BOEING WINS NASA CONTRACT TO MODIFY C-17.Byline: Daily News EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - Boeing was awarded a $50 million NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. contract to modify a C-17 transport for research into helping pilots control damaged aircraft. The contract was awarded by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center The Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), located inside Edwards Air Force Base, is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. On March 26, 1976 it was named in honor of the late Hugh L. under the Intelligent Vehicle Research Initiative. Boeing Phantom Works The Phantom Works division is the main research and development arm of The Boeing Company. Founded by McDonnell Douglas before the merger with Boeing, its primary focus had been development of advanced military products and technologies. will provide modification direction for the flight test C-17 Globemaster III. The modifications will be accomplished in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , though Boeing did not specify where. ``We are very excited about this opportunity to work with NASA on this important program,'' said J.B. Peterson, vice president of Advanced Aircraft & Missiles for Phantom Works. ``We're looking forward to getting airborne and demonstrating our new capabilities on a current front-line transport aircraft, and eventually transitioning that technology directly to various operational aircraft.'' Initial research with this technology began in 1995 at NASA Ames Research Center NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) is a NASA facility located at Moffett Federal Airfield, which covers 43 acres at the borders of the cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale in California. This research center is most commonly called NASA Ames. in Mountain View, where the Intelligent Flight Control software developed by Phantom Works was demonstrated in their simulators. During a series of test flights at Dryden with an MD-11 jetliner, only engine thrust was used for aircraft control during landing operations - simulating how a jet could be landed if an accident or mechanical problem had damaged the controls to flaps, ailerons and rudder. This concept evolved into the selection of the C-17 as the next candidate aircraft. The first task under the contract will be to establish a Research Flight Control System. Flight testing of engine monitoring systems began in October 2001 at Edwards Air Force Base. REFLCS REFLCS Research Flight Control System will be installed on the C-17 in 2002, followed by flight tests during the third quarter. In early 2003, C-17 flight tests will be initiated at Dryden. Program goals include providing a flexible research environment on a large transport aircraft, demonstrating damage-adaptive technologies, and transitioning NASA technologies to operational aircraft in the field. Engine number three on the C-17 test aircraft will have prognostic sensor groups installed to monitor potential ingested in·gest tr.v. in·gest·ed, in·gest·ing, in·gests 1. To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption. See Synonyms at eat. 2. debris and engine distress. The first generation of these sensors is already installed and are currently being evaluated. In addition, the C-17 will test systems that monitor high frequency vibration, stress wave analysis and wireless sensing. ``Dryden looks forward to developing REFLCS as a valuable tool-set for both the Air Force and NASA to do more advanced flight control research, such as Intelligent Flight and Propulsion Control,'' said Jerry Henry, NASA Intelligent Vehicle program manager. |
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