Author Topic: NASA Administrator to Make X-Plane Announcement at Reagan National Media Event  (Read 119311 times)

Offline jacqmans

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February 25, 2016
MEDIA ADVISORY M16-017

NASA Administrator to Make X-Plane Announcement at Reagan National Media Event

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Jaiwon Shin will be at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, at 1:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 29, to discuss with media NASA’s advanced aeronautic concepts. They’ll also make an announcement about the agency’s plan for a series of experimental aircraft.

Bolden and Shin will discuss NASA’s research into green aviation technologies, a critical part of President Obama’s push to build a clean transportation system for the 21st century, and the agency’s New Aviation Horizons initiative, which is a 10-year plan to build a series of experimental aircraft, or X-planes. Models and graphics of potential X-plane designs will be on site for viewing.

Representatives from the Aerospace Industries Association and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics also will attend.

The media event will be held at the south end of Reagan National’s Terminal B on the ticketing level next to the Alaska Airlines/Delta Airlines ticket areas. Reporters should park in the Terminal B parking area for closest entry. If being dropped off, enter through Door 1 on the Departures ramp.

For more information about NASA’s aeronautics research, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aero
Jacques :-)

Offline TrevorMonty

We tend to forget on this forum that one of the A in NASA stands for Aeronautics.

Offline redliox

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We tend to forget on this forum that one of the A in NASA stands for Aeronautics.

True I'll admit.  I would be curious to know what NASA plans to roll out next for a new plane.
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Offline Borklund

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I for one welcome our new blended wing body overlords.

Offline kevin-rf

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The hybrid pusher tail design offers a significant reduction in fuel burn. Lots of near term application. Been some good articles on it recently. Airbus showed a similar concept design recently.

Would love to see Boeing use the concept for either MOM (Middle of Market, the hole between 737-9x and 787-8) or NSA (New Single Aisle, 737 replacement).
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Offline kevin-rf

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Btw. for the non aviation types, clockwise from the top.

Super sonic boom noise reduction test aircraft.
   2003, initial test with an F-5E with a modified nose, 2007 tests on an F-15b with a modified nose.

Blended body vehicle.   
   X-48 drone tested the concept. Tests started in 2004 and still continuing. Currently testing with the X-48C.

Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research aircraft.
   NASA plans to modify a Tecnam P2006T to explore the system level impacts of distributed electric propulsion.

Hybrid Electric Concept Aircraft
    Placing an electric fan in the trail reduces drag improving the overall fuel burn while allowing a reduction in the bypass ratio of the turbo fans under the winds. The extra weight of the the fan is offset by the smaller turbo fan engines. Cool concept. Also would have better ground clearance. I would love to see Boeing do this with MOM.
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Offline Star One

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We tend to forget on this forum that one of the A in NASA stands for Aeronautics.

True I'll admit.  I would be curious to know what NASA plans to roll out next for a new plane.

Quiet Boom demonstrator is the top priority at the moment. The design shown in the poster is LM's which was the winning concept.

One interesting vehicle I'll be looking out for is the NASA/LM hypersonic demonstrator. When NASA it was announced were getting LM to do analysis in relation to the SR-72 there was talk then of NASA building a demonstrator.

Quote
If the study is successful, NASA wants to fund a demonstration programme. Lockheed would test the dual-mode ramjet in a flight research vehicle, and try to find solutions to issues like engine packaging and designing the thermal management system, Bartolotta says.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nasa-launches-study-for-skunk-works-sr-72-concept-407222/

The blended wing body looks very much like the AFRL's design for a future transport aircraft.

http://m.aviationweek.com/awin/lockheed-martin-refines-hybrid-wing-body-airlifter-concept
« Last Edit: 02/26/2016 03:26 pm by Star One »

Offline kevin-rf

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btw. Refound the Aviation Week article on the hybrid pusher concept. To me, it's the class of planes flying in the largest numbers (737, a320) and they are talking something like an 18% fuel burn improvement. It is just the most return on investment.

http://aviationweek.com/technology/nasa-surprised-hybrid-power-study-results

Add in Boeing expected to go forward with MOM in 2017, and they pushed the 737 as far as it can go. You cannot put a larger fan on it. This would be perfect.

One side note. I read a while back on the blended body design something I do not quite understand. During a turn passengers seated out towards the wing will experience higher g loads than those seated in the center. Not sure how that works, is the turn radius that small?

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Offline R7

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Quiet Boom demonstrator is the top priority at the moment.

If the tendency is towards greener aviation I fail to see supersonic flight as top priority with or without boom. Hybrids, solar/battery electric more likely.
AD·ASTRA·ASTRORVM·GRATIA

Offline Star One

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Quiet Boom demonstrator is the top priority at the moment.

If the tendency is towards greener aviation I fail to see supersonic flight as top priority with or without boom. Hybrids, solar/battery electric more likely.

Quiet Boom has already been stated more than once that NASA along with industry partners regard this as a high priority goal.
« Last Edit: 02/27/2016 05:05 pm by Star One »

Offline Robotbeat

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Quiet Boom demonstrator is the top priority at the moment.

If the tendency is towards greener aviation I fail to see supersonic flight as top priority with or without boom. Hybrids, solar/battery electric more likely.
Why not both?  8)
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Offline Robotbeat

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Hybrids are neat and all, but full-electric is where it's at. Ultra-high-performance lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur can do 300-400Wh/kg, which should do 1000km with some of those advanced designs, if you're clever. With lithium-air batteries (which need a lot of process development to get to any kind of decent cycle life) using the newer designs, you could get range comparable to all current jet liners. And potentially supersonic electric flight.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline TrevorMonty

Hybrids are neat and all, but full-electric is where it's at. Ultra-high-performance lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur can do 300-400Wh/kg, which should do 1000km with some of those advanced designs, if you're clever. With lithium-air batteries (which need a lot of process development to get to any kind of decent cycle life) using the newer designs, you could get range comparable to all current jet liners. And potentially supersonic electric flight.
The initial market for electric planes is likely to be short haul <500km. In this market their lower operating costs should beat the current twin turboprop aircraft. Electric engines should be considerably cheaper to maintain than complex turboprops.

Offline R7

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Why not both?  8)

My koolaidX is too dilluted to believe in supersonic electric jets in any near future.  :)
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Offline Rocket Science

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Hybrids are neat and all, but full-electric is where it's at. Ultra-high-performance lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur can do 300-400Wh/kg, which should do 1000km with some of those advanced designs, if you're clever. With lithium-air batteries (which need a lot of process development to get to any kind of decent cycle life) using the newer designs, you could get range comparable to all current jet liners. And potentially supersonic electric flight.
Chris, do you have a projected turn-around time for re-charge on such a design?

~Rob
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline rocx

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Hybrids are neat and all, but full-electric is where it's at. Ultra-high-performance lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur can do 300-400Wh/kg, which should do 1000km with some of those advanced designs, if you're clever. With lithium-air batteries (which need a lot of process development to get to any kind of decent cycle life) using the newer designs, you could get range comparable to all current jet liners. And potentially supersonic electric flight.
Chris, do you have a projected turn-around time for re-charge on such a design?

~Rob

I strongly suppose that if a fully battery operated airplane enters commercial operation, it would need to come with a quick battery swap option to keep turnaround time low and thermal loads acceptable.
Any day with a rocket landing is a fantastic day.

Offline 93143

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I read a while back on the blended body design something I do not quite understand. During a turn passengers seated out towards the wing will experience higher g loads than those seated in the center. Not sure how that works, is the turn radius that small?

Wouldn't that refer specifically to the bank maneuver itself?  The rotation of the vehicle would be much more noticeable that far from the roll axis.

Offline Rocket Science

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Hybrids are neat and all, but full-electric is where it's at. Ultra-high-performance lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur can do 300-400Wh/kg, which should do 1000km with some of those advanced designs, if you're clever. With lithium-air batteries (which need a lot of process development to get to any kind of decent cycle life) using the newer designs, you could get range comparable to all current jet liners. And potentially supersonic electric flight.
Chris, do you have a projected turn-around time for re-charge on such a design?

~Rob

I strongly suppose that if a fully battery operated airplane enters commercial operation, it would need to come with a quick battery swap option to keep turnaround time low and thermal loads acceptable.
That's  how I would see it at this point in time (technology) as well.
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline Burninate

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I read a while back on the blended body design something I do not quite understand. During a turn passengers seated out towards the wing will experience higher g loads than those seated in the center. Not sure how that works, is the turn radius that small?

Wouldn't that refer specifically to the bank maneuver itself?  The rotation of the vehicle would be much more noticeable that far from the roll axis.

Probably refers to rolling in general.  An already-banked turn that still has rudder involvement will indeed put higher lateral (not vertical) g-loading on the outer edge, but it's likely to be a very small difference because the turn radius is high.
« Last Edit: 02/28/2016 06:21 pm by Burninate »

Offline Star One

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any takers on what design concept will be picked?

Quiet Boom.

 

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