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Collection:
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NASA Image eXchange Collection
Collection
NASA Image eXchange Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Apex wing section undergoing loading test preparation by Mark Nunnelee and Eliseo Sanchez
Title
Apex wing section undergoing loading test preparation by Mark Nunnelee and Eliseo Sanchez
Title
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Description:
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Mark Nunnelee and Eliseo Sanchez prepare an Apex wing section for load tests. The Apex High-Altitude Flight Experiment is expected to explore the aerodynamics of controlled flight at very high altitudes near 100,000 feet. The Apex will be hoisted aloft tail-first from Dryden by a large high-altitude balloon and released at about 110,000-feet altitude. As it gradually descends, its instrumentation will collect aerodynamic data. The remotely-piloted, semi-autonomous Apex will combine a modified ASC sailplane fuselage design with a new wing designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The wing will have a special airfoil designed for high subsonic speeds at extreme altitudes. A device extending behind the right wing is a "wake rake," which will measure aerodynamic drag behind a test section of the wing, while a rocket pack mounted beneath the fuselage will assist the Apex in transitioning to horizontal flight. Research flights were expected to begin in mid-1998, but a series of technical problems delayed them. In the spring of 1999, Apex entered mothball status. This continued for a year, and in the spring of 2000 NASA selected Apex as part of phase 1 of the Revolutionary Concepts effort.
Description
Mark Nunnelee and Eliseo Sanchez prepare an Apex wing section for load tests. The Apex High-Altitude Flight Experiment is expected to explore the aerodynamics of controlled flight at very high altitudes near 100,000 feet. The Apex will be hoisted aloft tail-first from Dryden by a large high-altitude balloon and released at about 110,000-feet altitude. As it gradually descends, its instrumentation will collect aerodynamic data. The remotely-piloted, semi-autonomous Apex will combine a modified ASC sailplane fuselage design with a new wing designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The wing will have a special airfoil designed for high subsonic speeds at extreme altitudes. A device extending behind the right wing is a "wake rake," which will measure aerodynamic drag behind a test section of the wing, while a rocket pack mounted beneath the fuselage will assist the Apex in transitioning to horizontal flight. Research flights were expected to begin in mid-1998, but a series of technical problems delayed them. In the spring of 1999, Apex entered mothball status. This continued for a year, and in the spring of 2000 NASA selected Apex as part of phase 1 of the Revolutionary Concepts effort.
Description
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Date:
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09.01.1998
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Credit:
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facet_what:
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Apex
facet_what
Apex
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Massachusetts
facet_where
Massachusetts
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
facet_where
Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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1999
facet_when
1999
facet_when
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facet_when:
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2000
facet_when
2000
facet_when
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facet_when:
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09-01-1998
facet_when
09-01-1998
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1998
facet_when_year
1998
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1999
facet_when_year
1999
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2000
facet_when_year
2000
facet_when_year
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Media:
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IMAGE
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ID:
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EC98-44811-1
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UID:
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SPD-NIX-EC98-44811-1
UID
SPD-NIX-EC98-44811-1
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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