NASA Langley STOL studies 60s-70s

spectre

spectre

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Can someone shed some light on this C-5 Galaxy/NASA project? I was given this picture via email. Looks like STOL C-5? Blown flaps?

Thank you in advance.
 

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Interesting picture. Did it say somewhere explicitly that this was a C-5 derivative?
Besides the changes made to the wing, the tail looks obviously wrong. Looks like it's a variable incidence tail too (all moving).
Well, I guess that if you were going for high lift it would be a good idea to raise the horizontal stabilizer above the downwash off the wing.

But yeah, the engine position and type of flaps point to an externally blown flap configuration, with slats on top of that. Somebody was trying hard to get STOL. Do you know when this picture was taken?
 
AeroFranz said:
Interesting picture. Did it say somewhere explicitly that this was a C-5 derivative?
Besides the changes made to the wing, the tail looks obviously wrong. Looks like it's a variable incidence tail too (all moving).
Well, I guess that if you were going for high lift it would be a good idea to raise the horizontal stabilizer above the downwash off the wing.

But yeah, the engine position and type of flaps point to an externally blown flap configuration, with slats on top of that. Somebody was trying hard to get STOL. Do you know when this picture was taken?
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Sorry, I have zero info on the picture. It was forwarded to me to try to get info on it...but I am a C-130 guy. I know very little about the C-5
 
AeroFranz said:
Besides the changes made to the wing, the tail looks obviously wrong. Looks like it's a variable incidence tail too (all moving).
Well, I guess that if you were going for high lift it would be a good idea to raise the horizontal stabilizer above the downwash off the wing.
Click to expand...

I dont think it is an all moving surface, i think it is a leading edge flap deployed upwards...
 
NASA did identify this model as a "C-5" but I think that was only a matter of convience. The same "C-5" model was used in the early '70s for 'free-flight' windtunnel test for NASA upper surface blowing development.

The tail was enlarged and moved forward to avoid the wake of new "siamese" USB nacelles on top of the wings.
 

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I dont think it is an all moving surface, i think it is a leading edge flap deployed upwards...
[/quote]

hmmm...you are right. Now that I zoom on the picture i see the deflected flap, I hadn't even noticed it at first. Leading edge slat and all moving tail would probably be overkill.
What made me think of the all moving tail was that rounded fairing at the intersection of the fin and the 'bullet' fairing of the horizontal tail. In other aircraft that's necessary to permit the rotation of the all-moving tail. Well, this being a wind tunnel model that has seen many uses, it is possible that it had provision for both, although I can't really tell except for that suspicious rounded fin.
 
Apophenia said:
NASA did identify this model as a "C-5" but I think that was only a matter of convience. The same "C-5" model was used in the early '70s for 'free-flight' windtunnel test for NASA upper surface blowing development.

The tail was enlarged and moved forward to avoid the wake of new "siamese" USB nacelles on top of the wings.
Click to expand...
Thank you!!
Any more information would be great.
It looks like the pictures #2 and #3 that you posted have much different engines then the picture I posted and your #1 picture. Those engines defiantly have the exhaust blowing over the top of the wing...

What was the outcome of this project, and if able to provide, what were the development or project numbers.

Thanks again
 
I'm not sure if NASA staff had specific engines in mind for their overwing USB model. Langley Research Center staff were looking at USB for a number of reasons -- quiet(er) airliners, civilian short-field transport aircraft, and an anticipated DOD request for a STOL Hercules replacement.

The first two resulted in the C-8A QSRA or Quiet Short-haul Research Aircraft (NASA 715, a modified DHC Buffalo). For the latter project (USAF's Advanced Medium STOL Transport), based partly on NASA USB windtunnel results (Nov 1971) Boeing selected USB for its YC-14 candidate for the AMST contest. Well, at least that's what Langley claims ;D
 
Looks like a wind tunnel model...are you sure this represents a C-5 and not a generic large cargo transport?
 
NASA called the model a "C-5" but, as AeroFranz suggests, it represented a generic transport shape used to test various flap/slat arrangements and USB nacelles (hence tailplane position change).
 
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that more a STOL in stile of C-17
can this be Lockheed part of The Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) competition ?
 
Hey great find taildragger :eek:

Now all we need to do is find more info on this design for the AMST competitor forum!

Regards
Pioneer
 
The forward-placed fin, modified horizontal tail, and full-span flaps shown in some of the windtunnel photos suggest that this is the same model used for USB and other tests.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5366.0
 
spectre said:
Can someone shed some light on this C-5 Galaxy/NASA project? I was given this picture via email. Looks like STOL C-5? Blown flaps?

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
EBF Flying Model June 23, 1971
 

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Byeman said:
Not a C-5
Click to expand...
the mention PDF in post #9 is title:

Wind-tunnel Investigation of an external-flow jet-Flap transport configuration having full-span Triple-slotted flaps
A wind-tunnel investigation has been conducted to determine
the performance and static stability and control characteristics of an external-flow jet-flap transport configuration
having inboard pod-mounted engines and full-span triple-slotted flaps. Tests were made
with the engines mounted clustered at 22.0 percent and 30.4 percent semispan to represent
double (Siamese) pods and with engines mounted at 22.0 percent and 41.7 percent semispan
to represent a more spread arrangement. Tests were also made to evaluate the effectiveness
of wing leading-edge blowing as a means of improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the con-
figuration and of eliminating the large engine-out roll asymmetries that ,occurred for the
configuration when the wing with an engine out stalled first.
Click to expand...

The investigation was conducted on the four-engine high-wing jet transport model illustrated by the three-view drawing of figure 2
Click to expand...
I guess they use a C-5 model for the test to have reverence data to compare the results
 

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