|
Aerothermal performance.
Aerodynamic performance when
velocities are high
enough for aerodynamic heating to become
important
(aerothermodynamics).
Air-breathing.
An aircraft propulsion system which
sustains combustion of fuel with atmospheric oxygen.
Airframe.
Assembled structure of aircraft, together
with system components forming
integral part of structure and
influencing strength, integrity or shape.
Airframe-engine integration.
The structural and
aerodynamic mating of an aircraft's airframe with its engine or
propulsion system.
In the case of hypersonic scramiet propulsion
system concepts, the engine is
typically mounted flush to the
underside of the airframe in a highly-integrated fashion.
The
underside of the airframe's forebody is shaped to compress the
flow of air into the engine inlet,
while the underside of the
airframe's aft section is shaped as a nozzle for optimum exhaust
flow.
Hypersonic.
Operation at a Mach number exceeding 5.
Lifting body.
An aircraft in which most of the lift is
generated by the fuselage (as opposed to wings).
Mach number, M.
Ratio of true airspeed to speed of
sound in surrounding fluid
(which varies as square root of
absolute temperature).
Mach 1 equals the speed of sound, which
is 340.294 meters per second or 761.59 mph at sea level
(using
the 1962 U.S. Standard Atmosphere).
Propulsion system.
Sum of all components which are
required to propel vehicle, eg. engine, accessories
and
engine-control system, fuel system, inlet and cooling systems.
Ram compression.
See ramjet.
Ramjet.
Air-breathing jet engine similar to a turbojet
but without mechanical compressor or turbine; compression
is
accomplished entirely by ram and is thus sensitive to vehicle
forward speed and non-existent at rest.
Scramjet.
Supersonic combustion ramiet; one in which
the flow
through the combustor itself is still supersonic.
Speed of sound.
See Mach number.
Trajectory.
Flight path in 3-D of any object, eg. an
airplane.
Can be ballistic, acted on only by atmospheric drag
and gravity, or controlled by various external forces.
Vehicle configuration.
The arrangement of wings,
bodies, engines and control surfaces into a vehicle shape.
Wind tunnel.
A tunnel-like structure through which a
test gas is forced at known and controllable
velocities,
temperatures and pressures to determine the effects of airflow
on objects
(aircraft, engines, or components).
At NASA Dryden, Aerospace industry representatives view
actual and
mock-up versions of 'X-Planes' intended to enhance
access to space.
The Boeing X-37 neutral buoyancy test model is
behind the MicroCraft X-43A mock-up.
|