Abstract
The X-59 airplane is NASA’s Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator aircraft, designed and built by the Lockheed-Martin Corporation with anticipated First Flight this year (2024). From the start, throughout the design and development process, NASA has been integrally involved in related developments, analyses, and tests. The development of high-fidelity Finite Element Models (FEMs), a critical component of any aircraft development program, will be presented and discussed. To validate these FEMs, as required for any other aircraft computational/theoretical model, a Proof Test was performed at the Lockheed-Martin structural test facility in Ft. Worth, Texas. Results from the Proof Test demonstrate the accuracy of the FEMs as well as the robust structural margins of the aircraft. With aeroelasticity and flutter also being a critical component, many related tests and analyses were performed including a Ground Vibration Test (GVT), a control surface Freeplay Test, and a Structural Coupling Test (SCT). Many aeroelastic analyses have been, and continue to be, performed as the data from these tests is incorporated into the computational models. Analyses using both linear and nonlinear (CFD) methods have been applied and will be presented. Additionally, due to this aircraft’s unique shape, AeroServoElastic (ASE) analyses, and quantification of the stability margins across the flight envelope, is of utmost importance. ASE analyses and results, to date, will be presented as well. A significant, multi-year effort between Lockheed-Martin and NASA will culminate in an extensive flight test campaign, to be initiated in 2025.
About the Speaker
Dr. Walt Silva is a Senior Research Scientist in the Aeroelasticity branch at the NASA Langley Research Center. He has more than 30 years of experience in industry, government, and academia in the fields of unsteady aerodynamics, structural dynamics, aeroelasticity, reduced-order models, nonlinear dynamics, and flutter testing. He has a B.S., M.S. in Aerospace Engineering (Boston University, NYU-Polytechnic University), and a PhD in Applied Mathematics (College of William & Mary). He started his career at the Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Bethpage, NY) where he worked in Propulsion, Loads & Dynamics, and Flight Controls. He has taught several invited short courses in computational/experimental aeroelasticity at national/international organizations. Dr. Silva is a NASA Floyd Thompson Fellow and a Fellow of the AIAA. He is also an adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary where he teaches graduate-level applied mathematics. Dr. Silva has been awarded Patent 8060350, "Method of Performing Computational Aeroelastic Analysis", based on his Reduced-Order Modeling (ROM) technology and the AEROM software. He is also the recipient of NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal for his contributions in the development of nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic models. Dr. Silva is currently the NASA Lead for Structures for the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (X-59).
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