NASA recently released an interesting multi series video on the X-56, the study of wing flutter and the efforts to better understand and mitigate its
effects. They are using the X-56, a Lockheed Skunk Works UAV that was specifically designed to study the effects of wing flutter and active and
passive countermeasures to it during flight. The potential implications to better understanding and mitigating flutter are rather great, leading to
not only more efficient aircraft but greater top speeds as wing structures and bracing can become lighter and less intrusive to the structure and
aerodynamics of the aircraft's overall design.
I've read that the X-56 might be a direct, white world response by Lockheed to problems encountered with a decidedly different aircraft they worked on
that may or may not have had a similar planform to the X-56. There any truth that?
I can't say that I have any direct knowledge of the program that needed this research but it would be more than plausible that they had similar issues
with one of their black projects and needed NASA's help. With NASA involved it also makes it more conducive to a white world experimental program and
the potential white world applications of this tech will payout far more than anything that lives in the black world.
Flutter has long been an issue for all of aviation. There are indications that at least one Piper model has had several in flight breakups due to
flutter
I thought so I remember it from a documentary I watched about it was it true they also used some depleted uranium as a ballast? Is it still in use or
did they move on to another material?
Yes I remember seeing this from the documentary
edit on 8-2-2018 by Woody510 because: (no reason given)
Boeing uses big ballast tanks filled with different amounts of water now to test different CG set ups and loading stresses during flight testing. Not
sure they use static ballast in production anymore.
edit on 8-2-2018 by Sammamishman because: (no reason given)
Up until the 757 and 767 they had several hundred pounds of depleted uranium in selected points on the airframe to act as ballast during flight. It
helped them to keep the CG stable. They used other materials for the late 757 and 767 aircraft, and on the 787 I believe. I want to say tungsten or
something along those lines.
edit on 2/8/2018 by Zaphod58 because: (no reason given)
I'll bet the handling of those aircraft were really fun for the maintainers. Didn't need to pull your hair out since it was all going to fall out
anyway.
I think there was a lot controversy over crashes and fires as well I'm sure the 92 Amsterdam crash had depleted uranium in it if I remember correctly
from the documentary.
What was really fun was when they crashed. Solid DU isn't nearly as bad as when it dustifies and gets into the air. Then you end up breathing it in,
where it does Bad Things to your body.
That was where it became more well known that there were a godawful number of planes flying with DU on them. That was one of the incidents that drove
the change to other materials.
Just had a quick Google it had 282kg of DU in the tailplane I'm guessing like you said if it breaks up during the crash and burns then it's not going
to have a good outcome especially for first responders.
There are no confirmed effects, and a number of accidents it wouldn't have been as dangerous, simply because the tail was so likely to survive with
less damage, but it was bad enough.