Lockheed selected by NASA to build quiet boom demonstrator

originally posted by: nelloh62
a reply to: Barnalby

Nasa released a very good pdf called Sonic Boom, Six Decades of Research. It is very informative, but 539 pages long.
Quite a good read if you have some spare time

You know that actually is a pretty good PDF you gotthere Nello.

It's worth the read Barnalby. Nothing shocking in there but 539 pages of solid info.

At the 55 second mark in the video when he says, "and flight tests," what plane are we looking at?

a reply to: SonofaSkunk

I think that's an F-15 modified with the same telescopic nose rod as seen a few seconds later in the video on the other jet.

I think they are playing with the right distance to place the air spike in front of the fuselage to divert the bow shock wave further away from the plane. Notice it's also located below center line of the nose.

NASA released the QueSST draft RFP.

m.aviationweek.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

QueSST is designed to fly at Mach 1.4, 55,000 feet above the ground. The aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature. QueSST’s “heartbeat” will be dramatically quieter than the traditional “N-wave” sonic boom associated with the current supersonic aircraft in flight today. The Skunk Works team has been advancing this technology for the last 20 years as part of multiple efforts.

LockheedMartin.com - Quiet Supersonic Technology X-Plane.

There is also a photo in their 'news' section showing a scale model in a wind tunnel.

Is this just that the RFP has been released to the public finally? If not, I'm totally confused.

Btw, looks pretty! At least the concept photos do.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Lockheed was initially selected to build the demonstrator, before the program was expanded to allow other designs, in an attempt to find the best design they can.

The Lockheed design is the baseline, which is why they were initially going to require that all bids start their design from that design, before changing it into their own design.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Ahhhhh That makes more sense!

Any word on use of NASA's patent on using graphene and carbon nanotubes on wing's leading edge? Their patent creates micro turbulence preventing a slip stream from lining up like on other supersonic aircraft.

Lockheed's web page makes it seem it is all shape based.

Thanks for the prompt reply!

S+F (poor thread! lol)

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

They're relying on shaping to keep costs down. The graphene design should work, but right now it's going to be expensive, and it's still largely untested.

a reply to: Zaphod58

www.parabolicarc.com...

Tests with an F/A-18 first.

Just confirming old data or just trying rewrite whats already been learned.Thought they figured it all out in the 60,s.?

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

there are a few tricks up there sleeves to manage air flow over surfaces of the air frame.

it just comes down to how much people are willing to pay out per air frame. If money was not a factor there would be SST flying all over the place.

most of us here know there are amazing technologies out there, but getting them to come out of the darkness is the real problem

a reply to: Blackfinger

They need a baseline to compare it to. Airframes have changed a lot since the original tests.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Agreed. Further principles added to the airframe and shape equals big results.