NASA’s supersonic
F/A-18 at AeroShell Square
By Frederick A. Johnsen,
NASA Public Affairs
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Nils Larson, a
research pilot from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in
California, flew this supersonic F/A-18 Hornet to AirVenture on
Wednesday. Photo by Frederick A. Johnsen |
When NASA needs a
supersonic chase plane, pilots at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center
have a stable of six F/A-18 jets to pick from. Must be nice.
NASA flew one of its
white and blue F/A-18s to Oshkosh this year. At Dryden, located on
Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, NASA has a mix
of single-seat and two-seat F/A-18s for research and support duties. The
two-seaters often carry an aerial photographer or videographer in the
back seat to record the actions of another aircraft in a NASA research
program.
Video of an ongoing
flight test can be transmitted live to engineers in the control room,
increasing their ability to make real-time choices during the flight. At
other times, the two-seaters provide an aerial office for a flight test
engineer as NASA probes aeronautical frontiers overhead.
Pick up a scientific or
aerospace journal and you’re likely to see a picture of one of NASA’s
F/A-18s demonstrating autonomous aerial refueling, with the pilot’s
hands off the controls. Another NASA F/A-18 completed tests of a
flexible wing capable of enhancing roll control when used with
specialized flight control software. And the latest aircraft to arrive
at Dryden, the huge 747SP Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared
Astronomy (SOFIA) is squired through the skies by a two-seat F/A-18
accomplishing a variety of chase plane duties while SOFIA performs its
rigorous flight evaluations before entering service.
The F/A-18 Hornet can
reach nearly 1,200 mph, boosted by a pair of GE F404-400 turbofan
engines. It stretches 56 feet from nose to tail, and has a wingspan of
40 feet, 4 inches. Dryden’s fleet was acquired from the U.S. Navy
beginning in the 1980s.
NASA pilot Nils Larson plans to divide
his time between his shiny steed on AeroShell Square and the NASA
exhibit building, where he may be available to talk about the jet and
sign autographs. |
