Re: Ada Success Story II

[Mike Stark <michael.e.stark@gsfc.nasa.gov>]

Rob Wells wrote:
> 
> Jon S Anthony wrote:
> >
> > In article <97030510245774@psavax.pwfl.com> "Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93" <condicma@PWFL.COM> writes:
> >
> > >     never designed with the intent of utilizing the nozzle. Ultimately
> > >     - if the nozzles do what you'd like - you'd be able to remove all
> > >     the control surfaces off the back of the airplane.
> >
> > Speaking as an acro pilot, this sounds mighty scary!  Would this sort
> > of thing really offer the sort of control capability to get you out of
> > spins and such?  Hmmm, OTOH, spinning a jet is pretty much going to
> > kill it anyway, so maybe this is simply irrlevant...
> 
> I seem to remember that there was a MD-11(?) that was tested at NASA
> Dryden which actually used this principle. There are photos of it (along
> with several other thrust vectoring research A/C) over at
> 
> http://www.dfrf.nasa.gov/dryden.html
> 
> Rob W. (-:
> 
> <snip>

And follow the link to the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft research from
Dryden's home
page, or if you are not particularly interested in their other research,
you can go
directly to

http://www.dfrf.nasa.gov/Projects/PCA/index.html

This experiment isn't really using thrust vectoring in the sense of
rotating nozzles --
it is using differential power settings on twin-engine aircraft to
maneuver.  This was
originally tried manually by the pilots in the Sioux City crash a few
years back, and
was partially successful in that the pilot landed and there were
survivors.  The Dryden
Web site describes how an a control system was developed, then tested
first on an F-15
simulator, then an F-15, then an MD-11.  Anyway, it is truly an
interesting research
project from which the taxpayer will get a bargain the first time this
system works to
avert a crash!

Mike