Posted on 07/27/2007 12:24:14 PM PDT by rocksblues
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - An experimental jet that resembles a flying wing successfully flew for the first time in a program that could lead to more fuel-efficient, quieter and higher-capacity aircraft, NASA said Thursday.
The remotely controlled, 500-pound, three-engine jet with a 21-foot wingspan took off July 20, climbed to an altitude of 7,500 feet and landed about a half-hour later, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center said.
The X-48B Blended Wing Body aircraft was controlled by a pilot at a ground station. NASA and Boeing said data from the flight are already being compared with data from wind tunnel tests.
The aircraft and a duplicate were designed by Boeing Co. (BA)'s Phantom Works in cooperation with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Built by Cranfield Aerospace Ltd. in Bedford, England, they are 8.5 percent-scale versions of a future full-size design.
The X-48B resembles a flying wing, but the wing blends into a wide, flat and tailless fuselage, NASA and Boeing said.
The design is intended to provide more lift with less drag compared with the cylindrical fuselage of a traditional aircraft, reducing fuel consumption while cruising.
The engines are located high on the back of the aircraft, which should mean it is quieter inside and less noise reaches the ground during flights.
The planes are initially flying at low speeds to gather information about the stability and flight-control characteristics of the design, particularly during takeoff and landing.
Another X-48B used for wind tunnel testing is available as a backup for flight tests.
This is the picture that Boeing put out.
Boeing Bump...
Beoing looked at this design really hard a few years ago when they were thinking what to build next. They settled instead on the 787 design.
> Boeing looked at this design really hard a few years
> ago when they were thinking what to build next.
> They settled instead on the 787 design.
If it can meet the promised numbers, it’s apt to show
up first as a mil transport and/or tanker (much as
novel new a/c types did back before and after WW-II).
Apart from being “too different” for the average
paying passenger, there are some real pax issues to
work through, like can you do an evac to FAA specs,
and will too many people be unwilling to sit so far
from a window or an exit?
Ding!
Fill up those empty spaces with military grade explosives and, voila! Remote kamikazee plane at your disposal - now where exacptly doe Imanutjob hang his hat? Hum? With any luck we could shoot the video of him looking up to see it coming and make MILLIONS! And that’s just the Israeli rights!
for your aero ping
Or cargo. With no windows, passengers are going to be puking more in that airplane than in any other yet, especially if it has any yaw problems in turbulence or weather.
They could have emergency exits that go up or down from the center of the aircraft. Another thought would be rear exits, since the engines are on top. Neither is a perfect solution, but emergency exits are pretty ineffective once the airframe has suffered significant damage.
The safety briefing I got on a USAF flight made the most sense. “If you see any large opening in the fuselage, climb out through the hole as quickly as you can. ...and try to drag any unconscious victims out with you.”
Wonder what kind, and size, of servos they’re using? That’s one heck of an RC plane.
Dang... so much for getting a window seat.
500 pound?
someone forgot a couple zeros
500 pound?
someone forgot a couple zeros
I'd imagine something at least 1/4-scale or larger.
Yeah, at 500Lbs. RTF, I'll bet it flattens the tires a bit. :)
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