New materials for superpersonal speed

1992/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak

NASA, in order to improve the speed of suicide planes and fuel consumption, has placed a titanium layer with small holes of a warplane (the image shows the area of small holes on the white surface).

The airflow in an airplane is normally turbulent, but an absorption pump located on the titanium surface converts turbulent flow into laminar. Laminar flow reduces air resistance. The speed of this NASA test plane is 1,900 km/h (1.8 Match).

Marta Bohn-Meyer, responsible for this project, looks forward to good results. And it follows: This test has never been performed at smooth speeds. We are now developing a database and hope that its conclusions will apply to high-speed civil transport.

In trials the titanium layer occupies 40% of the left side of the F-16 XL aircraft. Next to this layer have been placed sensors that have allowed to check that the air flow on the slope is not turbulent.

This idea of laminar flow is not new. Researchers have long tried and achieved successes in this field, but always in the field of sub-venonical speed.

The F-16 XL is only an experimental version of the F-16. Delta fin with horizontal tail. The choice of this type of aircraft for these tests is due to the future suicidal traveler aircraft having a similar appearance.