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NASA – Dryden Flight Research Center – News Room: News Releases: NASA Dryden Manager Receives Top Honor

NASA Dryden Manager Receives Top Honor

November 25, 2003

Release: 03-58

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Gary Cosentino, one of NASA’s lead X-45A Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) managers at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., won the award for best technical paper at the 2003 International Test and Evaluation Association’s (ITEA) International Symposium at the Kauai Marriott Hotel in Lihue, Hawaii, on November 18, 2003.
“I put a lot of effort into capturing all of the work done by the test team in completing Block 1 Flight Test, and I was extremely honored to have the paper selected as the best at the conference,” Cosentino said. “I have the privilege of working with a great Boeing, Dryden, and AFFTC flight test team, and I accepted the award on their behalf.”
His paper and presentation, entitled “Flight Testing Transformational Air Power: The Joint Unmanned Combat Air System X-45A Demonstrator,” addressed the challenges, methodologies, innovative test technologies, and lessons learned related to the Block 1 Flight Testing of the X-45A demonstrator aircraft.
Cosentino discussed the flight test techniques used in clearing the flight envelope of the X-45A, including the use of real-time stability margin analysis, parameter identification, and post-flight data reduction. Also discussed was the overall integration of the aircraft and flight test team within the NASA Dryden and Air Force Flight Test Center complex. Range and airspace utilization, chase procedures, and range safety were also addressed.

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