NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19970004281: Flights of Discovery: 50 Years at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

213 Pages·85.7 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

RES
N A SD~R YDENF LIGHT

FLIGHTS
DISCOVERY
by Lane E. Wallace
SO YEARS AT THE
NASA DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER
The NASA History Series
NASA SP-4309
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
NASA History Office
Washington, D.C. 1996
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wallace, Lane E., 1961-
Flights of discovery : 50 years at the NASA Dryden Flight Research
Center / by Lane E. Wallace.
p. cm. - (The NASA history series) (NASA SP ; 4309)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
I. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center-History. I. Title.
11. Series. 111. Series: NASA SP ; 4309.
TL521.312.W354 1996
629.1' 0720794' 88-dc20 96- 15797
CIP
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
To my friend Jim
For believing
Contents
Foreword vi
Chapter Qne: A Place for Discovery 1
The Role of Flight Research 4
Supporting National Priorities 9
Dryden Contributions 13
Conclusion 15
Chapter Two: The Right Stuff 19
The Place 2 1
A Unique Approach 28
The People 30
The Partnerships 35
Conclusion 38
Chapter Tbree: Higher, Faster
Breaking the Sound Barrier
The X-Planes
The X-15
The Lifting Bodies
Jet-Powered Speed Research
High Flight Revisited
Conclusion
Chapter Four: Improving Efficiency, Maneuverability & Systems
Efficiency
The Supercritical Wingmission Adaptive Wing
Winglets
The AD- 1 Oblique Wing
Laminar Flow Research
Maneuverability
HiMAT
The X-29
The F/A- 18 HARV
The X-3 1
This volume adds another dimension to "technical agility" of researchers at Dryden-a Early members of the Dryden
Teanz, although the
the existing literature about the history of the quality that has been an enomousl~im portant
organiraiion that became th
Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center ingredient in the process of discovery through Dryden Flight Research
Center was then called the
(DFRC). While previous accounts-most flight here in the Mojave Desert. She has also
NACA High Speed
notably Dick Hallion's superb On the Frontier: captured the spirit of the role flight research Research Station. Lt$ to
right, szanding: Beverly
Flight Research at Dryden, 1946-1981-cover plays in the aeronautics research and develop- Smith, ill^ Ann B ~ ~ ~ ~ ,
part of Dryden's history from one perspective merit chain- unidentified, John Cardon,
John Rodgers, unident@ed,
or another, this is the first book to provide an Lane Wallace has included some "be-
Huben ,yake,, Drake, Waiter
overview of the entire 50 years of the Center7~ hind-the-scenes" events that provide additional C. Wlliams; seated and
-
kneeling: Mary Little, Harry
history from several perspectives. insight into the human side of ths highly
Claggert, Ed Nollenzan, Angel
In this book, Lane Wallace also provides technical discipline. Dryden frequently puts the Dunn, Roxanah Yancey, De
E. Beeler (early 1950s)
insights into the process of research engineer- imovations and ideas of others to the ultimate
( Npho~to E9~6 434~03-1 2)
ing. She differentiates between flight testing test of real flight conditions. The products of
and flight research, and she describes the theory, wind-tunnel testing, and computational
Aviation Safety 149
Conclusion 151
Chapter Six: Future Directions 155
Current Projects 158
Future Directions 161
The Role of Flight Research 163
A Unique Flight Research Resource 165
Dryden Contributions 167
Conclusion 169
Chapter Notes 173
Bibliographic Essay 179
Glossary of Acronyms 180
Appendix: Concepts and Innovations 181
Photo Credits 188
Acknowledgments 189
Index 190
About the Author 198