The F-15B propulsion flight test fixture - A new flight facility for propulsion research

Corda, Stephen; Vachon, M. Jake; Palumbo, Nathan; Diebler, Corey; Tseng, Ting; Ginn, Anthony; Richwine, David M.

doi:10.2514/6.2001-3303

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The PFTF also has a six-degrees-of-freedom in-flight force measurement capability for a propulsion flight research experiment carried below the PFTF. 4 The PFTF has been utilized for captive-carried flight research with four previous experiments:…”

Section: A Previous Flight Experiments Utilizing the F-15/pftfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

Jones¹,

Ruf²,

Bui³

et al. 2014

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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The dual-bell rocket nozzle was first proposed in 1949, offering a potential improvement in rocket nozzle performance over the conventional-bell nozzle. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. In 2013 a proposal was constructed that offered a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) F-15 airplane as the flight testbed, with the plan to operate a dual-bell rocket nozzle during captive-carried flight. If implemented, this capability will permit nozzle operation into an external flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle, and facilitate an improved understanding of dual-bell nozzle plume sensitivity to external flow-field effects. More importantly, this flight testbed can be utilized to help quantify the performance benefit with the dual-bell nozzle, as well as to advance its technology readiness level. Toward this ultimate goal, this paper provides plans for future flights to quantify the external flow field of the airplane near the nozzle experiment, as well as details on the conceptual design for the dual-bell nozzle cold-flow propellant feed system integration within the NASA F-15 Propulsion Flight Test Fixture. The current study shows that this concept of flight research is feasible, and could result in valuable flight data for the dual-bell nozzle. NomenclatureACN = altitude-compensating nozzle AFRC = Armstrong Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) AoA = angle of attack CB = conventional-bell CCIE = Channeled Centerbody Inlet Experiment CDE = Cone Drag Experiment CFD = computational fluid dynamics COPV = composite overwrapped pressure vessel DOF = degrees-of-freedom GN 2 = gaseous nitrogen I sp = specific impulse LEO = low-Earth orbit LMI = Local Mach Investigation MEOP = maximum expected operating pressure MSFC = Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, Alabama) 2 NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration NNPR = normalized nozzle pressure ratio NPR = nozzle pressure ratio (P c /P amb ) NTF = Nozzle Test Facility OML = outer mold line P amb = ambient pressure P c = nozzle chamber pressure PFTF = Propulsion Flight Test Fixture PRA = pressure reducing assembly RAGE = Rake Airflow Gage Experiment RFS = rocket forebody simulator SSME = Space Shuttle Main Engine STS = Space Transportation System TRL = technology readiness level

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Section: A Previous Flight Experiments Utilizing the F-15/pftfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

Jones¹,

Ruf²,

Bui³

et al. 2014

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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“…The PFTF attaches to the centerline pylon of the aircraft and has an integrated six-axis force balance for flighttesting propulsion experiments. 1 A photograph of the F-15B in flight with the PFTF pylon attached is presented as Fig. 1.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Calibration of a Flowfield Survey Rake for Inlet Flight Research

Flynn

Ratnayake

Frederick

2009

47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition

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The Propulsion Flight Test Fixture at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is a unique test platform available for use on NASA's F-15B aircraft, tail number 836, as a modular host for a variety of aerodynamics and propulsion research. For future flight data from this platform to be valid, more information must be gathered concerning the quality of the airflow underneath the body of the F-15B at various flight conditions, especially supersonic conditions. The flow angularity and Mach number must be known at multiple locations on any test article interface plane for measurement data at these locations to be valid. To determine this prerequisite information, flight data will be gathered in the Rake Airflow Gauge Experiment using a custom-designed flowfield rake to probe the airflow underneath the F-15B at the desired flight conditions. This paper addresses the design considerations of the rake and probe assembly, including the loads and stress analysis using analytical methods, computational fluid dynamics, and finite element analysis. It also details the flow calibration procedure, including the completed wind-tunnel test and posttest data reduction, calibration verification, and preparation for flight-testing. = total pressure at probe n total pressure port, psf q = dynamic pressure, psf RAGE = Rake Airflow Gauge Experiment T t = wind tunnel or CFD total temperature, °R x = distance from centroid along x-axis, in. y = distance from centroid along y-axis, in. z = distance from centroid along z-axis, in. 2D = two-dimensional 3D = three-dimensional α = angle of attack, deg β = angle of sideslip, deg βq = product of sideslip angle and dynamic pressure β b = body axis angle of sideslip, deg β t = true angle of sideslip, deg δ 0 = wind-tunnel horizontal bias (misalignment) angle, deg θ = probe pitch angle (wind-tunnel), deg θ n = probe pitch angle corrected for bias, deg θ 0 = wind-tunnel pitch bias (misalignment) angle, deg σ n = normal stress, ksi σ x = normal stress, psi σ xx,max = maximum axial stress, ksi σ yield = yield stress, ksi φ = probe roll angle (wind-tunnel), deg φ n = probe roll angle corrected for bias, deg 3

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“…Figure 13 shows an expanded view of the PFTF, with the force balance system which is located in the mid-bay. 17 The maximum design loads are noted in Table 1, along with the original predicted accuracy. The system was designed to meet ultimate loads of three times the maximum design loads for each of the six component cases noted.…”

Section: Pftf Thrust Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This flight envelope is conservative, since the PFTF was designed to withstand much higher aerodynamic loads in flight. 17 Although the PFTF is capable of flights up to 60,000 ft, flights higher than 50,000 ft with the F-15 airplane will require additional life support systems. Figure 14 shows the PFTF flight envelope, 16 which is a subset of the F-15 flight envelope.…”

Section: E Pftf Flight Envelopementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure 13 shows an expanded view of the PFTF, with the PFTF main structure, experiment racks, and force balance. 17 The PFTF main structure was fabricated from a solid billet of 6061-T6 aluminum, with an overall length of 107 inches, an overall height of 19 inches, and an overall width of 10 inches. The PFTF main structure is divided into three bays (forward, mid, and aft), that are separated by bulkheads and the force-balance system.…”

Section: Pftf Internal Capacitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Proposed Flight Research of a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle Using the NASA F-15 Airplane

Jones

Bui

Ruf

2013

49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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For more than a half-century, several types of altitude-compensating rocket nozzles have been proposed and analyzed, but very few have been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. One type of altitude-compensating nozzle is the dual-bell rocket nozzle, which was first introduced into literature in 1949. Despite the performance advantages that have been predicted, both analytically and through static test data, the dual-bell nozzle has still not been adequately tested in a relevant flight environment. This paper proposes a method for conducting testing and research with a dual-bell rocket nozzle in a flight environment. We propose to leverage the existing NASA F-15 airplane and Propulsion Flight Test Fixture as the flight testbed, with the dual-bell nozzle operating during captive-carried flights, and with the nozzle subjected to a local flow field similar to that of a launch vehicle. The primary objective of this effort is not only to advance the technology readiness level of the dual-bell nozzle, but also to gain a greater understanding of the nozzle mode transitional sensitivity to local flow-field effects, and to quantify the performance benefits with this technology. The predicted performance benefits are significant, and may result in reducing the cost of delivering payloads to low-Earth orbit. Nomenclature

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The F-15B propulsion flight test fixture - A new flight facility for propulsion research

Cited by 7 publications

References 5 publications

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

Conceptual Design for a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle System Using a NASA F-15 Airplane as the Flight Testbed

Design and Calibration of a Flowfield Survey Rake for Inlet Flight Research

Proposed Flight Research of a Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle Using the NASA F-15 Airplane

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