Boeing MMA Model Passes Wind Tunnel Tests
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 30, 2004 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] engineers completed the first series of wind tunnel tests for the 737 Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) program on Nov. 5 under the Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract.
Low-speed wind tunnel tests began on an 11 percent scale model of a 737 MMA on Oct. 28 in Boeing's 20 ft. by 20 ft. subsonic wind tunnel facility in Philadelphia , PA. The facility is the largest privately owned wind tunnel in the United States and can subject models to wind speeds up to 215 knots. The full series of stability and control testing is expected to conclude in two weeks.
Neal Mosbarger, Boeing's MMA flight technology manager, says a primary area of interest was a new weapons bay door. "We found the 737 MMA had good aircraft stability characteristics with the weapon bay doors open," said Mosbarger. "We are now ready to move onto high-speed wind tunnel testing next month with a high degree of confidence in our MMA configuration."
The team looked at a variety of unique features in addition to the basic stability of the aircraft including weapons bay door open, flaps down, landing gear down to simulate takeoff and landing conditions. An estimated 3,000 hours of wind tunnel time will be logged to develop the 737 MMA. Because designers can use tools like computational fluid dynamics to refine the designs before testing starts fewer tests are needed when compared to past development efforts. In addition, the 737-800 commercial airframe was previously flight tested and is currently in service with airlines around the world.
The Boeing-led team, which includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman [NYSE: NOC], Raytheon [NYSE: RTN], and Smiths Aerospace [LSE: SMIN.L] will produce five test aircraft during the program's SDD phase. Plans call for up to 108 aircraft to be purchased by the Navy to replace its aging fleet of P-3 aircraft.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis , Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government, and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems ; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense and Department of Homeland Security ; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.
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Contact Info:
Ellen LeMond-Holman
Boeing Communications
(314) 232-6496 (office)
(314) 705-1661 (mobile)
ellen.j.lemond-holman@boeing.com
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