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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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12 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1928

The cells of giant airplanes

This report presents a discussion of the Rohrbach type of giant airplane. The problems considered are structural drag, wing loading and divided power plants.

LOADS - ROHRBACH - ENLARGED↗
NASA NTRS1920

Progress made in the construction of giant airplanes in Germany during the war

The construction of giant airplanes was begun in Germany in August, 1914. The tables annexed here show that a large number of airplanes weighing up to 15.5 tons were constructed and tested in Germany during the War, and it is certain that no other country turned out airplanes of this weight nor in such large numbers. An examination of the tables shows that by the end of the War all the manufacturers had arrived at a well-defined type, namely an airplane of about 12 tons with four engines of 260 horsepower each. The aircraft listed here are discussed with regard to useful weight and aerodynamic qualities.

Baumann, A↗
NASA NTRS1922

Giant airplanes

It is hardly possible for the most imaginative aeronautical enthusiast to look forward to a time when the airplane will have reached the dimensions commensurate with those already attained by the airship.

Warner, Edward P↗
NASA NTRS1921

Measurements of Rudder Moments on an Airplane During Flight

Tests indicated that: 1) C airplanes with two struts are extremely susceptible to aileron maneuvers, slight alterations of the aileron sufficing to compensate great unequalized moments; 2) great unequalized moments can be produced or neutralized by the unequalized alternation of the angle of attack below the outer and inner struts. Adjustment below the outer strut is the more effective of the two. 3) When a load of bombs is suspended beyond the center of the airplane, below the wings, the bombs need not be dropped simultaneously. 4) The propeller wash of a wide open engine has considerable influence on the position and operation of the elevator. The elevator is more susceptible in flight with the engine running than in gliding flight. 5) Adjustable tail planes are not advisable for D airplanes, nor for the C type, but they are, on the other hand, to be recommended for large size and giant airplanes in which the center of gravity changes during flight. 6) The aileron values obtained by wind tunnel measurements are about 10 percent too low, though otherwise applicable. For the elevator, the results of such measurements should be taken as mean values between flight with the engine running and gliding flight.

Heidelberg, Ing V↗
NASA NTRS1977

Radiation safety in high-altitude air traffic

Results of an experimental and theoretical study on dose equivalent rates at high altitudes are presented. The flight personnel flying 500 hours per year at SST cruise altitude in high latitudes (maximum of radiation) would be exposed to less than 14% of the maximum permissible dose rate (MPD) for radiation workers (5 rem/yr), averaged over the solar cycle. One-half or more is due to energetic secondary neutrons that are penetrant and highly biologically effective. Passengers would, in general, be exposed only to the low-level galactic cosmic rays, except for a relative few who encounter rare, intense, and energetic solar-particle events. If the airplane descends to subsonic altitudes during events such as that of Feb. 23, 1956 - the most intense and unique giant energy event of the last 35 years - passenger exposure even then remains at or below permissible levels (0.5 rem for the general population). Systems of radiation monitoring are briefly discussed which will prevent false alarms and which would be useful in disproving overexposure in potential malpractice suits against the airlines. In subsonic jet transports the exposure of the crews is lower by a factor 3 to 4; for passengers it is about the same for the same distance traveled. Solar events, except for giant energy events, will yield only a minor fraction of the MPD of the general population.

Foelsche, T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The Second Giant Leap

This video describes the purpose and activities of the Office of Space Commercialization at LeRC. The office promotes interactions between industry and NASA researchers, and promotes the benefits of microgravity research. Examples of knowledge transfer in the production of airplanes and farm equipment are shown.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2017

NIAC Phase 1 Final Study Report on Titan Aerial Daughtercraft

Saturns giant moon Titan has become one of the most fascinating bodies in the Solar System. Even though it is a billion miles from Earth, data from the Cassini mission reveals that Titan has a very diverse, Earth-like surface, with mountains, fluvial channels, lakes, evaporite basins, plains, dunes, and seas [Lopes 2010] (Figure 1). But unlike Earth, Titans surface likely is composed of organic chemistry products derived from complex atmospheric photochemistry [Lorenz 2008]. In addition, Titan has an active meteorological system with observed storms and precipitation-induced surface darkening suggesting a hydrocarbon cycle analogous to Earths water cycle [Turtle 2011].Titan is the richest laboratory in the solar system for studying prebiotic chemistry, which makes studying its chemistry from the surface and in the atmosphere one of the most important objectives in planetary science [Decadal 2011]. The diversity of surface features on Titan related to organic solids and liquids makes long-range mobility with surface access important [Decadal 2011]. This has not been possible to date, because mission concepts have had either no mobility (landers), no surface access (balloons and airplanes), or low maturity, high risk, and/or high development costs for this environment (e,g. large, self-sufficient, long-duration helicopters). Enabling in situ mobility could revolutionize Titan exploration, similarly to the way rovers revolutionized Mars exploration. Recent progress on several fronts has suggested that small-scale rotorcraft deployed as daughtercraft from a lander or balloon mothercraft may be an effective, affordable approach to expanding Titan surface access. This includes rapid progress on autonomous navigation capabilities of such aircraft for terrestrial applications and on miniaturization, driven by the consumer mobile electronics market, of high performance of sensors, processors, and other avionics components needed for such aircraft. Chemical analysis, for example with a mass spectrometer, will be important to any Titan surface mission. Anticipating that it may be more practical to host chemical analysis instruments on a mothership than a daughtercraft, we defined system and mission concepts that deploy a small rotorcraft, termed a Titan Aerial Daughtercraft (TAD), from a lander or balloon to perform high-resolution imaging and mapping, potentially land to acquire microscopic images or other in situ measurements, and acquire samples to return to analytical instruments on the mothership. In principle, the ability to recharge batteries in TAD from a radioisotope or other long-lived power source on the mothership could enable multiple sorties. For a lander-based mission, a variety of landing sites is conceivable, including near lake margins, in dry lake beds, or in regions of plains, dunes, or putative cryovolanic or impact melt features. Such missions may require landing with greater precision than in previous missions (Huygens) and mission studies; this could also enhance the ability of TAD to reach interesting terrain from the landing site. Precision descent may also benefit balloon missions, with or without a daughtercraft, by increasing the probability that the balloon will drift over desired terrain early in its mission. Given these potential benefits, the overall concept studied here includes brief consideration of precision descent for landing or balloon deployment, followed by one or more sorties by a rotorcraft deployed from the mothership, with the ability to return to the mothership.

Saturn↗