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Fundamental Aeronautics Program

The Fundamental Aeronautics Program, part o

NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate,

explores cutting-edge solutions to enable radical

new designs or vehicles that y at all speeds rom

subsonic to hypersonic. Its researchers develop

technologies and vehicle concepts to enable uture

versions o subsonic and supersonic vehicles that

y more cleanly, quietly and efciently.

Fundamental Aeronautics addresses national

challenges in air transportation and access

to space:

• Publicconcernsovernoiseandemissions;

• Sustainabilityofaffordableairtraveldespite

increasingcostsandtheavailabilityofjetfuel;

• Maintainingmobilitywithinanairspacewhile

meetingincreasingdemand;and

• Makingmeaningfulprogresstowardfaster

means o transportation.

Potential outcomes that beneft the public and the

nation include:

• Revolutionaryairframecongurations;

• Dramaticdecreasesinnoise,fuelconsumption

andgreenhousegasemissions;

• Improvedairquality;and

• Improvedpropulsionsystems.

Fundamental Aeronautics also supports NASA’s

human and robotic exploration missions by devel-

oping technologies and vehicle concepts or low-

cost, reliable access to space, and or the entry,

descent and landing o high mass payloads into

the Martian and other planetary atmospheres.

Images (Clockwise, left to right) Future Supersonic: NASA wind tunnel tests o a Gulstream Aerospace low-sonic-boom confgura-

tion assess the tools or designing aircrat that produce little or no sonic boom noise. SMART Rotor: NASA wind tunnel tests o the

Smart Material Actuated Rotor Technology (SMART) assess helicopter blade active-control strategies or reducing vibrations and noise.

Scramjet Engine: A hydrocarbon-ueled scramjet engine model was tested in a NASA wind tunnel able to simulate ight conditionsrom Mach 3 to 7. Blended Wing Body: Flight tests continue on a revolutionary aircrat design that smoothly blends an aircrat wing

into a wide, tailless uselage with top-mounted engines.

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  NASA Facts

RESEARCH AREAS

Subsonic Fixed Wing Project

Researchers in this project develop concepts and technolo-

gies to enable dramatic improvements in noise, emissions

and perormance or subsonic and transonic aircrat while

remaining economically viable. Advanced vehicle concepts

likethehybridwingbodycouldaccelerateimprovementsin

subsonic fxed wing vehicles. New ight operations techniquessuchasextremelyshorttakeoffsandlandingscouldhelp

accommodate increased air trafc without increasing environ-

mental impact.

Major technical challenges include:

• Enablingmajorchangesinenginecycle/airframe 

congurations;

• Reducinguncertaintyinmultidisciplinarydesignand 

analysistoolsandprocesses;

• Testingandanalyzingadvancedmultidiscipline-based 

conceptsandtechnologies;and

• Conductingdiscipline-basedfoundationalresearch.

Subsonic Rotary Wing Project

Thisprojectaddressesbarriersthatkeeprotarywingaircraft

(helicopters and tilt rotors) rom being used more widely in civil

aviation,whilekeepingtheiruniquecapabilities.Potentialben-

efts include increased speed and range, reduced noise levels

and propagation, increased propulsion efciency, increased

payload capability and improved ight control systems.

Major technical challenges include:

• Highlycomplex,three-dimensionalrotorandfuselage 

structures;

• Unsteadyowsinspeedregimesfromlowsubsonicto 

hightransonic;

• Dynamicallystalledcomponents;

• Harshoperatingenvironments;and

• Highlyloadedpropulsionsystems.

The Supersonics Project

Supersonicsresearchersworktoeliminatebarrierstothede-

velopment and use o practical supersonic vehicles over land

or both civilian and military aircrat in the Next Generation Air

Transportation System.The project also explores the chal-

lenges o supersonic deceleration or Mars landings. Known

as High Mass Mars Entry Systems, this eort uses NASA’s

aeronautics expertise to solve problems associated with yingvehicles into space and other planetary atmospheres.

Major technical challenges include:

• Weightanddurabilityathightemperature;

• Airportnoise,sonicboomandhigh-altitudeemissions;

• Aero-propulso-servo-elasticanalysisanddesign;

• Supersonicdeceleration,includingentry,descentandland-

ing;and

• Computerizedapproachestomultidisciplinarydesign,analysisandoptimization.

The Hypersonics Project

The severe heating eects caused by ying at hypersonic

speeds—several thousands miles per hour—are especially

challenging. Researchers or this project develop new technol-

ogies and concepts to enable air-breathing powered vehicles

or access to space, and or sae, precise planetary entry, de-

scent and landing o high-mass human and science missions.

Major technical challenges include:

• Airframeandpropulsionmaterialsabletowithstand 

severetemperatures;

• Predictivemodelsforcompressibleow,turbulence, 

heating,ablationandcombustion;

• Advancedhypersonicscontroltechniques;

• Propulsionsystemsthatintegratehigh-speedturbine 

enginesandair-breathingscramjets;and

• Predictivecomputermodelingofstructuralinteractions

amongairframe,inlet,nozzleandpropulsionsystems.

Launching a two-stage vehicle concept with experi-mental payload to explore the operations, perormance and

stability o a simple hydrocarbon-ueled scramjet combustor

Reducing noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, uel burn and

takeo gross weight or conventional “tube and wing” and

unconventional aircrat architectures

Demonstrating through simulation a rotary wing vehicle

fight control tool that enables control o a variable speed

engine and transmission with no negative handling qualities

Conducting wind tunnel tests o models and developing

sotware to help develop low-sonic-boom, low-drag aircrat

designs

 We’re Working on…

For more inormation about the Fundamental Aeronautics

Program and NASA aeronautics research, visit

www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/fap/.