structures technology related to flight safety is reviewed. The effort is categorized as research in the technology base and projects sponsored by the Aircraft Energy Efficiency (ACEE) Project Office. Base technology research includes mechanics of composite structures, crash dynamics, and landing dynamics. The ACEE projects involve development and fabrication of selected composite structural components for existing commercial transport aircraft. Technology emanating from this research is intended to result in airframe structures with improved efficiency and safety.

  6. ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION RESEARCH THROUGH THE NATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT RESEARCH LABORATORY (NRMRL)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Ecosystem Restoration Research Program underway through ORD's National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) has the long-term goal of providing watershed managers with "..state-of-the-science field-evaluated tools, technical guidance, and decision-support systems for s...

  7. NASA/USRA high altitude research aircraft. Gryphon: Soar like an eagle with the roar of a lion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rivera, Jose; Nunes, Anne; Mcray, Mike; Wong, Walter; Ong, Audrey; Coble, Scott

    1991-01-01

    At the equator, the ozone layer ranges from 65,000 to 130,000+ feet. This is beyond the capabilities of the ER-2, which is NASA's current high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The Universities Space Research Association, in cooperation with NASA, is sponsoring an undergraduate program which is geared to designing an aircraft that can study the ozoned layer at the equator. This aircraft must be able to satisfy four mission profiles. Mission one is a polar mission which ranges from Chile to the South Pole and back to Chile, a total range of 6000 n. mi. at 100,000 feet with a 2500 lb. payload. The second mission is also a polar mission with a decreased altitude of 70,000 feet and an increased payload of 4000 lb. For the third mission, the aircraft will take-off at NASA Ames, cruise at 100,000 feet carrying a 2500 lb. payload, and land in Puerto Montt, Chile. The final mission requires the aircraft to take-off at NASA Ames, cruise at 100,000 feet with a 1000 lb. payload, make an excursion to 120,000 feet, and land at Howard AFB, Panama. All three missions require that a subsonic Mach number be maintained due to constraints imposed by the air sampling equipment. The aircraft need not be manned for all four missions. Three aircraft configurations were determined to be the most suitable for meeting the above requirements. The performance of each configuration is analyzed to investigate the feasibility of the project requirements. In the event that a requirement can not be obtained within the given constraints, recommendations for proposal modifications are given.

  8. ER-2: Flying Laboratory for Earth Science Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Navarro, Robert

    2007-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), (Edwards, California, USA) has two Lockheed Martin Corporation (Bethesda, Maryland) Earth Research-2 (ER-2) aircraft that serve as high-altitude and long-range flying laboratories. The ER-2 has been utilized to conduct scientific studies of stratospheric and tropospheric chemistry, land-use mapping, disaster assessment, preliminary testing and calibration and validation of satellite sensors. The ER-2 aircraft provides experimenters with a wide array of payload accommodation areas with suitable environment control with required electrical and mechanical interfaces. Missions may be flown out of DFRC or from remote bases worldwide. The NASA ER-2 is utilized by a variety of customers, including U.S. Government agencies, civilian organizations, universities, and state governments. The combination of the ER-2 s range, endurance, altitude, payload power, payload volume and payload weight capabilities complemented by a trained maintenance and operations team provides an excellent and unique platform system to the science community.

  9. Application of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) 'MASC' in Atmospheric Boundary Layer Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wildmann, Norman; Bange, Jens

    2014-05-01

    The remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) MASC (Multipurpose Airborne Sensor Carrier) was developed at the University of Tübingen in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart, University of Applied Sciences Ostwestfalen-Lippe and 'ROKE-Modelle'. Its purpose is the investigation of thermodynamic processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), including observations of temperature, humidity and wind profiles, as well as the measurement of turbulent heat, moisture and momentum fluxes. The aircraft is electrically powered, has a maximum wingspan of 3.40 m and a total weight of 5-8 kg, depending on battery- and payload. The standard meteorological payload consists of temperature sensors, a humidity sensor, a flow probe, an inertial measurement unit and a GNSS. In normal operation, the aircraft is automatically controlled by the ROCS (Research Onboard Computer System) autopilot to be able to fly predefined paths at constant altitude and airspeed. Since 2010 the system has been tested and improved intensively. In September 2012 first comparative tests could successfully be performed at the Lindenberg observatory of Germany's National Meteorological Service (DWD). In 2013, several campaigns were done with the system, including fundamental boundary layer research, wind energy meteorology and assistive measurements to aerosol investigations. The results of a series of morning transition experiments in summer 2013 will be presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the measurement system. On several convective days between May and September, vertical soundings were done to record the evolution of the ABL in the early morning, from about one hour after sunrise, until noon. In between the soundings, flight legs of up to 1 km length were performed to measure turbulent statistics and fluxes at a constant altitude. With the help of surface flux measurements of a sonic anemometer, methods of similarity theory could be applied to the RPA flux measurements to compare them to

  10. High altitude reconnaissance aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yazdo, Renee Anna; Moller, David

    1990-01-01

    At the equator the ozone layer ranges from 65,000 to 130,000 plus feet, which is beyond the capabilities of the ER-2, NASA's current high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The Universities Space Research Association, in cooperation with NASA, is sponsoring an undergraduate program which is geared to designing an aircraft that can study the ozone layer at the equator. This aircraft must be able to cruise at 130,000 feet for six hours at Mach 0.7, while carrying 3,000 lbs. of payload. In addition, the aircraft must have a minimum range of 6,000 miles. In consideration of the novel nature of this project, the pilot must be able to take control in the event of unforeseen difficulties. Three aircraft configurations were determined to be the most suitable - a joined-wing, a biplane, and a twin-boom conventional airplane. The performance of each configuration was analyzed to investigate the feasibility of the project.

  11. Air Force Research Laboratory Success Stories. A Review of 2001

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-01-01

    object damage (FOD) and less risk to aircraft and pilots. This technology provides a cost avoidance of over $100 million above and beyond the savings in...semiconductor devices. Consequently, this new generation of lasers results in a substantial reduction of risk in developing compact, efficient sources for...Operational Toxicology Branch in the IPSC ensures that research conducted provides risk managers (Air Force/insulation and logistics, and base

  12. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s In-Space Propulsion Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-02-01

    Air Force Research Laboratory (AFMC) AFRL /RQRS 1 Ara...MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) Air Force Research Laboratory (AFMC) AFRL /RQR 5 Pollux Drive 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT Edwards AFB CA 93524-7048 NUMBER(S) AFRL ...illustrate the rationale behind AFRL’s technology development strategy. INTRODUCTION The Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) is the technology

  13. Enabling Electric Propulsion for Flight - Hybrid Electric Aircraft Research at AFRC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clarke, Sean; Lin, Yohan; Kloesel, Kurt; Ginn, Starr

    2014-01-01

    Advances in electric machine efficiency and energy storage capability are enabling a new alternative to traditional propulsion systems for aircraft. This has already begun with several small concept and demonstration vehicles, and NASA projects this technology will be essential to meet energy and emissions goals for commercial aviation in the next 30 years. In order to raise the Technology Readiness Level of electric propulsion systems, practical integration and performance challenges will need to be identified and studied in the near-term so that larger, more advanced electric propulsion system testbeds can be designed and built. Researchers at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center are building up a suite of test articles for the development, integration, and validation of these systems in a real world environment.

  14. Aircraft and avionic related research required to develop an effective high-speed runway exit system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schoen, M. L.; Hosford, J. E.; Graham, J. M., Jr.; Preston, O. W.; Frankel, R. S.; Erickson, J. B.

    1979-01-01

    Research was conducted to increase airport capacity by studying the feasibility of the longitudinal separation between aircraft sequences on final approach. The multidisciplinary factors which include the utility of high speed exits for efficient runway operations were described along with recommendations and highlights of these studies.

  15. Guidance for Human Subjects Research in the National Exposure Research Laboratory

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document provides guidance to investigators and managers associated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD)’s National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) on the ethical conduct, regulatory review, and approval of all huma...

  16. HUMAN HEALTH RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, NATIONAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS RESEARCH LABORATORY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Research and Development (ORD), is responsible for conducting research to improve the risk assessment of chemicals for potential effects ...

  17. NACA Conference on Aircraft Loads, Flutter, and Structures: A compilation of Papers Presented.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1953-03-04

    Variation of Atmospheric Turbulence With Altitude and Its Effect on Airplane Gust Loads . . . by Robert L. McDougal, Thomas L. Coleman, and Philip L. Smith ...SKOPINSKI, T. H. NACA - Langley Laboratory xvii CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL SMETHERS, Rollo G. Bureau of Aeronautics SMITH , Dana W. NACA Subcommittee on...Aircraft Structural Materials SMITH , Frank C. National Bureau of Standards SMITH , Henry G. Hughes Aircraft Co. SMITH , Howard W. NACA Subcommittee on Aircraft

  18. NASA Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory research briefs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, Sanford (Editor)

    1994-01-01

    The Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory research program is presented in a series of research briefs. Nineteen projects covering aeronautical fluid mechanics and related areas are discussed and augmented with the publication and presentation output of the Branch for the period 1990-1993.

  19. History | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research was established as the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center in 1972 when about 70 acres and 67 buildings of the U.S. Army were transferred to the U.S. Department of Health and Huma

  20. US Army Research Laboratory and University of Notre Dame Distributed Sensing: Hardware Overview

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-11-01

    ARL-TR-8199 ● NOV 2017 US Army Research Laboratory US Army Research Laboratory and University of Notre Dame Distributed Sensing...US Army Research Laboratory US Army Research Laboratory and University of Notre Dame Distributed Sensing: Hardware Overview by Roger P...TITLE AND SUBTITLE US Army Research Laboratory and University of Notre Dame Distributed Sensing: Hardware Overview 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT

  1. Multibody aircraft study, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, J. W.; Craven, E. P.; Farmer, B. T.; Honrath, J. F.; Stephens, R. E.; Bronson, C. E., Jr.; Meyer, R. T.; Hogue, J. G.

    1981-01-01

    The potential benefits of a multibody aircraft when compared to a single body aircraft are presented. The analyses consist principally of a detailed point design analysis of three multibody and one single body aircraft, based on a selected payload of 350,000 kg (771,618 lb), for final aircraft definitions; sensitivity studies to evaluate the effects of variations in payload, wing semispan body locations, and fuel price; recommendations as to the research and technology requirements needed to validate the multibody concept. Two, two body, one, three body, and one single body aircraft were finalized for the selected payload, with DOC being the prime figure of merit. When compared to the single body, the multibody aircraft showed a reduction in DOC by as much as 11.3 percent. Operating weight was reduced up to 14 percent, and fly away cost reductions ranged from 8.6 to 13.4 percent. Weight reduction, hence cost, of the multibody aircraft resulted primarily from the wing bending relief afforded by the bodies being located outboard on the wing.

  2. Multibody aircraft study, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, J. W.; Craven, E. P.; Farmer, B. T.; Honrath, J. F.; Stephens, R. E.; Bronson, C. E., Jr.; Meyer, R. T.; Hogue, J. H.

    1982-01-01

    The potential benefits of a multibody aircraft when compared to a single body aircraft are presented. The analyses consist principally of a detailed point design analysis of three multibody and one single body aircraft, based on a selected payload of 350,000 kg (771,618 lb), for final aircraft definitions; sensitivity studies to evaluate the effects of variations in payload, wing semispan body locations, and fuel price; recommendations as to the research and technology requirements needed to validate the multibody concept. Two, two body, one, three body, and one single body aircraft were finalized for the selected payload, with DOC being the prime figure of merit. When compared to the single body, the multibody aircraft showed a reduction in DOC by as much as 11.3 percent. Operating weight was reduced up to 14 percent, and fly away cost reductions ranged from 8.6 to 13.4 percent. Weight reduction, hence cost, of the multibody aircraft resulted primarily from the wing bending relief afforded by the bodies being located outboard on the wing.

  3. Annoyance judgements of aircraft with and without acoustically treated nacelles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Borsky, P. N.; Leonard, S.

    1973-01-01

    A series of subjective response laboratory tests were conducted to determine the effectiveness of reducing aircraft noise by treating the aircraft engine nacelles with acoustically absorbent material. A total of 108 subjects participated in the magnitude estimation tests. The subjects were selected from persons who had previously been interviewed and classified according to selected psychological characteristics. The subjects lived in three general areas located at three specified distances from New York's Kennedy Airport. The aircraft signals used in the tests consisted of tape recordings of the landing approach noise of a B-727 aircraft under normal operating conditions. These recordings were electronically altered to simulate an aircraft with acoustically treated nacelles to achieve noise reductions of approximately 6 EPNdB and 12 EPNdB. The results from these tests indicate that significant reductions in annoyance resulted from the synthesized nacelle treatments.

  4. Bringing the excitement and motivation of research to students; Using inquiry and research-based learning in a year-long biochemistry laboratory : Part II-research-based laboratory-a semester-long research approach using malate dehydrogenase as a research model.

    PubMed

    Knutson, Kristopher; Smith, Jennifer; Nichols, Paul; Wallert, Mark A; Provost, Joseph J

    2010-09-01

    Research-based learning in a teaching environment is an effective way to help bring the excitement and experience of independent bench research to a large number of students. The program described here is the second of a two-semester biochemistry laboratory series. Here, students are empowered to design, execute and analyze their own experiments for the entire semester. This style of laboratory replaces a variety of shorter labs in favor of an in depth research-based learning experience. The concept is to allow students to function in independent research groups. The research projects are focused on a series of wild-type and mutant clones of malate dehydrogenase. A common research theme for the laboratory helps instructors administer the course and is key to delivering a research opportunity to a large number of students. The outcome of this research-based learning laboratory results in students who are much more confident and skilled in critical areas in biochemistry and molecular biology. Students with research experience have significantly higher confidence and motivation than those students without a previous research experience. We have also found that all students performed better in advanced courses and in the workplace. Copyright © 2010 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  5. A Study of Aircraft Fire Hazards Related to Natural Electrical Phenomena

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kester, Frank L.; Gerstein, Melvin; Plumer, J. A.

    1960-01-01

    The problems of natural electrical phenomena as a fire hazard to aircraft are evaluated. Assessment of the hazard is made over the range of low level electrical discharges, such as static sparks, to high level discharges, such as lightning strikes to aircraft. In addition, some fundamental work is presented on the problem of flame propagation in aircraft fuel vent systems. This study consists of a laboratory investigation in five parts: (1) a study of the ignition energies and flame propagation rates of kerosene-air and JP-6-air foams, (2) a study of the rate of flame propagation of n-heptane, n-octane, n-nonane, and n-decane in aircraft vent ducts, (3) a study of the damage to aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel aircraft skin materials by lightning strikes, (4) a study of fuel ignition by lightning strikes to aircraft skins, and (5) a study of lightning induced flame propagation in an aircraft vent system.

  6. A Correlation Between Flight-Determined Derivatives and Wind-Tunnel Data for the X-24B Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sim, Alex G.

    1976-01-01

    Longitudinal and lateral-directional estimates of the aerodynamic derivatives of the X-24B research aircraft were obtained from flight data by using a modified maximum likelihooa estimation method. Data were obtained over a Mach number range from 0.35 to 1.72 and over an angle of attack range from 3.5deg to 15.7deg. Data are presented for a subsonic and a transonic configuration. The flight derivatives were generally consistent and documented the aircraft well. The correlation between the flight data and wind-tunnel predictions is presented and discussed.

  7. A Correlation Between Flight-Determined Derivatives and Wind-Tunnel Data for the X-24B Research Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sim, Alex G.

    1997-01-01

    Longitudinal and lateral-directional estimates of the aerodynamic derivatives of the X-24B research aircraft were obtained from flight data by using a modified maximum likelihood estimation method. Data were obtained over a Mach number range from 0.35 to 1.72 and over an angle of attack range from 3.5 deg. to 15.7 deg. Data are presented for a subsonic and transonic configuration. The flight derivatives were generally consistent and documented the aircraft well. The correlation between the flight data and wind-tunnel predictions is presented and discussed.

  8. Using an A-10 Aircraft for Airborne Measurements of TGFs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fishman, G. J.; Christian, H. J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Grove, J.; Chekhtman, A.; Jonsson, H.; Detwiler, A. G.

    2012-12-01

    Work is underway to modify an A-10 combat attack aircraft to become a research aircraft for thunderstorm research. This aircraft would be configured and instrumented for flights into large, convective thunderstorms. It would have the capabilities of higher altitude performance and protection for thunderstorm conditions that exceed those of aircraft now in use for this research. One area of investigation for this aircraft will be terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs), building on the pioneering observations made by the Airborne Detector for Energetic Lightning Emissions (ADELE) project several years ago. A new and important component of the planned investigations are the continuous, detailed correlations of TGFs with the electric fields near the aircraft, as well as detailed measurements of nearby lightning discharges. Together, the x- and gamma-radiation environments, the electric field measurements, and the lightning observations (all measured on microsecond timescales) should provide new insights into the TGF production mechanism. The A-10 aircraft is currently being modified for thunderstorm research. It is anticipated that the initial test flights for this role will begin next year.

  9. Using an A-10 Aircraft for Airborne measurements of TGFs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fishman, Gerald J.; Christian, Hugh, J.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Grove, J. Eric; Chektman, Alexandre; Jonsson, Haflidi; Detwiler, Andrew G.

    2012-01-01

    Plans are underway to convert an A-10 combat attack aircraft into a research aircraft for thunderstorm research. This aircraft would be configured and instrumented for flights into large, convective thunderstorms. It would have the capabilities of higher altitude performance and protection for thunderstorm conditions that exceed those of aircraft now in use for this research. One area of investigation for this aircraft would be terrestrial gamma ]ray flashes (TGFs), building on the pioneering observations made by the Airborne Detector for Energetic Lightning Emissions (ADELE) project several years ago. A new and important component of the planned investigations are the continuous, detailed correlations of TGFs with the electric fields near the aircraft, as well as detailed measurements of nearby lightning discharges. Together, the x-and gamma-radiation environments, the electric field measurements, and the lightning observations (all measured on microsecond timescales) should provide new insights into this TGF production mechanism. The A -10 aircraft is currently being modified for thunderstorm research. It is anticipated that the initial test flights for this role will begin next year.

  10. Freshwater findings, 1979-1982: research publications of the Environmental Research Laboratory, Duluth, Minnesota

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Highland, T.; Curtis, C.

    1983-10-01

    This report contains citations of publications for the years 1979-1982 on research conducted or supported by the Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth. All published material has been organized into two major categories: (1) Journal Articles, Book Chapters, Proceedings, etc., and (2) EPA Research Reports. The report is organized by year with all journal articles, book chapters, proceedings, etc., for a given year appearing before the EPA research reports for the same year; within each category publications are listed alphabetically by author. Authors of the publications listed include ERL-Duluth laboratory staff members and scientists at universities, in industry, and at other facilities whomore » received research funding under the auspices of the Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth. Limited quantities of reprints are available for those articles identified by ERL-Duluth reprint number in parentheses following the citation. These can be obtained by writing to: Librarian, ERL-Duluth, U.S. EPA, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN 55804. EPA research reports can be obtained by writing to: National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151. All other articles are not available from ERL-Duluth or NTIS, but can be found in most major libraries.« less

  11. Development of test methods for scale model simulation of aerial applications in the NASA Langley Vortex Research Facility. [agricultural aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jordan, F. L., Jr.

    1980-01-01

    As part of basic research to improve aerial applications technology, methods were developed at the Langley Vortex Research Facility to simulate and measure deposition patterns of aerially-applied sprays and granular materials by means of tests with small-scale models of agricultural aircraft and dynamically-scaled test particles. Interactions between the aircraft wake and the dispersed particles are being studied with the objective of modifying wake characteristics and dispersal techniques to increase swath width, improve deposition pattern uniformity, and minimize drift. The particle scaling analysis, test methods for particle dispersal from the model aircraft, visualization of particle trajectories, and measurement and computer analysis of test deposition patterns are described. An experimental validation of the scaling analysis and test results that indicate improved control of chemical drift by use of winglets are presented to demonstrate test methods.

  12. MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1991-01-01

    This document is the compiled progress reports of research funded through the Michigan State University/Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory. Fourteen reports are included, covering the molecular basis of plant/microbe symbiosis, cell wall biosynthesis and proteins, gene expression, stress responses, plant hormone biosynthesis, interactions between the nuclear and organelle genomes, sensory transduction and tropisms, intracellular sorting and trafficking, regulation of lipid metabolism, molecular basis of disease resistance and plant pathogenesis, developmental biology of Cyanobacteria, and hormonal involvement in environmental control of plant growth. 320 refs., 26 figs., 3 tabs. (MHB)

  13. Pathfinder aircraft flight #1

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1996-11-19

    The Pathfinder solar-powered research aircraft is silhouetted against a clear blue sky as it soars aloft during a checkout flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, November, 1996.

  14. NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft rolls down a taxiway with the X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket attached to a pylon under its right wing.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-03-15

    As part of a combined systems test conducted by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, NASA's NB-52B carrier aircraft rolls down a taxiway at Edwards Air Force Base with the X-43A hypersonic research aircraft and its modified Pegasus® booster rocket attached to a pylon under its right wing. The taxi test was one of the last major milestones in the Hyper-X research program before the first X-43A flight. The X-43A flights will be the first actual flight tests of an aircraft powered by a revolutionary supersonic-combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engine capable of operating at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound). The 12-foot, unpiloted research vehicle was developed and built by MicroCraft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., under NASA contract. The booster was built by Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va. After being air-launched from NASA's venerable NB-52 mothership, the booster will accelerate the X-43A to test speed and altitude. The X-43A will then separate from the rocket and fly a pre-programmed trajectory, conducting aerodynamic and propulsion experiments until it descends into the Pacific Ocean. Three research flights are planned, two at Mach 7 and one at Mach 10.

  15. Recent developments in analysis of crack propagation and fracture of practical materials. [stress analysis in aircraft structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hardrath, H. F.; Newman, J. C., Jr.; Elber, W.; Poe, C. C., Jr.

    1978-01-01

    The limitations of linear elastic fracture mechanics in aircraft design and in the study of fatigue crack propagation in aircraft structures are discussed. NASA-Langley research to extend the capabilities of fracture mechanics to predict the maximum load that can be carried by a cracked part and to deal with aircraft design problems are reported. Achievements include: (1) improved stress intensity solutions for laboratory specimens; (2) fracture criterion for practical materials; (3) crack propagation predictions that account for mean stress and high maximum stress effects; (4) crack propagation predictions for variable amplitude loading; and (5) the prediction of crack growth and residual stress in built-up structural assemblies. These capabilities are incorporated into a first generation computerized analysis that allows for damage tolerance and tradeoffs with other disciplines to produce efficient designs that meet current airworthiness requirements.

  16. Laboratory directed research and development program FY 1999

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hansen, Todd; Levy, Karin

    2000-03-08

    The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab or LBNL) is a multi-program national research facility operated by the University of California for the Department of Energy (DOE). As an integral element of DOE's National Laboratory System, Berkeley Lab supports DOE's missions in fundamental science, energy resources, and environmental quality. Berkeley Lab programs advance four distinct goals for DOE and the nation: (1) To perform leading multidisciplinary research in the computing sciences, physical sciences, energy sciences, biosciences, and general sciences in a manner that ensures employee and public safety and protection of the environment. (2) To develop and operatemore » unique national experimental facilities for qualified investigators. (3) To educate and train future generations of scientists and engineers to promote national science and education goals. (4) To transfer knowledge and technological innovations and to foster productive relationships among Berkeley Lab's research programs, universities, and industry in order to promote national economic competitiveness. This is the annual report on Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program for FY99.« less

  17. A research program to reduce the interior noise in general aviation aircraft, index and summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, L.; Jackson, K.; Roskam, J.

    1985-01-01

    This report is an index of the published works from NASA Grant NSG 1301, entitled A Research Program to Reduce the Interior Noise in General Aviation Aircraft. Included are a list of all published reports and papers, a compilation of test specimen characteristics, and summaries of each published work.

  18. Multidisciplinary Techniques and Novel Aircraft Control Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Padula, Sharon L.; Rogers, James L.; Raney, David L.

    2000-01-01

    The Aircraft Morphing Program at NASA Langley Research Center explores opportunities to improve airframe designs with smart technologies. Two elements of this basic research program are multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) and advanced flow control. This paper describes examples where MDO techniques such as sensitivity analysis, automatic differentiation, and genetic algorithms contribute to the design of novel control systems. In the test case, the design and use of distributed shape-change devices to provide low-rate maneuvering capability for a tailless aircraft is considered. The ability of MDO to add value to control system development is illustrated using results from several years of research funded by the Aircraft Morphing Program.

  19. Multidisciplinary Techniques and Novel Aircraft Control Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Padula, Sharon L.; Rogers, James L.; Raney, David L.

    2000-01-01

    The Aircraft Morphing Program at NASA Langley Research Center explores opportunities to improve airframe designs with smart technologies. Two elements of this basic research program are multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) and advanced flow control. This paper describes examples where MDO techniques such as sensitivity analysis, automatic differentiation, and genetic algorithms contribute to the design of novel control systems. In the test case, the design and use of distributed shapechange devices to provide low-rate maneuvering capability for a tailless aircraft is considered. The ability of MDO to add value to control system development is illustrated using results from several years of research funded by the Aircraft Morphing Program.

  20. Laboratory Directed Research and Development annual report, fiscal year 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    The Department of Energy Order 413.2(a) establishes DOE`s policy and guidelines regarding Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) at its multiprogram laboratories. As described in 413.2, LDRD is research and development of a creative and innovative nature which is selected by the Laboratory Director or his or her designee, for the purpose of maintaining the scientific and technological vitality of the Laboratory and to respond to scientific and technological opportunities in conformance with the guidelines in this Order. DOE Order 413.2 requires that each laboratory submit an annual report on its LDRD activities to the cognizant Secretarial Officer through themore » appropriate Operations Office Manager. The report provided in this document represents Pacific Northwest National Laboratory`s LDRD report for FY 1997.« less