This look-down view of the X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft on the ramp at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, clearly shows the unusual wing and canard design of the remotely-piloted aircraft.
As the sun creeps above the horizon of Rogers Dry Lake at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, technicians make final preparations for the first flight of the X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft.
U.S. and German personnel of the X-31 Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability Technology Demonstrator aircraft program removing the right wing of the aircraft, which was ferried from Edwards Air Force Base, California, to Europe on May 22, 1995 aboard an Air Force Reserve C-5 transport. The X-31, based at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center was ferried to Europe and flown in the Paris Air Show in June. The wing of the X-31 was removed on May 18, 1995, to allow the aircraft to fit inside the C-5 fuselage. Officials of the X-31 project used Manching, Germany, as a staging base to prepare the aircraft for the flight demonstration. At the air show, the X-31 demonstrated the value of using thrust vectoring (directing engine exhaust flow) coupled with advanced flight control systems to provide controlled flight at very high angles of attack. The aircraft arrived back at Edwards in a Air Force Reserve C-5 on June 25, 1995 and off loaded at Dryden June 27. The X-31 aircraft was developed jointly by Rockwell International's North American Aircraft Division (now part of Boeing) and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (formerly Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm), under sponsorship by the U.S. Department of Defense and the German Federal Ministry of Defense.
Lit by the rays of the morning sunrise on Rogers Dry Lake, adjacent to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, technicians prepares the remotely-piloted X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft for its first flight on May 17, 1997.
Lit by the rays of the morning sunrise on Rogers Dry Lake, adjacent to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, a technician prepares the remotely-piloted X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft for its first flight on May 17, 1997.
Lit by the rays of the morning sunrise on Rogers Dry Lake, adjacent to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, technicians prepare the remotely-piloted X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft for its first flight in May 1997.
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.
The X-36 technology demonstrator shows off its distinctive shape as the remotely piloted aircraft flies a research mission over the Southern California desert on October 30, 1997.
The tailless X-36 technology demonstrator research aircraft cruises over the California desert at low altitude during a 1997 research flight.
The X-36 technology demonstrator shows off its distinctive shape as the remotely piloted aircraft flies a research mission over the Southern California desert on October 30, 1997.
F-111B Fighter, Variable Sweep wings, wings swept forward, landing gear down. Slat experiments. The General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B was a long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft that was planned to be a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II. The F-111B was developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics in conjunction with Grumman for the United States Navy (USN) as part of the joint Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) with the United States Air Force (USAF) to produce a common fighter for the services that could perform a variety of missions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft crew takes a close look at a Mojave Desert hill during a March 2009 flight. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft takes off from Edwards Air Force Base on a flight originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. NASA Dryden worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft cruises during a flight originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. NASA Dryden worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft banks over NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center during a flight in March 2009. NASA Dryden worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft eclipsed the sun during a flight in March 2009. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft flies over Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
The U.S. Air Force's F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology (ACAT) aircraft banks over NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center during a March 2009 flight. NASA Dryden worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for fighter/attack aircraft that would reduce the risk of ground and mid-air collisions.
View of the right cockpit of the F-111 MAW aircraft. Unlike most fighter aircraft of the time, the F-111 had side-by-side seating. The pilot sat on the left side, and the weapons systems officer on the right. Both had control sticks to fly the aircraft.
Front View of McDonald XP-85 Plan Model. Parasite Airplane designed to be carried in the B-36 bombay (never built) At the time it was the smallest Jet powered airplane. The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was an American prototype fighter aircraft conceived during World War II by McDonnell Aircraft. It was intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36 bomber as a parasite fighter. The XF-85's intended role was to defend bombers from hostile interceptor aircraft, a need demonstrated during World War II
X-31 team members perform an engine fit check on the X-31 Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability demonstrator aircraft in a hangar at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California.
The Air Force F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology aircraft flew at low levels above the Sierra Nevada Mountains to test the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction Project to develop collision avoidance technologies for aircraft, to reduce the risk of ground collisions.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Standing next to a Starfighter aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer Jr., one of the Tuskegee Airmen, shares his experiences as a combat fighter pilot. Earlier, Archer made a special presentation to the Kennedy work force, talking about his years as a combat fighter pilot, civil rights leader and business executive. Archer is the only Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot to receive the honor “Ace” for shooting down five enemy aircraft during WWII. He retired as Air Force Command Pilot after 30 years of military service, 1941-1971. Archer is at Kennedy to serve as Military Marshall of the 2008 KSC Space & Air Show, Nov. 8-9. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
This photograph shows a modified General Dynamics AFTI/F-111A Aardvark with supercritical mission adaptive wings (MAW) installed. The AFTI/F111A is seen banking towards Rodgers Dry Lake and Edwards Air Force Base. With the phasing out of the TACT program came a renewed effort by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory to extend supercritical wing technology to a higher level of performance. In the early 1980s the supercritical wing on the F-111A aircraft was replaced with a wing built by Boeing Aircraft Company System called a “mission adaptive wing” (MAW), and a joint NASA and Air Force program called Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) was born.
The U.S. Air Force F-16D Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology aircraft flew at low levels above the Sierra Nevada Mountains to test the ACAT Fighter Risk Reduction project. The goal was to develop collision avoidance technologies for aircraft to reduce the risk of ground collisions. Such systems on U.S. Air Force aircraft have resulted in saving eight lives and seven aircraft.
The X-31 Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability Technology Demonstrator Aircraft, based at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, begins rolling aboard an Air Force Reserve C-5 transport which ferried it on May 22, 1995 to Europe where it was flown in the Paris Air Show in June 1995. To fit in the C-5 the right wing of the X-31 had to be removed. At the air show, the X-31 demonstrated the value of using thrust vectoring (directing engine exhaust flow) coupled with advanced flight control systems to provide controlled flight at very high angles of attack.
The right wing of the X-31 Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability Technology Demonstrator Aircraft is seen here being put into a shipping container May 18, 1995, at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, by U.S. and German members of the program. To fit inside an Air Force Reserve C-5 transport, which was used to ferry the X-31 to Europe on May 22, 1995, the right wing had to be removed. Manching, Germany, was used as a staging base to prepare the aircraft for participation in the Paris Air Show. At the air show on June 11 through the 18th, the X-31 demonstrated the value of using thrust vectoring (directing engine exhaust flow) coupled with advanced flight control systems to provide controlled flight at very high angles of attack. The aircraft arrived back at Edwards in an Air Force Reserve C-5 on June 25, 1995, and off loaded at Dryden the 27th. The X-31 aircraft was developed jointly by Rockwell International's North American Aircraft Division (now part of Boeing) and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (formerly Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm), under sponsorship by the U.S. Department of Defense and the German Federal Ministry of Defense.
The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here during a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft.
The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here during a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft.
The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here during a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft.
View of the left cockpit and pilot's seat of the F-111 MAW aircraft. Unlike most fighter aircraft of the time, the F-111 had side-by-side seating. The pilot sat on the left side, and the weapons systems officer on the right. Both had control sticks to fly the aircraft. The two yellow and black striped handles would be used in an emergency to eject the entire F-111 cockpit. The F-111 also did not have ejection seats, but used a capsule.
The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) subscale research vehicle, seen here after landing to conclude a research flight, was flown by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from mid 1979 to January 1983. The aircraft demonstrated advanced fighter technologies that have been used in the development of many modern high performance military aircraft.
91,591 Overhead view. McDonnell XF-88B Experimental Jet Fighter. Langley used this aircraft in the mid-1950s to explore the potential of a supersonic propeller. Photographed in Engineer in Charge A History of the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 1917-1958 by James R. Hansen. Page 508. **Note see L57-2259 for eye level view.
A close-up view of the Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) research vehicle attached to a wing pylon on NASA’s B-52 mothership during a 1980 test flight. The HiMAT used sharply swept-back wings and a canard configuration to test possible technology for advanced fighters.
Installation Photos, 3/4 front view from below. F-111B in Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel. The General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B was a long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft that was planned to be a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II. The F-111B was developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics in conjunction with Grumman for the United States Navy (USN) as part of the joint Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) with the United States Air Force (USAF) to produce a common fighter for the services that could perform a variety of missions. It incorporated innovations such as variable-geometry wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and a long-range radar and missile weapons system.
This photograph shows a modified General Dynamics AFTI/F-111A Aardvark with supercritical mission adaptive wings (MAW) installed. The four dark bands on the right wing are the locations of pressure orifices used to measure surface pressures and shock locations on the MAW. The El Paso Mountains and Red Rock Canyon State Park Califonia, about 30 miles northwest of Edwards Air Force Base, are seen directly in the background. With the phasing out of the TACT program came a renewed effort by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory to extend supercritical wing technology to a higher level of performance. In the early 1980s the supercritical wing on the F-111A aircraft was replaced with a wing built by Boeing Aircraft Company System called a “mission adaptive wing” (MAW), and a joint NASA and Air Force program called Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) was born.
Arrived at NASA FRC January 9, 1963 Departed September 10, 1973 to Redding, California This aircraft, one of four T-33A jet trainers which NASA Dryden used from 1958 to 1973, was used in a monocular vision landing study. The T-33 was the first U.S. Air Force jet trainer, and was originally developed as a two-seat version of the F-80. The T-33 was used by not only the U.S. military, but also by foreign air forces as a trainer, fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft.
The Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) research vehicle is shown here mated to a wing pylon on NASA’s B-52 mothership aircraft. The HiMAT was a technology demonstrator to test structures and configurations for advanced fighter concepts. Over the course of more than 40 years, the B-52 proved a valuable workhorse for NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center (under various names), launching a wide variety of vehicles and conducting numerous other research flights.
3/4 front view from below of Air Force F-104. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed by Lockheed for the United States Air Force (USAF). One of the Century Series of fighter aircraft, it was operated by the air forces of more than a dozen nations from 1958 to 2004.
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on a ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, during sunset. The one-of-a-kind aircraft is powered by a General Electric F414 engine, a variant of the engines used on F/A-18 fighter jets. The engine is mounted above the fuselage to reduce the number of shockwaves that reach the ground. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and enable future commercial travel over land – faster than the speed of sound.
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on a ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, during sunset. The one-of-a-kind aircraft is powered by a General Electric F414 engine, a variant of the engines used on F/A-18 fighter jets. The engine is mounted above the fuselage to reduce the number of shockwaves that reach the ground. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and enable future commercial travel over land – faster than the speed of sound.
A Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) inlet model installed in the test section of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Engineers at the Ames Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, and Rockwell International designed two pilotless subscale HiMAT vehicles in the mid-1970s to study new design concepts for fighter aircraft in the transonic realm without risking the lives of test pilots. The aircraft used sophisticated technologies such as advanced aerodynamics, composite materials, digital integrated propulsion control, and digital fly-by-wire control systems. In late 1977 NASA Lewis studied the HiMAT’s General Electric J85-21 jet engine in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory. The researchers charted the inlet quality with various combinations anti-distortion screens. HiMAT employed a relatively short and curved inlet compared to actual fighter jets. In the spring of 1979, Larry Smith led an in-depth analysis of the HiMAT inlet in the 8- by 6 tunnel. The researchers installed vortex generators to battle flow separation in the diffuser. The two HiMAT aircraft performed 11 hours of flying over the course of 26 missions from mid-1979 to January 1983 at Dryden and Ames. Although the HiMAT vehicles were considered to be overly complex and expensive, the program yielded a wealth of data that would validate computer-based design tools.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Center Director Bob Cabana presents an award to retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer Jr., one of the Tuskegee Airmen, during a special presentation to the work force at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Archer shared his experiences as combat fighter pilot, civil rights leader and business executive. Archer is the only Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot to receive the honor “Ace” for shooting down five enemy aircraft during WWII. He retired as Air Force Command Pilot after 30 years of military service, 1941-1971. Archer is at Kennedy to serve as Military Marshall of the 2008 KSC Space & Air Show, Nov. 8-9. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer Jr. (seated at center), one of the Tuskegee Airmen, autographs photos for guests after a special presentation to the work force at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Archer shared his experiences as combat fighter pilot, civil rights leader and business executive. Archer is the only Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot to receive the honor “Ace” for shooting down five enemy aircraft during WWII. He retired as Air Force Command Pilot after 30 years of military service, 1941-1971. Archer is at Kennedy to serve as Military Marshall of the 2008 KSC Space & Air Show, Nov. 8-9. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
A Lockheed F-94B Starfire on the hangar apron at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The Air Force contracted Lockheed in November 1948 to create the new F-94s fighters. The first test flight occurred only months later in April 1949. This quick turnaround was due to the fact that the F-94 was based largely on the TF-80 fighter and constructed with parts from the P-80, including its two General Electric I-40 turbojet engines. The F-94Bs entered the Korean War in late 1951, but were initially prevented from flying over enemy territory due to fear that their fire control system would be copied by the enemy if an F-94B went down. The Starfire went on to perform scores of missions escorting B-29 and B-26 bombers deep into enemy territory and acting as interceptors against enemy fighters. In mid-1954 the F-94s were retired from active military service. Lewis acquired the F-94B Starfire in April 1956. At the time, the aircraft industry was preparing for the first use of jet engines for commercial aviation. The amount of noise generated by the engines was a major obstacle. Lewis undertook an extensive program to understand the causes of the noise and develop methods for reducing it. This program included the study of aerodynamic sound at high speed and altitude using the F-94B.
This photograph shows a modified General Dynamics AFTI/F-111A Aardvark in flight with supercritical mission adaptive wings (MAW) installed. With the phasing out of the TACT program came a renewed effort by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory to extend supercritical wing technology to a higher level of performance. In the early 1980s the supercritical wing on the F-111A aircraft was replaced with a wing built by Boeing Aircraft Company System called a “mission adaptive wing” (MAW), and a joint NASA and Air Force program called Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) was born.
Richard G. (Dick) Ewers became a pilot in the Flight Crew Branch of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, in May 1998. His flying duties focus on operation of the Airborne Science DC-8 and Systems Research F/A-18 aircraft, but he also maintains qualifications in the King Air and T-34C. He has more than 32 years and nearly 9,000 hours of military and civilian flight experience in all types of aircraft from jet fighters to blimps. Ewers came to NASA Dryden from a position as an engineering test pilot with Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Division (formerly Westinghouse's Electronic Systems Group). He spent eight and a half years with Westinghouse flight testing radar and forward looking infrared systems under development for military and civilian use. Before going to work for Westinghouse, Ewers served for more than 21 years as a U.S. Marine Corps fighter and test pilot, flying F-4, A-4, and F/A-18 aircraft. He underwent flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., in 1969-70. He was subsequently assigned to both fighter/attack and reconnaissance squadrons before ultimately commanding an F-4S squadron for two years. Additionally, his flying included combat service in Vietnam and operational exchange tours with both U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force squadrons flying F-4s around the world, including off aircraft carriers. Ewers graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1981 and subsequently served two tours as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Md. Most of his flight test experience was with the F/A-18 Hornet. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1989 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Ewers graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1968 with a bachelor of science degree in engineering mechanics. He earned a master of science degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida in 1970.
CALF/JAST X-32 test program: the LSPM (Large Scale Powered Model), Lockheed's concept for a tri-service aircraft (Air Force, Navy, Marines) CALF (Common Affordable Lightweight Fighter) as part of the Department of Defense's Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) is being tested in the 80x120ft w.t. test-930 with rear horizontal stabilizer
View of the cockpit of NASA's F-14, tail number 991. This aircraft was the first of a series of post-Vietnam fighters, followed by the F-15, F-16, and F-18. They were designed for maneuverability in air-to-air combat. The F-14s had a spin problem that posed problems for its ability to engage successfully in a dogfight, since it tended to depart from controlled flight at the high angles of attack that frequently occur in close-in engagements.
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.
North American F-100 C airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, October 7, 1958. Photograph published in: A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672. -- Aircraft number: NACA 42024. Side view, 3/4 view from front, 3/4 view from rear, rear view, and two front views.
North American F-100 C airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, October 7, 1958. Photograph published in: A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672. -- Aircraft number: NACA 42024. Side view, 3/4 view from front, 3/4 view from rear, rear view, and two front views.
North American F-100 C airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, October 7, 1958. Photograph published in: A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672. -- Aircraft number: NACA 42024. Side view, 3/4 view from front, 3/4 view from rear, rear view, and two front views.
North American F-100 C airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, October 7, 1958. Photograph published in: A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672. -- Aircraft number: NACA 42024. Side view, 3/4 view from front, 3/4 view from rear, rear view, and two front views.
North American F-100 C airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, October 7, 1958. Photograph published in: A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672. -- Aircraft number: NACA 42024. Side view, 3/4 view from front, 3/4 view from rear, rear view, and two front views.
North American F-100 C airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, October 7, 1958. Photograph published in: A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672. -- Aircraft number: NACA 42024. Side view, 3/4 view from front, 3/4 view from rear, rear view, and two front views.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Smoke billows from a Huey II helicopter supporting the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An ambulance and several NASA Fire Rescue Services vehicles arrive to assist a Huey II helicopter participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Fire Rescue personnel assist volunteers portraying injured Huey II helicopter crew members participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Fire Rescue personnel assist volunteers portraying injured Huey II helicopter crew members participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Volunteers portraying injured Huey II helicopter crew members are assisted by NASA Fire Rescue personnel in support of the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Cape Canaveral Spaceport Mobile Command Center vehicle participates in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A NASA Fire Rescue Services vehicle and a Huey II helicopter support the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Fire Rescue personnel assist volunteers portraying injured Huey II helicopter crew members participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Fire Rescue personnel assist volunteers portraying injured Huey II helicopter crew members participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A NASA Fire Rescue Services vehicle, ambulance and Huey II helicopter take part in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Fire Rescue personnel assist a volunteer portraying an injured Huey II helicopter crew member participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Volunteers, portraying their individual roles, stand beside a NASA Fire Rescue Services vehicle and a Huey II helicopter in support of the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
A NASA F/A-18, specially modified to test the newest and most advanced system technologies, on its first research flight on May 21, 1993, at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, California. Flown by Dryden in a multi-year, joint NASA/DOD/industry program, the F/A-18 former Navy fighter was modified into a unique Systems Research Aircraft (SRA) to investigate a host of new technologies in the areas of flight controls, airdata sensing and advanced computing. The primary goal of the SRA program was to validate through flight research cutting-edge technologies which could benefit future aircraft and spacecraft by improving efficiency and performance, reducing weight and complexity, with a resultant reduction on development and operational costs.
In this 1950 view of the left side of the NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station's X-4 research aircraft, the low swept wing and horizontal taillest design are seen. The X-4 Bantam, a single-place, low swept-wing, semi-tailless aircraft, was designed and built by Northrop Aircraft, Inc. It had no horizontal tail surfaces and its mission was to obtain in-flight data on the stability and control of semi-tailless aircraft at high subsonic speeds.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Systems Research Aircraft (SRA), a highly modified F-18 jet fighter, on an early research flight over Rogers Dry Lake. The former Navy aircraft was flown by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to evaluate a number of experimental aerospace technologies in a multi-year, joint NASA/DOD/industry program. Among the more than 20 experiments flight-tested were several involving fiber optic sensor systems. Experiments developed by McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed-Martin centered on installation and maintenace techniques for various types of fiber-optic hardware proposed for use in military and commercial aircraft, while a Parker-Hannifin experiment focused on alternative fiber-optic designs for postion measurement sensors as well as operational experience in handling optical sensor systems. Other experiments flown on this testbed aircraft included electronically-controlled control surface actuators, flush air data collection systems, "smart" skin antennae and laser-based systems. Incorporation of one or more of these technologies in future aircraft and spacecraft could result in signifigant savings in weight, maintenance and overall cost.
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.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Systems Research Aircraft (SRA), a highly modified F-18 jet fighter, during a research flight. The former Navy aircraft was flown by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to evaluate a number of experimental aerospace technologies in a multi-year, joint NASA/DOD/industry program. Among the more than 20 experiments flight-tested were several involving fiber optic sensor systems. Experiments developed by McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed-Martin centered on installation and maintenace techniques for various types of fiber-optic hardware proposed for use in military and commercial aircraft, while a Parker-Hannifin experiment focused in alternative fiber-optic designs for position measurement sensors as well as operational experience in handling optical sensor systems. Other experiments flown on this testbed aircraft included electronically-controlled control surface actuators, flush air data collection systems, "smart" skin antennae and laser-based systems. Incorporation of one or more of these technologies in future aircraft and spacecraft could result in signifigant savings in weight, maintenance and overall cost.
Four different versions of the F-16 were used by Dryden in the 1990s. On the left and right sides are two F-16XLs. On the left is the F-16XL #2 (NASA 848), which is the two-seat version, used for advanced laminar flow studies until late 1996. On the right is the single-seat F-16XL #1 (NASA 849), used for laminar flow research and sonic boom research. (Laminar flow refers to smooth airflow over a wing, which increases lift and reduces drag compared to turbulent airflow). Between them at center left is an F-16A (NASA 816), the only civilian operated F-16. Next to it at center right is the U.S. Air Force Advance Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) F-16, a program to test new sensor and control technologies for future fighter aircraft. Both F-16XLs are in storage at Dryden. The F-16A was never flown at Dryden, and was parked by the entrance to the center. The AFTI F-16 is in the Air Force Museum.
A researcher examines the Orenda Iroquois PS.13 turbojet in a Propulsion Systems Laboratory test chamber at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The Iroquois was being developed to power the CF-105 Arrow fighter designed by the Avro Canada Company. Avro began design work on the Arrow jet fighter in 1952. The company’s Orenda branch suggested building a titanium-based PS.13 Iroquois engine after development problems arose with the British engines that Avro had originally intended to use. The 10-stage, 20,000-pound-thrust Iroquois would prove to be more powerful than any contemporary US or British turbojet. It was also significantly lighter and more fuel efficient. An Iroquois was sent to Cleveland in April 1957 so that Lewis researchers could study the engine’s basic performance for the air force in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory. The tests were run over a wide range of speeds and altitudes with variations in exhaust-nozzle area. Initial studies determined the Iroquois’s windmilling and ignition characteristics at high altitude. After operating for 64 minutes, the engine was reignited at altitudes up to the 63,000-foot limit of the facility. Various modifications were attempted to reduce the occurrence of stall but did not totally eradicate the problem. The Arrow jet fighter made its initial flight in March 1958 powered by a substitute engine. In February 1959, however, both the engine and the aircraft programs were cancelled. The world’s superpowers had quickly transitioned from bombers to ballistic missiles which rendered the Avro Arrow prematurely obsolete.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) pilot Cliff Crabbs and the flight operations crew prepare a Convair F-106B Delta Dart for a flight from the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. NASA acquired the aircraft three years earlier to investigate noise-reducing inlet and nozzle designs for the supersonic transport engine program. Two General Electric J85 engines were installed underneath the aircraft’s delta wings to simulate the general shape of the supersonic transport’s engines. One of the engines was modified with experimental inlet or nozzle configurations. The unmodified engine was used for comparison. Most F-106B flights were flown in a 200-mile path over the lake between Buffalo and Sandusky, known as the Lake Erie Corridor. The 1100-miles per hour flight took only 11 minutes at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The aircraft almost always returned with a depleted fuel supply so a Visual Flight Rules operation was required. Following the crash of another jet fighter at Lewis in July 1969, the F-106s were stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan. NASA pilots flew transport planes each morning to the base before commencing the F-106B missions.
Researchers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory purposely wreck a McDonnell FH-1 Phantom as part of the laboratory’s Crash Fire Program. NACA Lewis researchers created the program in 1949 to investigate methods for improving survival rates for take-off and landing-type crashes. In these types of crashes, the passengers often survived the impact only to perish in the ensuing fire. Previously there had been little information on the nature of post-crash fires, and it was difficult to use analytical studies in this area. Irving Pinkel, Chief of the Lewis Flight Propulsion Division, was the primary researcher. He enlisted flight safety specialist and aeronautics researchers G. Merritt Preston and Gerard Pesman, mechanical engineer Dugald Black, and others. The tests were conducted at the nearby Ravenna Arsenal using decommissioned Air Force fighter and transport aircraft. The pilotless aircraft were accelerated down a rail on a 1700-foot track at take-off speeds and run into barriers to simulate a variety of different types of crashes. The first barrier stripped off the landing gears and another briefly sent the aircraft off the ground before it crashed into a dirt mound. Telemetry and high-speed cameras were crucial elements in these studies. NACA Lewis photographer Bill Wynne developed a method for inserting timekeeping devices on test film that were able to show time to one thousandth of a second.
A model of the General Dynamics YF-16 Fighting Falcon in the test section of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. The YF-16 was General Dynamics response to the military’s 1972 request for proposals to design a new 20,000-pound fighter jet with exceptional acceleration, turn rate, and range. The aircraft included innovative design elements to help pilots survive turns up to 9Gs, a new frameless bubble canopy, and a Pratt and Whitney 24,000-pound thrust F-100 engine. The YF-16 made its initial flight in February 1974, just six weeks before this photograph, at Edwards Air Force Base. Less than a year later, the Air Force ordered 650 of the aircraft, designated as F-16 Fighting Falcons. The March and April 1974 tests in the 8- by 6-foot tunnel analyzed the aircraft’s fixed-shroud ejector nozzle. The fixed-nozzle area limited drag, but also limited the nozzle’s internal performance. NASA researchers identified and assessed aerodynamic and aerodynamic-propulsion interaction uncertainties associated the prototype concept. YF-16 models were also tested extensively in the 11- by 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel and 9- by 7-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center and the 12-Foot Pressure Wind Tunnel at Langley Research Center.
Robert Cubbison examines a model of the Lockheed YF-12 Blackbird in the test section of the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. The YF-12 was an experimental fighter version of Lockheed’s A-12 reconnaissance aircraft which had been developed into the renowned SR-71 Blackbird. NASA possessed two YF-12s at its Dryden Flight Research Center which could be used by researchers at all the NASA centers. During its nine-year life, the Dryden’s YF-12 research program logged 297 flights with approximately 450 flight hours. Lewis researchers were studying the YF-12’s inlet airflow in the 10- by 10-foot wind tunnel in late 1977. The advanced supersonic cruise aircraft of the time used mixed-compression inlets. These types of inlets were prone to flameout during atmospheric disturbances. Researchers at Lewis and Dryden developed a program to study these flameouts by artificially introducing flow disturbances. Testing at Dryden with a specially-equipped YF-12 aircraft yielded limited results. Lewis’ tests in the 10- by 10 were unsuccessful at inducing upstream disturbances. The researchers used two methods—a falling plate and a servo-driven wing.
The first research assignment specifically created for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA) new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory was the integration of a supercharger into the Allison V–1710 engine. The military was relying on the liquid-cooled V–1710 to power several types of World War II fighter aircraft and wanted to improve the engine's speed and altitude performance. Superchargers forced additional airflow into the combustion chamber, which increased the engine’s performance resulting in greater altitudes and speeds. They also generated excess heat that affected the engine cylinders, oil, and fuel. In 1943 the military tasked the new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory to integrate the supercharger, improve the cooling system, and remedy associated engine knock. Three Allison engines were provided to the laboratory’s research divisions. One group was tasked with improving the supercharger performance, another analyzed the effect of the increased heat on knock in the fuel, one was responsible for improving the cooling system, and another would install the new components on the engine with minimal drag penalties. The modified engines were installed on this 2000-horsepower dynamotor stand in a test cell within the Engine Research Building. The researchers could run the engine at different temperatures, fuel-air ratios, and speeds. When the modifications were complete, the improved V–1710 was flight tested on a P–63A Kingcobra loaned to the NACA for this project.
Crusader on runway. Navy aircraft number 6340. L59-6101 caption: The Navy's Vought XF8U-3 Supersonic Fighter was an entirely new design as compared to the earlier F8U Crusader series. This jet plane lost in competition with the McDonnell F4H, however, and was never put into production. Langley used the XF8U-3 in some of the first flight measurements of sonic boom intensity. Photograph published in Engineer in Charge A History of the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 1917-1958 by James R. Hansen. Page 507. Caption: Chance Vought F8U-3 airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, June-August 1959. Photograph published in A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672.
Crusader on runway. Navy aircraft number 6340. L59-6101 caption: The Navy's Vought XF8U-3 Supersonic Fighter was an entirely new design as compared to the earlier F8U Crusader series. This jet plane lost in competition with the McDonnell F4H, however, and was never put into production. Langley used the XF8U-3 in some of the first flight measurements of sonic boom intensity. Photograph published in Engineer in Charge A History of the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 1917-1958 by James R. Hansen. Page 507. Caption: Chance Vought F8U-3 airplane used in sonic boom investigation at Wallops, June-August 1959. Photograph published in A New Dimension Wallops Island Flight Test Range: The First Fifteen Years by Joseph Shortal. A NASA publication. Page 672.
NASA's F/A-18 Hornet is seen here in a banked turn over Rogers Dry Lake in the Mojave desert on an early research flight. It was flown by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, in a multi-year, joint NASA/DOD/industry program, the former Navy fighter was modified into a unique Systems Research Aircraft (SRA) to investigate a host of new technologies in the areas of flight controls, airdata sensing and advanced computing. One of the more than 20 experiments tested aboard the SRA F-18 was an advanced air data sensing system which used a group of pressure taps flush-mounted on the forward fuselage to measure both altitude and wind speed and direction--critical data for flight control and research investigations. The Real-Time Flush Air Data Sensing system concept was evaluated for possible use on the X-33 and X-34 resuable space-launch vehicles. The primary goal of the SRA program was to validate through flight research cutting-edge technologies which could benefit future aircraft and spacecraft by improving efficiency and performance, reducing weight and complexity, with a resultant reduction on development and operational costs.
Pilot William Swann, right cockpit, prepares the North American XF-82 Twin Mustang for flight at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The aircraft was one of only two prototypes built by North American in October 1945 and powered by Packard Merlin V-1650 piston engines. Over 270 of the F-82 long-distance pursuit fighters were produced during the 1940s. The Mustang’s unique two-pilot configuration allowed one pilot to rest during the long missions and thus be ready for action upon arrival. The NACA took possession of this XF-82 in October 1947. NACA Lewis used the XF-82 as a test bed for ramjet flight tests. Ramjets are continually burning tubes that use the compressed atmospheric air to produce thrust. Ramjets are extremely efficient at high speeds, but rely on some sort of booster to attain that high speed. NACA Lewis undertook an extensive ramjet program in the 1940s that included combustion studies in the Altitude Wind Tunnel, a number of flight tests, and missile drops from aircraft. The 16-inch diameter ramjet missile was fixed to the XF-82 Mustang’s wing and dropped from high altitudes off of Wallops Island. The tests determined the ramjet’s performance and operational characteristics in the transonic range.
The Allison Engine Company's A.G. Covell instructs mechanics from various divisions at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory on the operation of the Allison Basic Engine. The military had asked that the laboratory undertake an extensive program to improve the performance of the Allison V–1710 engine. The V–1710 was the only liquid-cooled engine used during World War II, and the military counted on it to power several types of fighter aircraft. The NACA instituted an Apprentice Program during the war to educate future mechanics, technicians, and electricians. The program was suspended for a number of years due to the increasing rates of military service by its participants. The laboratory continued its in-house education during the war, however, by offering a number of classes to its employees and lectures for the research staff. The classes and lectures were usually taught by fellow members of the staff, but occasionally external experts were brought in. The students in the Allison class in the Engine Research Building were taught how to completely disassemble and reassemble the engine components and systems. From left to right are Don Vining, Ed Cudlin, Gus DiNovo, George Larsen, Charles Diggs, Martin Lipes, Harley Roberts, Martin Berwaldt and John Dempsey. A.G. Covell is standing.
A Republic F-84 Thunderjet dramatically modified at the NASA Lewis Research Center to investigate the use of slotted nozzles to reduce exhaust noise. The F-84 was a single-seat fighter-bomber powered by an Allison J35 turbojet. It was the Air Force’s first post-World War II tactical aircraft and was used extensively in the Korean War. The laboratory had acquired the aircraft in 1954 and modified it in order to demonstrate the reverse thruster. The tail end of the aircraft was then removed for a series of large nozzle investigations. Lewis researchers launched an extensive program in the mid-1950s to develop methods of reducing engine noise as the airline industry was preparing to introduce the first turbojet-powered passenger aircraft. The early NACA investigations determined that the primary source of noise was the mixing of the engine’s hot exhaust with the cool surrounding air. Lewis researchers studied many different nozzles designed to facilitate this mixing. Nozzles with elongated exit sections, as seen in this photograph, produced lower noise levels. These long slot nozzles were also considered for Short Take-off and Landing aircraft because their long flat surfaces provided lift. In 1958 Lewis tested several full-scale slot nozzles on the F-84. The researchers, led by Willard Cole, sought to determine the noise-generation characteristics for nozzles having large a width-to-height ratio. The nozzle in this photograph has a 100 to 1 width-to-height ratio. Cole determined that the experimental nozzles produced the same levels of sound as the standard nozzle, but the changes in the directional noise were substantial.
Pilot Earle Boyer and researcher Henry Brandhorst prepare for a solar cell calibration flight in a Martin B-57B Canberra at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Lewis was in the early stages of decades-long energy conversion and space power research effort. Brandhorst, a member of the Chemistry and Energy Conversion Division, led a team of Lewis researchers in a quest to develop new power sources to sustain spacecraft in orbit. Solar cells proved to be an important source of energy, but researchers discovered that their behavior varied at different atmospheric levels. Their standardization and calibration were critical. Brandhorst initiated a standardized way to calibrate solar cells in the early 1960s using the B-57B aircraft. The pilots would take the aircraft up into the troposphere and open the solar cell to the sunlight. The aircraft would steadily descend while instruments recorded how much energy was being captured by the solar cell. From this data, Brandhorst could determine the estimated power for a particular solar cell at any altitude. Pilot Earle Boyer joined NASA Lewis in October 1962. He had flown Convair F-102 Delta Dagger fighters in the Air Force and served briefly in the National Guard before joining the Langley Research Center. Boyer was only at Langley a few months before he transferred to Cleveland. He flew the B-57B, a Convair F-106 Delta Dart, Gulfstream G-1 with an experimental turboprop, Learjet and many other aircraft over the next 32 years at Lewis.
Researcher Robert Miller led an investigation into the combustor performance of a German Jumo 004 engine at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. The Jumo 004 powered the world's first operational jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 262, beginning in 1942. The Me 262 was the only jet aircraft used in combat during World War II. The eight-stage axial-flow compressor Jumo 004 produced 2000 pounds of thrust. The US Army Air Forces provided the NACA with a Jumo 004 engine in 1945 to study the compressor’s design and performance. Conveniently the engine’s designer Anselm Franz had recently arrived at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in nearby Dayton, Ohio as part of Project Paperclip. The Lewis researchers used a test rig in the Engine Research Building to analyze one of the six combustion chambers. It was difficult to isolate a single combustor’s performance when testing an entire engine. The combustion efficiency, outlet-temperature distribution, and total pressure drop were measured. The researchers determined the Jumo 004’s maximum performance was 5000 revolutions per minute at a 27,000 foot altitude and 11,000 revolutions per minute at a 45,000 foot altitude. The setup in this photograph was created for a tour of NACA Lewis by members of the Institute of Aeronautical Science on March 22, 1945.
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.
Then and Now: These images illustrate the dramatic improvement in NASA computing power over the last 23 years, and its effect on the number of grid points used for flow simulations. At left, an image from the first full-body Navier-Stokes simulation (1988) of an F-16 fighter jet showing pressure on the aircraft body, and fore-body streamlines at Mach 0.90. This steady-state solution took 25 hours using a single Cray X-MP processor to solve the 500,000 grid-point problem. Investigator: Neal Chaderjian, NASA Ames Research Center At right, a 2011 snapshot from a Navier-Stokes simulation of a V-22 Osprey rotorcraft in hover. The blade vortices interact with the smaller turbulent structures. This very detailed simulation used 660 million grid points, and ran on 1536 processors on the Pleiades supercomputer for 180 hours. Investigator: Neal Chaderjian, NASA Ames Research Center; Image: Tim Sandstrom, NASA Ames Research Center
Pilot Joe Algranti climbs into the cockpit of a McDonnell F2H-2B Banshee on the tarmac at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. Nine months later the laboratory became part of the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the NACA logo was permanently removed from the hangar. Algranti served as a Navy fighter pilot from 1946 to 1947 and earned a Physics degree from the University of North Carolina. He joined the NACA Lewis staff in 1951 witnessed the technological transformation from high speed flight to space. At Lewis Algranti piloted icing research flights, operated the liquid-hydrogen pump system for Project Bee, and served as the primary test subject for the Multi-Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF). The MASTIF was a device used to train the Mercury astronauts how to control a spinning capsule. In 1960, Algranti and fellow Lewis pilots Warren North and Harold Ream transferred to NASA’s Space Task Group at Langley to actively participate in the space program. Two years later, Algranti became the Chief of Aircraft Operations and Chief Test Pilot at NASA’s new Manned Space Center in Houston. Algranti earned notoriety in 1968 when he test flew the first Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. He operated the vehicle four minutes before being forced to eject moments before it impacted the ground. Algranti also flew the NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, the Super Guppy, and the KC-135 "Vomit Comet" training aircraft. He retired in 1992 with over 40 years of NASA service.
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory obtained a Northrop P-61 Black Widow in October 1945 and modified it to serve as a subsonic testbed for ramjet engines and swept-wing aircraft models. The P-61 was developed during World War II specifically for nighttime attacks. It was the largest and heaviest US fighter in the war. The P-61’s unique design included an abbreviated fuselage and twin booms that were joined by a single tail. To facilitate its nighttime missions, the P-61 was painted black and carried a radar system in its nose. It was designed so the crew could perform their flight and tracking tasks in complete darkness. NACA Lewis was in the midst of a massive research effort on ramjets when it acquired the Black Widow. Researchers used the aircraft to accelerate the ramjet until it reached a velocity at which it could be ignited. A ramjet can be seen being fired underneath the aircraft in this photograph. Sensors and instrumentation fed data from the ramjet to the pilot and researchers on the ground. The NACA researchers created a rectangular ramjet with a V-shaped gutter flameholder. The researchers installed the ramjet on the P-61 and flew it at subsonic speeds over a range of altitudes up to 29,000 feet. The ramjet had been previously tested at low speeds on a test stand on the hangar apron. The rectangular ramjet was also used to study different types of flameholders and nozzles used to spray fuel into the combustion chamber. The Black Widow was transferred from Lewis in October 1948.
The Westinghouse 19XB turbojet seen from the side in the Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT) test section at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. Westinghouse started the development of a series of relatively small axial-flow turbojets for the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. In 1943 the 19A engine became both the first operational US-designed jet engine and the only U.S. turbojet incorporated into an aircraft during the war in Europe. In March 1943 Westinghouse agreed to create an improved six-stage 1400-pound thrust version, the 19B. The engine underwent its first test run a year later in March 1944. Almost immediately the navy agreed to Westinghouse’s proposal for the even larger 10-stage, 1600-pound-thrust 19XB prototype. By July 1944 the navy had contracted with the NACA for the testing of both engines in the AWT. The tunnel was the nation’s only facility for studying full-scale engines in simulated altitude conditions. The wind tunnel investigations, which began on September 9, 1944, revealed the superiority of the previously untested 19XB over the 19B. The 19B engines failed to restart consistently and suffered combustion blowouts above 17,000 feet. The 19XB, however, performed well and restarted routinely at twice that altitude. Two months later on January 26, 1945, two 19Bs powered a McDonnell XFD–1 Phantom, the US Navy’s first fighter jet, on its initial flight. Following its exceptional performance in the AWT, the 19XB engines soon replaced the 19Bs in the Phantom.
A Convair F-106B Delta Dart rolls to the right to reveal the two research engines installed under its wings by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Lewis acquired the aircraft in October of 1966 to study inlet and nozzle designs for the supersonic transport engine program. Two General Electric J85 engines were mounted beneath the F-106B’s wings and operated from Mach 1 to 1.5. The right wing always carried reference nozzle for which the performance was known. Six supersonic nozzle variations and two inlets were tested on the left engine. The designs had already been studied in the Lewis wind tunnels, but those tests were limited by shock waves in the tunnels. Most F-106B flights were flown in a 200-mile path over the lake between Buffalo and Sandusky, known as the Lake Erie Corridor. The 1100-mile-per-hour flight took only 11 minutes at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The aircraft almost always returned with a depleted fuel supply so a Visual Flight Rules operation was required. Following the crash of another jet fighter at Lewis in July 1969, the F-106s were stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan. NASA pilots flew transport planes each morning to the base before commencing the F-106B missions. After the supersonic transport program was cancelled, the F-106B was used as a test bed for additional engine exhaust nozzle configurations. The F-106B was also used to test inlet configurations for the noise reduction program.
Craig R. Bomben became a pilot in the Flight Crew Branch of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., in June 2001. His flying duties include a variety of research and support activities while piloting the F/A-18, DC-8, T-34C and King Air aircraft. He has more than 17 years and 3,800 hours of military and civilian flight experience in over 50 different aircraft types. Bomben came to NASA Dryden from a U.S. Navy assignment to the Personnel Exchange Program, Canada. He served as a test pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces located in Cold Lake, Alberta. He participated in numerous developmental programs to include CT-133 airborne ejection seat testing, F/A-18 weapons flutter testing and F/A-18 night vision goggles integration. Bomben performed U.S. Navy fleet service in 1995 as a strike-fighter department head. He completed two overseas deployments onboard the USS George Washington and USS Stennis. As a combat strike leader, he headed numerous multi-national missions over Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch. Bomben graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1992 and was subsequently assigned to the Naval Weapons Test Squadron at Pt. Mugu, Calif. During this tour he developed the F-14D bombsight and worked on various other F-14D and F/A-18 weapon systems developmental programs. Bomben is a 1985 graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He graduated from naval flight training in 1987 and was recognized as a Commodore List graduate. His first assignment was to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., where he was an instructor in the T-2B Buckeye. When selected to fly the F/A-18 in 1989, he joined a fleet squadron and deployed aboard the USS Forrestal. Bomben is married to the former Aissa Asuncion. They live in Lancaster, Calif., with their 3 children.
The unusual lines of the X-36 technology demonstrator contrast sharply with the desert floor as the remotely piloted aircraft scoots across the California desert at low altitude during a research flight on October 30, 1997.
Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Convair F-106B Delta Dart with a 32-spoke nozzle installed on its General Electric J85 test engine. Lewis acquired a Delta Dart fighter in 1966 to study the components for propulsion systems that could be applied to supersonic transport aircraft at transonic speeds. The F-106B was modified with two General Electric J85-13 engines under its wings to study these components. The original test plan was expanded to include the study of boattail drag, noise reduction, and inlets. From February to July 1971 the modified F-106B was used to study different ejector nozzles. Researchers conducted both acoustic and aerodynamic tests on the ground and in flight. Several models were created to test different suppression methods. NASA Lewis’ conical nozzle was used as the baseline configuration. Flightline and sideline microphones were set up on the ground. The F-106B would idle its own engine and buzz the recording station from an altitude of 300 feet at Mach 0.4 with the test engines firing. Researchers found that the suppression of the perceived noise level was usually lower during flight than the researchers had statistically predicted. The 64 and 32-spoke nozzles performed well in actual flight, but the others nozzles tended to negatively affect the engine’s performance. Different speeds or angles- -of-attack sometimes changed the noise levels. In the end, no general conclusions could be applied to all the nozzles.
Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of
Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of