Questions tagged [nasa]
For questions regarding the aeronautical work of NASA. Questions focused on the space aspects should be asked on the Space Exploration site.
31
questions
1
vote
1answer
139 views
How was the AeroVironment Helios able to fly to the edge of space at no more than 23.5 kn?
The NASA/AeroVironment Helios holds the FAI record for the highest sustained horizontal flight at 96,900 ft (29.5 km) MSL. It reportedly spent more than 40 min above 96,000 ft. It could fly no faster ...
9
votes
1answer
282 views
What does it mean exactly when an aircraft is "35% unstable"? (aircraft stability factor)
CNN's Grumman X-29: The impossible fighter jet with inverted wings contains several interesting photos, and says:
It was unflyable -- literally -- without a digital flight computer on board, which ...
10
votes
3answers
344 views
Could the Mars helicopter Ingenuity have been test-flown outdoors at JPL just for the heck of it? (not that they would)
The Ingenuity helicopter that has flown on Mars is designed for roughly 0.01 bar pressure and a colder atmosphere made of mostly CO2. See links (including video) in this answer to What JPL laboratory ...
4
votes
1answer
224 views
Details about video equipment used to help assemble X-59?
On 2020 Dec 14 NASA reported
on Lockheed Martin's construction of the X-59.
The report's photos include an unexplained apparatus, comprising what looks like
two Panasonic video projectors and two ...
1
vote
2answers
439 views
What astronauts and/or pilots had their "own" T-38 for transportation and practice?
It appears that the T-38 was used as a means of transportation for certain personnel. Astronauts, and certain pilots? It appears it was also used for training in some cases.
From some articles ...
6
votes
2answers
464 views
How did pilots maintain the Vomit Comet's parabolic trajectory?
How did the Vomit Comet maintain its free-fall trajectory? Careful trimming? Custom autopilot software? Or just good stick and rudder technique?
Wikipedia, citing references but without ...
-3
votes
1answer
163 views
Did NASA just broke the world record for fastest aircraft by going over 10 times faster than the previous record?
The current world record is held by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. In 1976, this aircraft reached a top speed of 3,529.6 km/h, according to Wikipedia.
Fast forward 44 years, and NASA just launched the ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
How is NASA going to get high fuel economy on the X-57? [duplicate]
This X-plane is meant to fly soon.
It's a modified Tecnam.
The propeller direct wash over the wings, increasing lift. This allows the use of a smaller, high-aspect ratio, low drag wing.
But this isn'...
1
vote
1answer
145 views
How to reproduce NASA/Langley airfoils for general aviation with long chord lengths?
I have scaled a NASA/Langley LS(1)-0413 airfoil to a 90 inch chord length, and now the trailing edge is 0.5in. Any longer chord length would have a larger trailing edge thickness.
(90in*(0.0071-0....
0
votes
0answers
43 views
Calculating Lift of a closed-wing drone
A group of students and I are designing a theoretical closed-wing drone and need to calculate lift based on the NASA lift equation. We've designed fixed-wing aircraft before and when it came to ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
Why Apollo 11 was launched in summer? (Performance question) [closed]
The question could seems stupid, but i think that best moment to launch a rocket is when temperature is lowest in order to achieve the best performance in a reaction engine. I do not know if there is ...
41
votes
2answers
7k views
How did NASA Langley end up with the first 737?
This answer shows N515NA, CN/MSN: 19437 as an early 737, and mentions that it may be the first one.
Was this a special design built for NASA, or perhaps a prototype that nobody wanted for commercial ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
How is the camera positioned for these plane-to-plane Schlieren images of shock waves?
These two popular press articles discuss the use of schlieren photography to image shock waves of jets during flight using a special schlieren camera on a third plane.
Gizmodo: NASA Captures First-...
-4
votes
1answer
302 views
How many B747s SCA does NASA have?
How many B747s that used as Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) does NASA have?
Please include:
The number of B747 SCAs that are still in service.
The number of B747 SCAs that have already been retired (...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Why was F-18 chosen to escort Space Shuttle Endeavour?
This question is kind of a continuation to Why does NASA have F/A-18s?
The accepted answer states that
"NASA uses them for pilot training and as chase planes for research
aircraft."
So, why ...
4
votes
1answer
269 views
What might the business model be for a hypersonic jet? [closed]
According to this video, NASA and Boeing are doing research into a new generation of hypersonic passenger planes that can travel at Mach 5. The designs look really cool and I would love to see them in ...
9
votes
2answers
433 views
How unusual is it for remotely piloted aircraft to fly through commercial or general aviation airspace?
According to the Phys.org article NASA flies large unmanned aircraft in public airspace without chase plane for first time:
Flights of large craft like Ikhana, have traditionally required a safety ...
4
votes
3answers
3k views
How to draw NACA 6-Series Airfoils?
In relation to the question on the NACA 64-2A015 airfoil I would like to know how to draw this airfoil.
At least these two reports [1,2] by NASA provide the equation for it.
However, I am not able ...
1
vote
1answer
355 views
Is there an analytical description of the NACA 642-015A profile?
While searching for symmetric profiles I stumbled across different definitions (point-clouds) of the NACA 642-015A profile.
http://airfoiltools.com/airfoil/seligdatfile?airfoil=n64015a-il
http://www....
5
votes
1answer
584 views
Is it viable to put an engine at the rear of the plane like in this photo?
I saw this image on a NASA page talking about hybrids and I was wondering if the back-engine placemente is actually viable and if it is why hasn't been done yet?
3
votes
1answer
577 views
Why does the NASA GL-10 Greased Lightning run on diesel?
I've been reading about NASA's experimental GL-10 Greased Lightning tilt-wing aircraft with interest.
My understanding is that this is a diesel-electric hybrid aircraft uses stored electrical energy ...
34
votes
5answers
8k views
What's the point of using T-38 to instill flight proficiency in Space Shuttle pilots?
As discussed in this Q&A, NASA pilots had to fly 15 hours a month on T-38 to maintain flight proficiency.
NASA Dryden's T-38 Talon trainer jet in flight over the main base complex at Edwards Air ...
40
votes
2answers
10k views
Why does NASA's B-52 008 have a smoking engine in this photograph?
This is a photograph from the launch of an X-43 from the NASA owned and operated B-52 '008'. It appears that one engine is producing a plume of smoke in the photograph. Why is this?
Source
4
votes
2answers
660 views
Could the vertical stabilizer be removed on the NASA X-57?
I was reading this article about how NASA will develop this new X-57 X-plane which has many tiny electric motors mounted on the wing.
Now, I wonder: How come this aircraft still has a vertical ...
0
votes
1answer
428 views
What are the design goals for NASA's X-57? [duplicate]
There have obviously been work going on prior to the X-57 announcement (see LEAPTech and Joby Aviation http://www.jobyaviation.com/LEAPTech/). However, what does NASA actually think they will achieve ...
0
votes
1answer
662 views
How do I interpret these values in NASA's C-MAPSS dataset files?
I was studying a dual-speed, high-bypass ratio turbofan engine dataset which I happened to obtain from NASA's website. This dataset was generated from C-MAPSS simulator where dataset has nominal and ...
11
votes
4answers
4k views
How is the D8 Double Bubble aircraft by NASA so efficient?
How does the 'double bubble' fuselage cross-section of the "Double Bubble D8" aircraft (developed by MIT for NASA) help improve overall efficiency by around 70%?
Image credit: NASA/MIT/Aurora Flight ...
26
votes
2answers
8k views
Why does NASA have F/A-18s?
I always remember playing FSX as a kid and using the NASA F/A-18, and never thought much about it. And then I saw the picture of the Space Shuttle on top of the 747 being escorted by these planes.
...
7
votes
0answers
3k views
Why were the toggle switch guards in the Space Shuttle titanium? [closed]
I recently found out that the little protective rails over the toggle switches in the space shuttle were made out of titanium. I'm not sure of which alloy specifically, but probably 6AL4V (or "Grade ...
12
votes
1answer
4k views
Does NASA use T-38's to train all crew members of a space flight as pilots?
Did all NASA flight crew recruits learn to fly when preparing for Space Shuttle missions?
Obviously, the pilot — and I am guessing the commander, too — would be USAF / USN / USMC pilots, but what ...
38
votes
2answers
6k views
Did the Space Shuttle really wait until 50 feet above the ground before they put the gear down?
I saw a sign at the Smithsonian about the Space Shuttle where it said that their gear was not extended until 50 feet above the ground. I've searched and searched for something definitive that had the ...
