National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center P.O.

Box 273 Edwards, California 93523 AC 805-258-3449 FAX 805-258-3566 pao@dfrc.nasa.gov

FS-1998-10-0055 DFRC

F-15B Aerodynamic Flight Facility

Project Summary
NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., is using a modified F-15B aircraft as a testbed for a variety of flight research experiments on aerodynamics. Coupled with a Dryden-designed Flight Test Fixture (FTF) mounted underneath the aircraft, the F-15B Aerodynamic Flight Facility (AFF) provides a unique flight test capability.
Dryden's modified F-15B (left), which has been outfitted with a Dryden-developed flight test fixture (pictured below), serves as an ideal testbed for a variety of flight research experiments.

Aircraft Description
Drydens F-15B AFF is a two-seat version of the F-15 tactical fighter aircraft built by the McDonnell Aircraft and Missile Systems division of the Boeing Company. The aircraft was obtained in 1993 from the Hawaii Air National Guard. In addition to flying research missions, Drydens F-15B AFF also is used for crew training, pilot proficiency and safety chase support for other research aircraft. Bearing NASA tail number 836, the F-15B is about 64 feet long and has a wingspan of just under 43 feet. It is powered by two Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-100 turbofan engines which can produce almost 24,000 pounds of thrust each in full afterburner. It is capable of dash speeds of Mach 2.3, or 2.3 times the speed of sound, at altitudes of 40,000 to 60,000 feet. With the Flight Test Fixture mounted beneath the fuselage in place of the standard external fuel tank, speeds are limited to Mach 2.0. The aircraft has a full-fuel takeoff weight of about 42,000 pounds and a landing weight of about 32,000 pounds. It has aerial refueling capability for extended-duration research missions.

Flight Test Fixture

Engineers at Dryden have developed a test fixture to help conduct aerodynamic research experiments using the F-15B. The fixture, known as Flight Test Fixture II, is a fin-like structure mounted on the centerline of the aircrafts lower fuselage. Built primarily of carbon/epoxy materials, the fixture is in two sections: an upper avionics pylon and a lower test article. The avionics

pylon is a permanent structure housing avionics, research instrumentation and other support equipment. Individual experiments are mounted on the lower section for flight testing. When needed, a removable air data probe is installed near the bottom of the test articles nose. Since the lower section is removable, it may be replaced by other aerodynamic shapes for specific experiments. The fixture is 107 inches long, 32 inches high and eight inches wide.
Flight Test Fixture II.

Current Status
Shortly after obtaining the aircraft, NASA technicians installed video cameras and recording equipment, telemetry and data recording equipment on the aircrafts Flight Test Fixture for the F-15Bs new role as a testbed research aircraft. A new on-board data acquisition system was installed and tested in-flight aboard the F-15B beginning in mid-December 1997 at Dryden.

condition of the TPS materials during flights. Surface pressures over the FTF-II and TPS materials are used to document shear and shock loads on the materials.

Past Experiments
The F-15B Aerodynamic Flight Facility has been a testbed for a variety of recent flight experiments. Included among these were studies of TPS materials for Industrys X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology demonstrator contract

The new data system includes a new research airdata system for the aircraft itself, as well as installation of a new Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation package; a new radome with a nose boom which contains an airdata probe; a digital data recorder; and new telemetry antennas. On-board data acquisition systems are used by Dryden researchers to collect data from flight experiments carried by various research aircraft. The installation of the new data acquisition system in the aircraft adds a capability that makes the F-15B Aerodynamic Flight Facility one of the most versatile testbed aircraft NASA flies. The on-board video system monitored from the rear seat of the cockpit provides a high speed airborne video and photo capability that can be downlinked to researchers on the ground. Flight testing of X-33 thermal protection system (TPS) materials at Dryden are designed to test the durability of the TPS materials at flight velocities for shear and shock loads similar to those the X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator will encounter in flight. The TPS material samples, which include metallic tiles, soft tiles, sealing materials and instrumentation, are flown attached to the forward-left side position of the FTF-II. In-flight video from the aircrafts on-board video system and chase aircraft photo and video cameras are used to document the

competitors, and tests of a sonic shockwave location sensor device. Past TPS tests involved flying advanced ceramic and metallic tile materials which were installed on a special nose section of the Flight Test Fixture. The tiles were mounted at several angles to simulate impacts of rain drops, ice crystals or cloud droplets on the X-33s thermal protection system. The F-15B was then flown through poor weather conditions at different speeds while its video cameras recorded the condition of the TPS materials during these tests.

The shock location sensor experiment proved that the location of a sonic shock wave that develops over an aircraft surface at speeds just below the speed of sound could be precisely determined. Determining the precise location of a developing shock wave could assist designers of future transonic and supersonic aircraft in controlling the phenomenon, especially in the critical area of engine inlet airflow where shock waves can cause an engine to stall or quit unexpectedly.

Funding
The F-15B AFF project receives its funding from NASAs Office of AeroSpace Technology (OAT).

Aeronautics Enterprise
Drydens F-15B AFF aircraft supports all three of NASAs technology pillars which represent the aggressive long-range goals of NASAs OAT, also known as the Aeronautics Enterprise. The Aeronautics Enterprise is one of the four NASA Strategic Enterprises established to address key agency activities in distinctly different areas. One of the goals of Pillar One, known as Global Civil Aviation, is to reduce the cost of air travel. The F-15B AFF has been used to accomplish fuel efficiency research which assists in the accomplihsment of the first pillar. Also, the aircraft has been used for investigations into reducing engine emissions for the Advance Subsonic Transport and High Speed Civil Transport programs. The F-15B AFF has a role in Pillar Two, known as Revolutionary Technology Leaps, that of providing experimental aircraft to increase design confidence, cutting the design cycle time for aircraft. In particular, plans are to use the aircraft for turbulence modeling and computational fluid dynamics research which can provide important data for aircraft designers. In support of Pillar Three, called Access to Space, the F-15B AFF is used to support testing of X-33 Thermal Proterction System (TPS) materials de- Three view of F-15B with flight test fixture. signed to protect the X-33 from the high temperatures encountered during very high speed suborbital flight.

Technology Commercialization
The flight experiments conducted by NASA Dryden on the F-15B Aerodynamic Flight Facility are directly related to improving the aerodynamics of both current aircraft and future aircraft designs by reducing drag, improving efficiency and performance and cutting fuel usage. This, in turn, could cut operating costs and reduce the costs of air transportation for the public. The projects work on reducing the cost of air travel may lead to cheaper air travel, benefitting the travelling public. Finally, cheaper access to space means greater utilization of space and opportunities for business growth.

October 1998