NASA's F-15 Seekers
Feb. 7th, 2007 02:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragoness_eFor those of you who are not familiar with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, they do... flight research. They develop and test interesting new systems that wind up in next generation aircraft. For whatever reason, their testbed aircraft include a small fleet of rather colorful fighter jets. Thanks to their resemblance to certain jet-mode Transformers, I've dubbed them "NASA's Seekers". I've named several of them for my own amusement, and herein I'd like to introduce you to them and tell what they've been up to... that we know of.
It gets picture-heavy below the cut, so be warned. Images all from the NASA Dryden Research Aircraft Photo Collection. NASA has images available in several resolutions, low-res, high-res, and gawd-awful huge-res, suitable for your viewing, wallpapering, and printing pleasure.
Starscream, aka NASA F-15A #837, has been working for NASA for quite a while now. From 1993-1998, he was working on the F-15 ACTIVE project, testing thrust vectoring technology that would go into the F/A-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
According to NASA's bio: The ACTIVE aircraft is a modified F-15, originally built by McDonnell Douglas in 1971 as the first two-seat F-15 or TF-15A #1. In the late 80's, F/A-18 stabilators were added as canards along with F100-220 engines, pitch (2D) thrust vectoring/thrust reversing nozzles, stregthened landing gear and a quad-digital fly-by-wire flight control system for use in the USAF STOL/MTD (Short Takeoff & Landing/Maneuver Technology Demonstrator) program. When NASA acquired the aircraft in 1993, F100-229 engines with Pitch/Yaw (3D) thrust vectoring nozzles were added.
NASA's Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project, utilizing NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, focuses on development of "self-learning" neural network software for aircraft flight control computers.
Nowadays, he's working on testing the Intelligent Flight Control System--with neural networks. He's also now described as "NASA's highly-modified F-15B". Face it, with all the mods he's got, he's a mutant. And they're turning him into an intelligent mutant F-15. I wonder when he gets a transformation cog?
F-15 #836
This is my original "Ramjet"; he often flies with Starscream. He mostly gets to play chase plane for Starscream or someone else, but sometimes he gets to drag around space shuttle tiles or other strangeness. He's been working for NASA, along with Starscream, since 1993, and is still going strong.
NASA F-15 #385
There's more than one "Ramjet" in the Dryden fleet. F-15 #385 has been working with NASA from 1976 through 1993, at least.
F-15 #385's official bio says: The aircraft, obtained by NASA in 1976, was used to develop the digital electronic engine control (DEEC) system now used on many current fighter aircraft. Research programs flown on the testbed aircraft have demonstrated improved rates of climb, fuel savings, and engine thrust by optimizing systems performance.
The aircraft, later called the F-15 HIDEC (Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control) Flight Facility, also tested and evaluated a computerized self-repairing flight control system for the Air Force that detects damaged or failed flight control surfaces. The system then reconfigures undamaged control surfaces so the mission can continue and the aircraft is landed safely.
NASA F-15A #287
By popular acclaim (and because I like it), this fellow has been dubbed "Sunstorm". His bio is associated with that of #281.
NASA F-15 #281
This blue and white Seeker has now been dubbed "Skystream", thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ravenology and ravenclaw_devi These two jets worked for NASA from 1976 through 1980.
NASA bio: F-15A (Serial #71-0281) was obtained by NASA from the U.S. Air Force in 1976 and along with F-15A #287 was used for more than 25 advanced research projects involving aerodynamics, performance, propulsion control, control integration, instrumentation development, human factors, and flight test techniques. Included in these projects was there role as testbeds to evaluate aerodynamic pressures on Space Shuttle thermal protection tiles at specific altitudes and speeds.
That's enough for one article. Next time, the other Seekers: NASA's F-16's and F-18's.
It gets picture-heavy below the cut, so be warned. Images all from the NASA Dryden Research Aircraft Photo Collection. NASA has images available in several resolutions, low-res, high-res, and gawd-awful huge-res, suitable for your viewing, wallpapering, and printing pleasure.
NASA Starscream
Starscream, aka NASA F-15A #837, has been working for NASA for quite a while now. From 1993-1998, he was working on the F-15 ACTIVE project, testing thrust vectoring technology that would go into the F/A-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
According to NASA's bio: The ACTIVE aircraft is a modified F-15, originally built by McDonnell Douglas in 1971 as the first two-seat F-15 or TF-15A #1. In the late 80's, F/A-18 stabilators were added as canards along with F100-220 engines, pitch (2D) thrust vectoring/thrust reversing nozzles, stregthened landing gear and a quad-digital fly-by-wire flight control system for use in the USAF STOL/MTD (Short Takeoff & Landing/Maneuver Technology Demonstrator) program. When NASA acquired the aircraft in 1993, F100-229 engines with Pitch/Yaw (3D) thrust vectoring nozzles were added.
NASA's Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project, utilizing NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, focuses on development of "self-learning" neural network software for aircraft flight control computers.
Nowadays, he's working on testing the Intelligent Flight Control System--with neural networks. He's also now described as "NASA's highly-modified F-15B". Face it, with all the mods he's got, he's a mutant. And they're turning him into an intelligent mutant F-15. I wonder when he gets a transformation cog?
NASA Ramjets
F-15 #836
This is my original "Ramjet"; he often flies with Starscream. He mostly gets to play chase plane for Starscream or someone else, but sometimes he gets to drag around space shuttle tiles or other strangeness. He's been working for NASA, along with Starscream, since 1993, and is still going strong.
NASA F-15 #385
There's more than one "Ramjet" in the Dryden fleet. F-15 #385 has been working with NASA from 1976 through 1993, at least.
F-15 #385's official bio says: The aircraft, obtained by NASA in 1976, was used to develop the digital electronic engine control (DEEC) system now used on many current fighter aircraft. Research programs flown on the testbed aircraft have demonstrated improved rates of climb, fuel savings, and engine thrust by optimizing systems performance.
The aircraft, later called the F-15 HIDEC (Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control) Flight Facility, also tested and evaluated a computerized self-repairing flight control system for the Air Force that detects damaged or failed flight control surfaces. The system then reconfigures undamaged control surfaces so the mission can continue and the aircraft is landed safely.
NASA Sunstorm
NASA F-15A #287
By popular acclaim (and because I like it), this fellow has been dubbed "Sunstorm". His bio is associated with that of #281.
NASA Skystream
NASA F-15 #281
This blue and white Seeker has now been dubbed "Skystream", thanks to
ravenology and ravenclaw_devi These two jets worked for NASA from 1976 through 1980.NASA bio: F-15A (Serial #71-0281) was obtained by NASA from the U.S. Air Force in 1976 and along with F-15A #287 was used for more than 25 advanced research projects involving aerodynamics, performance, propulsion control, control integration, instrumentation development, human factors, and flight test techniques. Included in these projects was there role as testbeds to evaluate aerodynamic pressures on Space Shuttle thermal protection tiles at specific altitudes and speeds.
That's enough for one article. Next time, the other Seekers: NASA's F-16's and F-18's.
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no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 10:28 pm (UTC)Up to you whether you want to include OCs in your nickname pool, of course. =) If a canon name occurs to me I'll come back and post here when it does.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-07 11:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-08 11:23 pm (UTC)Sugoi na!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-08 01:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-09 04:33 pm (UTC)So, not-quite-matching canon character, or matching original character?
no subject
Date: 2007-02-10 10:11 pm (UTC)Either way, NASA Starscream is love!