Altitude. The Highs and Lows of Engineering Flight
Abstract
Presentation will instruct very basic STEM principles in how engineers must consider altitude factors when designing aircraft and components for flight. No reference to any test projects or talk around classified information is involved. Topics covered will be: Why fly high; Why fly low? Mission considerations: Flying higher allows systems to see farther, and you might be out of the reach of enemy weapons. Flying lower can allow system to use terrain to hide from enemy eyes. Flight performance considerations: Higher altitude means less positive control, but better fuel efficiency; Lower flight means better control, but worse fuel efficiency. Human considerations: Oxygen and pressure are lower at high altitudes; Above Armstrong's Line, body fluids can "boil". We use electrons to communicate and detect, but electrons don't stop at high altitudes; At low altitudes, terrain affects them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 09, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1076628
Entities
People
- Wesley A. Ardt