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At least 1,063 records · Page 59

The aerodynamic design of the oblique flying wing supersonic transport

The aerodynamic design of a supersonic oblique flying wing is strongly influenced by the requirement that passengers must be accommodated inside the wing. It was revealed that thick oblique wings of very high sweep angle can be efficient at supersonic speeds when transonic normal Mach numbers are allowed on the upper surface of the wing. The goals were motivated by the ability to design a maximum thickness, minimum size oblique flying wing. A 2-D Navier-Stokes solver was used to design airfoils up to 16 percent thickness with specified lift, drag and pitching moment. A new method was developed to calculate the required pressure distribution on the wing based on the airfoil loading, normal Mach number distribution and theoretical knowledge of the minimum drag of oblique configurations at supersonic speeds. The wing mean surface for this pressure distribution was calculated using an inverse potential flow solver. The lift to drag ratio of this wing was significantly higher than that of a comparable delta wing for cruise speeds up to Mach 2.

Vandervelden, Alexander J. M.↗

Supersonic aerodynamic characteristics of a Mach 3 high-speed civil transport configuration

The NASA-Langley AST31 high-speed civil transport (HSCT) configuration, a blended wing/fuselage concept scaled for 250-passenger carriage over 6500 nmi, has been subjected to both CFD and wind tunnel tests; the wind tunnel tests were conducted in the Mach 1.6-3.6 range. The inability of the linear theory method to accurately predict stability levels as well as nonlinear pitching moment characteristics demonstrates the need to undertake high-order analyses as early in the design process as possible. An HSCT laminar flow capability experimental study was conducted in order to simulate 50-percent laminar flow conditions, and thereby ascertain the difference in drag relative to fully turbulent conditions.

Covell, Peter F.↗

Lightweight, High-Energy Lead/Acid Battery

Concept for lead/acid battery calls for woven-grid bipolar electrodes. Stack of bipolar cells form lead/acid battery. Each cell contains pair of folded electrodes, negative on one side of fold, positive on other. In high-voltage configuration, battery has higher specific energy and power. Rugged, longlived, and maintenance-free. Made from readily available, low-cost materials by standard lead/acid production methods, well suited for use in electronic equipment, aircraft, and electric vehicles for industrial and passenger service.

Rippel, Wally E.↗

Variable-Vision Sun Visor

Variable-vision visor installed in automobile enables driver to attenuate sunlight and glare selectively without obscuring vision. Hinged to enable it to fold up behind regular visor when not in use. In addition to obvious applications for operators of automobiles and other vehicles, adapted for use in passenger cabin windows in airplanes, buses, trains, and boats. Also used as adjustable glare shields for cathode-ray-tube displays.

Rose, Lester J.↗

The 11 July 1988 Denver windshear encounters

On July 11, 1988, between 2207 and 2213 UTC (16:07 to 16:13 MDT), four successive United flights had inadvertent encounters with microburst windshear conditions while on final approach to Denver Stapleton Airport (DEN), each resulting in a missed approach, subsequent delay, and uneventful arrival. A fifth flight executed a missed approach without encountering the phenomena. There was no damage to aircraft and no passenger injuries were incurred. The term inadvertent is used within United Airlines' windshear training materials and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Windshear Training Aid to connote an encounter with windshear after vigilance and cautionary practices fail to identify and afford complete avoidance of the hazardous area. No crew culpability is implied. A comprehensive investigation for scientific purposes in the study of windshear phenomenon is being conducted separately under the guidance of the FAA with involvement and cooperation from United, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boeing, Douglas, NASA, and others.

Ireland, Robert L.↗

Concept development of a Mach 4 high-speed civil transport

A study was conducted to configure and analyze a 250 passenger, Mach 4 High Speed Civil Transport with a design range of 6500 n.mi. The design mission assumed an all-supersonic cruise segment and no community noise or sonic boom constraints. The study airplane was developed in order to examine the technology requirements for such a vehicle and to provide an unconstrained baseline from which to assess changes in technology levels, sonic boom limits, or community noise constraints in future studies. The propulsion, structure, and materials technologies utilized in the sizing of the study aircraft were assumed to represent a technology availability date of 2015. The study airplane was a derivative of a previously developed Mach 3 concept and utilized advanced afterburning turbojet engines and passive airframe thermal protection. Details of the configuration development, aerodynamic design, propulsion system, mass properties, and mission performance are presented. The study airplane was estimated to weigh approx. 866,000 lbs. Although an aircraft of this size is a marginally acceptable candidate to fit into the world airport infrastructure, it was concluded that the inclusion of community noise or sonic boom constraints would quickly cause the aircraft to grow beyond acceptable limits using the assumed technology levels.

Domack, Christopher S.↗

F-106B airplane active control landing gear drop test performance

Aircraft dynamic loads and vibrations resulting from landing impact and from runway and taxiway unevenness are recognized as significant factors in causing fatigue damage, dynamic stress on the airframe, crew and passenger discomfort, and reduction of the pilot's ability to control the aircraft during ground operations. One potential method for improving operational characteristics of aircraft on the ground is the application of active control technology to the landing gears to reduce ground loads applied to the airframe. An experimental investigation was conducted on series-hydraulic active control nose gear. The experiments involved testing the gear in both passive and active control modes. Results of this investigation show that a series-hydraulic active control gear is feasible and that such a gear is effective in reducing the loads transmitted by the gear to the airframe during ground operations.

Howell, William E.↗

Project Exodus

Project Exodus is an in-depth study to identify and address the basic problems of a manned mission to Mars. The most important problems concern propulsion, life support, structure, trajectory, and finance. Exodus will employ a passenger ship, cargo ship, and landing craft for the journey to Mars. These three major components of the mission design are discussed separately. Within each component the design characteristics of structures, trajectory, and propulsion are addressed. The design characteristics of life support are mentioned only in those sections requiring it.

Source record↗

Investigations into a potential laser-NASP transport technology

Laser propelled flight/transport technology is surveyed. A detailed conceptual design is presented for an on-place Mercury-Lightcraft: other designs are briefly explored for larger, 15-place Executive Lightcraft, and 150 to 350 passenger Jumbo Lightcraft.

Source record↗

Summary of 1989 - 1990 aeronautics design projects

Four design projects were completed at Auburn University this year under the sponsorship of the NASA/Universities Space Research Association Advanced Design Program. The topics discussed are the design of a high speed civil transport; the design of a 79 passenger, high efficiency, commercial transport; the design of a low cost short takeof vertical landing export fighter; and the design of an ozone monitoring vehicle.

Source record↗

Design and fabrication of the NASA HL-20 support cradle and interior mockup

An extensive test program involving analysis in both the horizontal and vertical attitudes of the HL-20 will be conducted by NASA-Langley. This necessitated the fabrication of a steel support cradle for the composite Personnel Launch System (PLS) model and an internal mockup to simulate the pilot and passenger compartments.

Exum, Thurman↗

Small Engine Component Technology (SECT) study. Program report

The study was conducted to identify high payoff technologies for year 2000 small gas turbine applications and to provide a technology plan for guiding future research and technology efforts. A regenerative cycle turboprop engine was selected for a 19 passenger commuter aircraft application. A series of engines incorporating eight levels of advanced technologies were studied and their impact on aircraft performance was evaluated. The study indicated a potential reduction in fuel burn of 38.3 percent. At $1.00 per gallon fuel price, a potential DOC benefit of 12.5 percent would be achieved. At $2.00 per gallon, the potential DOC benefit would increase to 17.0 percent. Four advanced technologies are recommended and appropriate research and technology programs were established to reach the year 2000 goals.

Almodovar, E.↗

Small Engine Component Technology (SECT) study

The objective of this study is to identify high payoff technologies for year 2000 small gas turbine engines, and to provide a technology plan to guide research and technology efforts toward revolutionizing the small gas turbine technology base. The goal is to define the required technology to provide a 30 percent reduction in mission fuel burned, to reduce direct operating costs by at least 10 percent, and to provide increased reliability and durability of the gas turbine propulsion system. The baseline established to evaluate the year 2000 technology base was an 8-passenger commercial tilt-rotor aircraft powered by a current technology gas turbine engine. Three basic engine cycles were studied: the simple cycle engine, a waste heat recovery cycle, and a wave rotor engine cycle. For the simple cycle engine, two general arrangements were considered: the traditional concentric spool arrangement and a nonconcentric spool arrangement. Both a regenerative and a recuperative cycle were studied for the waste heat recovery cycle.

Larkin, T. R.↗

F-106B airplane active control landing gear drop test performance

Aircraft dynamic loads and vibrations resulting from landing impact and from runway and taxiway unevenness are recognized as significant factors in causing fatigue damage, dynamic stress on the airframe, crew and passenger discomfort, and reduction of the pilot's ability to control the aircraft during ground operations. One potential method for improving operational characteristics of aircraft on the ground is the application of active-control technology to the landing gears to reduce ground loads applied to the airframe. An experimental investigation was conducted on series-hydraulic active control nose gear. The experiments involved testing the gear in both passive and active control modes. Results of this investigation show that a series-hydraulic active-control gear is feasible and that such a gear is effective in reducing the loads transmitted by the gear to the airframe during ground operations.

Howell, William E.↗

The Personnel Launch System

NASA has begun to study candidate vehicles for manned access to space in support of the Space Station or other future missions requiring on-demand transportation of people to and from earth orbit. One such system, which would be used to complement the present Shuttle or an upgraded version, is the Personnel Launch System (PLS), which is envisioned as a reusable priority vehicle to place people and small payloads into orbit using an experimental launch vehicle. The design of the PLS is based on a Space Station crew changeout requirement whereby eight passengers and two crew members are flown to the station and a like number are returned within a 72 hour mission duration. Experimental and computational aerothermodynamic heating studies have been conducted using a new two-color thermographic technique that involved coating the model with a phosphor that radiates at varying color intensities as a function of temperature when illuminated with UV light. A full-scale model, the HL-20, has been produced and will be used for man-machine research. Three launch vehicle concepts are being considered, a Titan IV, the Advanced Launch System, and a Shuttle equipped with liquid rocket boosters.

Piland, William M.↗

Aeronautical research in the United States - Challenges for the 1990's

An overview is presented of NASA R&D initiatives in air transportation technologies that will dominate its efforts through the 1990s. These efforts are to be concentrated in (1) advanced subsonic transports with greater fuel economy, passenger capacity, and control effectiveness, whose design will be undertaken with state-of-the-art CFD and CAD/CAM systems; (2) a second-generation SST whose propulsion system will be substantially more fuel-efficient than that of Concorde and have far lower atmospheric emissions; and (3) a hypersonic transport predicated on the results of research into materials, cryogenic fuels, propulsion cycles, and propulsion/airframe aerodynamics integration, which will be undertaken in connection with the X-30 testbed.

Petersen, Richard H.↗

Conclusions from high-speed rotorcraft studies

Under the tutelage of NASA-Ames, evaluations have been made of the technology required for high-speed rotorcraft flight with a view to the performance potential and development risks of several candidate configurations. Configurational performance limitations were associated with rotor performance at high Mach numbers and advance ratios, nacelle interference effects on rotor flow, and wing/rotor aeroelastic stability requirements. Attention is given to tiltwing, tilt-for-VTOL/fold-for-cruise rotor, and conventional tiltrotor configurations capable of carrying 30 passengers for the intercity commuter market.

Conway, Scott↗

F-106B airplane active control landing gear drop test performance

Aircraft dynamic loads and vibrations resulting from landing impact and from runway and taxiway unevenness are recognized as significant factors in causing fatigue damage, dynamic stress on the airframe, crew and passenger discomfort, and reduction of the pilot's ability to control the aircraft during ground operations. One potential method for improving operational characteristics of aircraft on the ground is the application of active control technology to the landing gears to reduce ground loads applied to the airframe. An experimental investigation was conducted on series-hydraulic active control nose gear. The experiments involved testing the gear in both passive and active control modes. Results of this investigation show that a series-hydraulic active control gear is feasible and that such a gear is effective in reducing the loads transmitted by the gear to the airframe during ground operations.

Howell, William E.↗