Dryden Aircraft

Text Size

F/A-18 #853
 
F-18 in flightNASA Dryden's highly-modified Active Aeroelastic Wing F/A-18A shows off its form during a 360-degree aileron roll during a research flight. NASA photo / Jim Ross. NASA's F-18 #853 is a former Navy F/A-18A fighter plane modified by Dryden technicians that now performs research duties. This workhorse in the NASA fleet demonstrates its versatility by serving in many capacities:
  • Tier 1-Testbed: Vehicle that is used to integrate experiments (test fixtures, sensors, subsystems) that are minimally intrusive to flight control systems. "The vehicle carries the experiment."
    • Fiber Optic Wing Shape Sensor; flight research phase
  • Tier 2 -Disciplinary / System Research Aircraft: Vehicle that is used to focus the validation of discipline specific or system (multi-disciplinary) specific research elements that require extensive modification to the flight control systems, vehicle structure, and vehicle operation. "The vehicle is highly modified by the experiment."
    • Adaptive Flight Controls
  • Tier 3 - Research Aircraft: Vehicles that are developed or extensively modified to validate new vehicle configurations, integrated vehicle designs, and high-performance research objectives. "The vehicle is the experiment."
    • X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing (F-18 TN 853)




Points of Contact

Lawrence R. Davis
Director for Flight Operations
661.276.2204
Lawrence.R.Davis@nasa.gov

Michael P. Thomson
Deputy Director for Flight Operations
661.276.3097
Michael.P.Thomson@nasa.gov

Mariaelena A. Nichols
Flight Operations Business Analyst
661.276.3099
Mariaelena.A.Nichols@nasa.gov

For Industry Inquiries
661-276-3100
Ask.DFRC@dfrc.nasa.gov

 
› Back To Top