The X-31 Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability Demonstrator was unique among experimental aircraft. A joint effort of the United States and Germany, the X-31 was the only X-plane to be designed, manufactured, and flight tested as an international collaboration. It was also the only X-plane to support two separate test programs conducted years apart, one administered largely by NASA and the other by the U.S. Navy, as well as the first X-plane ever to perform at the Paris Air Show. Flying Beyond the Stall begins by describing the government agencies and private-sector industries involved in the X-31 program, the genesis of the supermaneuverability concept and its initial design breakthroughs, design and fabrication of two test airframes, preparation for the X-31's first flight, and the first flights of Ship #1 and Ship #2. Subsequent chapters discuss envelope expansion, handling qualities (especially at high angles of attack), and flight with vectored thrust. The book then turns to the program's move to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center and actual flight test data. Additional tasking, such as helmet-mounted display evaluations, handling quality studies, aerodynamic parameter estimation, and a "tailless" study are also discussed.The book describes how, in the aftermath of a disastrous accident with Ship #1 in 1995, Ship #2 was prepared for its outstanding participation in the Paris Air Show. The aircraft was then shipped back to Edwards AFB and put into storage until the late 1990s, when it was refurbished for participation in the U. S. Navy's VECTOR program. The book ends with a comprehensive discussion of lessons learned and includes an Appendix containing detailed information.

NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) has begun to rebuild the advanced space technology program in the agency with plans laid out in 14 draft technology roadmaps. It has been years since NASA has had a vigorous, broad-based program in advanced space technology development and its technology base has been largely depleted. However, success in executing future NASA space missions will depend on advanced technology developments that should already be underway. Reaching out to involve the external technical community, the National Research Council (NRC) considered the 14 draft technology roadmaps prepared by OCT and ranked the top technical challenges and highest priority technologies that NASA should emphasize in the next 5 years. This report provides specific guidance and recommendations on how the effectiveness of the technology development program managed by OCT can be enhanced in the face of scarce resources.

The NACA and aircraft propulsion, 1915-1958 -- NASA gets to work, 1958-1975 -- The shift toward commercial aviation, 1966-1975 -- The quest for propulsive efficiency, 1976-1989 -- Propulsion control enters the computer era, 1976-1998 -- Transiting to a new century, 1990-2008 -- Toward the future

A textbook for an advanced undergraduate course in which Zipfel (aerospace engineering, U. of Florida) introduces the fundamentals of an approach to, or step in, design that has become a field in and of itself. The first part assumes an introductory course in dynamics, and the second some specialized knowledge in subsystem technologies. Practicing engineers in the aerospace industry, he suggests, should be able to cover the material without a tutor. Rather than include a disk, he has made supplementary material available on the Internet. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book explores the physical aspects of aviation and space flight through an appreciation of design evolution, powers of scale, materials, tools of the trade and imagery that captures not only moments in history, but also tire realization of theories and ideas. Each chapter, written by a specialist in aerospace history or aerospace technology, engagingly describes all aspect of the evolution of flight, from ground-testing designs and components to the aircraft and spacecraft themselves. The authors raise numerous fascinating questions: Why (to the vehicles look the way they (lo? How do these designs relate to other forms in our society? What will aircraft and spacecraft look like in the future? The answers to every conceivable question about aerospace design are provided in this landmark publication, which is stunningly illustrated throughout with e broad range of images from NASA's unsurpassable collection. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in aircraft, spacecraft or the broader issues of design.

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This book is in full-color - other editions may be in grayscale (non-color). The hardback version is ISBN 9781680920512 and the paperback version is ISBN 9781680920505. The NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Handbook (NASA/SP-2014-3705) is the companion document to NPR 7120.5E and represents the accumulation of knowledge NASA gleaned on managing program and projects coming out of NASA's human, robotic, and scientific missions of the last decade. At the end of the historic Shuttle program, the United States entered a new era that includes commercial missions to low-earth orbit as well as new multi-national exploration missions deeper into space. This handbook is a codification of the "corporate knowledge" for existing and future NASA space flight programs and projects. These practices have evolved as a function of NASA's core values on safety, integrity, team work, and excellence, and may also prove a resource for other agencies, the private sector, and academia. The knowledge gained from the victories and defeats of that era, including the checks and balances and initiatives to better control cost and risk, provides a foundation to launch us into an exciting and healthy space program of the future.

Based on a 15-year successful approach to teaching aircraft flight mechanics at the US Air Force Academy, this text explains the concepts and derivations of equations for aircraft flight mechanics. It covers aircraft performance, static stability, aircraft dynamics stability and feedback control.

An updated and expanded new edition of an authoritative book on flight dynamics and control system design for all types of current and future fixed-wing aircraft Since it was first published, Flight Dynamics has offered a new approach to the science and mathematics of aircraft flight, unifying principles of aeronautics with contemporary systems analysis. Now updated and expanded, this authoritative book by award-winning aeronautics engineer Robert Stengel presents traditional material in the context of modern computational tools and multivariable methods. Special attention is devoted to models and techniques for analysis, simulation, evaluation of flying qualities, and robust control system design. Using common notation and not assuming a strong background in aeronautics, Flight Dynamics will engage a wide variety of readers, including aircraft designers, flight test engineers, researchers, instructors, and students. It introduces principles, derivations, and equations of flight dynamics as well as methods of flight control design with frequent reference to MATLAB functions and examples. Topics include aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, flying qualities, flight control, and the atmospheric and gravitational environment. The second edition of Flight Dynamics features up-to-date examples; a new chapter on control law design for digital fly-by-wire systems; new material on propulsion, aerodynamics of control surfaces, and aeroelastic control; many more illustrations; and text boxes that introduce general mathematical concepts. Features a fluid, progressive presentation that aids informal and self-directed study Provides a clear, consistent notation that supports understanding, from elementary to complicated concepts Offers a comprehensive blend of aerodynamics, dynamics, and control Presents a unified introduction of control system design, from basics to complex methods Includes links to online MATLAB software written by the author that supports the material covered in the book

The latest version of Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM-99) is presented and discussed. GRAM-99 uses either (binary) Global Upper Air Climatic Atlas (GUACA) or (ASCII) Global Gridded Upper Air Statistics (GGUAS) CD-ROM data sets, for 0-27 km altitudes. As with earlier versions, GRAM-99 provides complete geographical and altitude coverage for each month of the year. GRAM-99 uses a specially-developed data set, based on Middle Atmosphere Program (MAP) data, for 20-120 km altitudes, and NASA's 1999 version Marshall Engineering Thermosphere (MET-99) model for heights above 90 km. Fairing techniques assure smooth transition in overlap height ranges (2()%27 km and 9% 120km). GRAM-99 includes water vapor and 11 other atmospheric constituents (03, N20 CO, CH4, CO2, N2, 02, 0, A, He and H). A variable-scale perturbation model provides both large-scale (wave) and small-scale (stochastic) deviations from mean values for thermodynamic variables and horizontal and vertical wind components. The small-scale perturbation model includes improvements in representing intermittency ("patchiness"). A major new feature is an option to substitute Range Reference Atmosphere (RRA) data for conventional GRAM climatology when a trajectory passes sufficiently near any RRA site. A complete user's guide for running the program, plus sample input and output, is provided. An example is provided for how to incorporate GRAM-99 as subroutines in other programs (e.g., trajectory codes).