FOAM RUNWAY FOR LANDING LIFTING REENTRY CRAFT.

Abstract

The design constraint which horizontal landing imposes upon a fixed-geometry hypersonic-maneuvering lifting body reentry craft is reviewed. Two representative manned, lifting-body, flight-test, research vehicles (M2-F2 and HL-10) are examined to show the volume and weight penalty due to landing gear and landing engine. The fundamental reasons why the landing-design constraint exists are reexamined and several means by which the constraint might be relaxed are postulated. Two similar concepts in which aqueous detergent foam would be used to create a synthetic atmosphere or a synthetic lake with a controlled density profile are described and the principles by which these concepts would relax the design constraint and simultaneously remove the weight and volume penalty of landing gear, landing engine, and other landing-assist devices are discussed. An operational concept is described. A development program including analytical study model tests and flight tests is proposed. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0649277

Entities

People

  • Veryl V. Vary

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Atmospheres
  • Detergents
  • Geometry
  • Landing Gear
  • Lifting Bodies
  • Model Tests
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Operations Research
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics