Dynamically Scaled Model for NASA's Next Generation Aviation Demonstrator, Phase I

Significant advances in several key technologies such as material sciences, manufacturing, miniaturization, and active flow control suggest that the time has come to address the issue of affordable General Aviation (GA). These new technologies when combined with advanced avionics and propulsion concepts will make GA affordable and ecologically sustainable. With a greater ease of vehicle operation, GA can become available to a much larger clientele and provide strong impulses for the aerospace industry. When a large number of new technologies are combined in a revolutionary way, validation of the entire system at the design and development stage becomes highly desirable. We propose building and flight testing a dynamically scaled model of NASA's GA demonstrator that will feature many important elements of the new GA concept.

In addition to the research goals of the dynamically scaled NGAD, ACR will be able to directly benefit from the design and initial development of a light UAV airframe. Just like the goals of the full scale NGAD, the dynamically scaled model will have significant advantages over current light UAV designs. Noise reduction and safety are two of the biggest advantages. In a military context, most UAVs of this class are extremely loud, and can be heard long before being detected by other means. The shrouded fan and enclosed engine of the NGAD will both reduce and shift the noise signature of the aircraft. In civilian UAV applications, noise reduction shares the same value as it does in regards to tail-fan aircraft. Another advantage of the shrouded fan design is safety. By enclosing the propeller, the greatest danger to the ground crew of a UAV is removed.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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