FROM THE ENGINEERS DESK July 20 2007 - First flight of the Boeing X-48B Boeing Phantom Works, NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory joined together to study the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of the Hybrid or Blended Wing Body concept, a cross between a conventional aircraft and a flying wing design. The Air Force designated the sub-scale prototype as the X-48B, based on its interest in the designs potential as a multi-role, long-range, high-capacity military transport aircraft. The follow-on upgraded modified version has been designated the X-48C. The programs goal was to learn more about the low-speed flight control characteristics of the concept when applied to large transport or cargo aircraft. Engineers are also intrigued by the designs potential to get up to 30 percent better fuel economy than traditional aircraft due to its unique shape, a combination of a flying wing merged with a triangular body. The 8.5-percent scale, remotely piloted X-48 is dynamically scaled to fly much like the full-size aircraft would fly. X-48B Boeings sub-scale X-48B Blended Wing Body technology demonstrator rests on the cracked surface of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base before beginning its flight test program.Boeings sub-scale X-48B Blended Wing Body technology demonstrator rests on the cracked surface of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base before beginning its flight test program. (Boeing / Robert Ferguson) › View Larger Image The Blended Wing Body research team successfully completed 250 hours of wind tunnel tests on X-48B Ship No. 1 at the historic full-scale wind tunnel at NASAs Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, in May 2006. NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, CA, is hosting the X- 48 flight test activities and providing in-depth flight research expertise garnered from years of operating a variety of cutting-edge unmanned air vehicles. Following completion of installation of test instrumentation, the second X-48B Blended Wing-Body technology demonstrator began ground checkout at NASA Dryden in late 2006, with the first five test flights occurring in early 2007. Flight testing at NASA Dryden focused on the low-speed, low-altitude flight characteristics of the blended wing body configuration, including engine-out control, stall characteristics and handling qualities. The short flight test program was designed to demonstrate that the novel design can be flown as safely as current transports having a traditional fuselage, wings and tail configuration. Both X-48B technology demonstration aircraft were built by Cranfield Aerospace in the United Kingdom to Boeings specifications. The subscale prototypes have a wingspan of 20.4 feet, with prominent vertical fins and rudders at the wingtips and elevons along the trailing edges of the wings. Three small model aircraft turbojet engines, providing a maximum combined thrust of about 150 lb, power the 523-lb. gross weight aircraft. The X-48B has an estimated top airspeed of 118 knots (138 mph), a maximum altitude of about 10,000 feet and a flight duration of about 40 minutes. Source: NASA r/Jose
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 13:00:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015