The Wright Brothers, Flight Test and NASA A Centennial of Flight Story

The Wright Brothers Orville and Wilbur Dayton, Ohio Wright Cycle Company Brain synchronicity Systematic in their experimental approach

The Wright Brothers Read the research Talked with colleagues Determined problems to be solved Delineated a process for solving problems safely

The Wright Brothers Problems to be solved –Balance during flight: a way to safely control the airplane’s motion –An engine to move it through the air –Wings needed to lift an airplane into the air

The Wright Brothers Problem –Balance during flight: a way to safely control the airplane’s motion

The Wright Brothers Balance Solutions –Horizontal rudder –Wingwarping –Hip cradle

The Wright Brothers Problem –An engine to move it through the air Lightweight Minimal vibration Powerful enough to turn the propellers

The Wright Brothers Engine Solutions –Small, powerful, gas engine –Powered 2 propellers

The Wright Brothers Problem –Wings needed to lift airplane into the air Determine the length- to-width ratio Proper amount of camber Most efficient angle of attack The center of pressure

The Wright Brothers Wing Solutions –Throw out previous tables and theories –Devise a better method of testing wings –Use new test results to design a better wing

Wright Brothers The Wright Brothers’ Results –A set of highly accurate tables that predicted in advance the performance of an aircraft’s wings –Changes in their aircraft design Biggest glider yet Longer wings Narrower wings Tail section

Flight Test What is Flight Test?

Flight Test Early Flight Test Pilots –Tower Jumpers Oliver of Malmesbury Giovanni Dante Marquis de Bocqueville

Flight Test Flight Test Pilots who were Contemporaries of the Wright Brothers –Cayley –Otto Lilienthal –Octave Chanute and his young test pilots

Flight Test Flight Test Pilots who were Contemporaries of the Wright Brothers –Lawrence Hargrave –Percy Pilcher –Professor John

Flight Test Wright Brothers as Flight Test Pilots –Early tests used kite models –Performed in Dayton, Ohio

Flight Test Wright Brothers as Flight Test Pilots –Birds helped flight test –Gave idea for “wing-warping” –Tested first on bi-winged kite

Flight Test Wright Brothers as Flight Test Pilots –Needed location for piloted flight tests –Researched for best place –US National Weather Service –Outer Banks of North Carolina

Flight Test Wright Brothers as Flight Test Pilots – –Tested gliders First flown pilotless (like kites) Then piloted

Flight Test Wright Brothers as Flight Test Pilots –1903 –Flight testing power-driven aircraft –Ran ground tests on engine first –Made changes based upon ground tests –Then successfully flight tested

Flight Test Later Flight Test Pilots –Hanna Reitsch –Charles Lindberg

Flight Test Flight Test progresses

Flight Test NACA National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics

Flight Test NACA grows Wind tunnel complex built at Ames Tunnels get larger Airspeeds get faster Testing becomes more specialized

Flight Test Muroc Early flight tests –Chalmers Goodlin –Chuck Yeager

NASA NACA evolves into NASA

NASA Ames Research Center Early Flight Test –Wind Tunnels –Kuiper –XV-15 Present testing –Rotorcraft –Computer simulations

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Early Flight Test –Scott Crossfield –X-15 –Lunar Landing Research Vehicle Present testing –ERAST –Hyper-X

NASA Flight Test in the Future