(June 22, 2014) ...At the Ames Research Center, wind tunnel tests are conducted to study how altering of the fuselage, wings, engines, engine nacelles, and other components can shape the sonic boom in a way that could lengthen it or spread it out, turning a thunderclap into a loud rumble. The best design so far involves a needle-like nose, a sleek fuselage and delta or highly-swept wing. Examples of these can been seen in designs from major aircraft manufacturers that NASA is helping to test in its supersonic wind tunnel. One from Lockheed Martin looks a bit like a stretched Concorde with a third engine mounted on the wing, while the Boeing version is remarkable for having two engines set on top of the wings. According to NASA, engine mounting can be an important factor in moderating sonic booms. Mounting the engines above the wings, for example, can send the boom upwards, but this can affect performance...
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 00:02:41 +0000
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