Since the initial flight in January, the Armstrong crew has since installed an onboard smoke system – a see-and-avoid tool that can be used for visual identification (VID) of the aircraft, ensuring that small to midsize UAS are detectable by other aircraft during flight.īy testing this technology on the MicroCub first, NASA can record VID data during test flight encounters, which will help researchers understand just how visible small UAS aircraft, like SIERRA-B, are from a variety of distances, without the risk or high cost that comes with testing such a technology on larger UAS like NASA’s Ikhana Predator B. “In addition to helping with UAS integration into the NAS efforts, the MicroCub is a configurable aircraft that can be modified and utilized for a variety of flight tests at NASA,” said Justin Hall, an Armstrong operations engineer and UAS pilot. Eventually, this technology will be integrated onto other NASA UAS aircraft, such as NASA Ames’ Sensor Integrated Environmental Remote Research Aircraft, SIERRA-B. The successful maiden flight means the MicroCub will undergo additional aircraft modifications to validate risk reduction technology. This was the first flight of the MicroCub in which the crew validated the airworthiness of the aircraft. Specifications of the vehicle include a 21-foot wingspan, a Piccolo Autopilot guidance system and a JetCat SPT-15 Turboprop–a design only model aircraft fanatics could dream up! The MicroCub, a modified Bill Hempel 60-percent-scale super cub, approaches NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for a landing. Though small in size, the MicroCub is a powerful vehicle in the realm of small to midsize UAS aircraft. This initial flight was intended to check the ground handling and flight characteristics of the aircraft, along with validating the Command and Control (C2) system, verifying the “remote control only” mechanism, setting the tuning for autopilot gain, performing engine runs, gauging fuel consumption and testing stall speed. During Phase I flight testing, the air data nose probe and air data system as a whole will be further calibrated in flight to account for additional installed effects of the airframe on the air data system.On January 18th, 2018, Armstrong’s Subscale Research Lab team piloted the MicroCub for its inaugural flight, successfully demonstrating the aircraft’s airworthiness. Areas of interest for the test were sea level takeoff and landing at Mach 0.2, subsonic cruise at Mach 0.9, and supersonic cruise at Mach 1.4. Knowing the aircraft's speed and attitude is critical for flight safety and is also critical data for the Sonic Boom mission. The probe will be the primary instrument for the flight test of the X-59 for determining angle of attack, angle of sideslip, airspeed, and pressure altitude of the aircraft in flight. A backup nose probe was also run through the same test matrix as the primary probe. About 725 high quality data runs were recorded during testing to be used in the calibration of the probe.
Most data were collected using continuous roll angle sweeps at a set Mach number and pitch angle. The probe was successfully tested and calibrated at 19 Mach numbers between Mach 0.25 and Mach 1.7. Two wind tunnel tests were conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel to calibrate the nose probe for the X-59.
and international regulators to potentially allow supersonic flight over land, drastically reducing travel time within the U.S.
The data from the X-59 test flights will be provided to U.S. The plane will be used to collect human response data over select U.S. X-59 Air Data Probe Calibration Wind Tunnel Test NASA's aeronautical innovators are working with Lockheed Martin to design and build a supersonic X-plane, the X-59, under the the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) Project, that produces a gentle thump rather than a loud sonic boom.
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