Briggs Aerospace Technologies
 

Test program: FXG Vancoollins

FXG Vancoollins will be built in Australia, with the countries remote exploited to perform its test flights. The type will refine technology for the AFG and ARFG Neecenow.

The first flights will start a busy program refining airframe components and the flight envelop. The FXG Vancoollins will test an array of different products. The heat of flight of travelling at 2.5 kilometres a second - or 9000 km/hr - produces significant heat, and variations of this heat occur over all parts of the fuselage. The height of the FXG Vancoollins operational envelop will mean the cold also plays a part in hypersonic research and the development for Neecenow.

Materials need to tested and potentially developed to allow the product to be easy to use and maintain. This was not possible with the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, a Mach 3 type, which took 2 hours to cool enough to touch: Neecenow will be travelling at over twice the speed of the Blackbird. The highest temperature occurring from kinetic heat of such velocity occurs on the leading edges of all surfaces. The mid and aft geometry sections generally remain acceptably cool, though this can lead to distortion.

Vancoollins will also test commercially viable life support systems for the airliner market, as well as doing preliminary tests on aspects such as any fumes which may come from heated composite materials.

The engine test program will be one of the most anticipated parts of FXG Vancoollins operation. Some complex issues surround engines for faster than sound aircraft due to noisy turbo-jet engines (found on old types of fighter aircraft and early airliners) function better at high speed and altitude. A factor of this truth is due to the lack of research into high performance turbo-fan engines, but neither engine will be able to sustain the heat and compression of hypersonic flight. Several designs have been conceived by Briggs for test work and development.

Thanks to the speed of the Neecenow, the cost of flight can be several times that of existing subsonic jet engines before the type begins to cost more to operate. However FXG Vancoollins aim is to beat existing subsonic jet engine’s economy, driving down costs to airlines and to the passengers who use them.

There are several different aims with using different fuselage sections:

  1. Drag reduction
  2. Shock wave reduction
  3. Lift curve analysis
  4. Heat reduction for the entire aircraft
  5. Sonic boom reduction
  6. Lifting body and compression lift qualities
  7. Wake performance

Interestingly, the fuselage of the FXG types will use a tubular construction like airframes of the First World-War and post-war era aircraft. This style of airframe permits bolt-on geometric fuselage skins to test operational capabilities of various types of heat resistant skins; with monocoque structures this is not possible, because the skin forms the overall structural strength.

Materials will also be able to be compared, leading to lower production costs, assisting in finding the best compromise by the old fashioned method of trial and error. With three different fuselage skins there will be differing advantages, perhaps some at approach speed, transonic speed and cruise. Once the best and second best is found, the most efficient will likely occur in between. Vancoollins will obtain the best cross sections for the Neecenow airliners final design.

The nose cone temperature at Neecenow’s Mach 7.4 cruise speed will be over 700 degrees Celsius from air resistance.  Although too hot for aluminium, many types of  composite materials will withstand the average fuselage skin temperatures of around 200 degrees Celsius. Extreme cold plays another part in the test process, since the upper atmosphere is very cold. FXG Vancoollins will assist in finding ways to reduce the airframe temperature during the descent phase.

The FXG will be capable of having new wings fitted to the airframe, to test various geometries. Sweep is expected to be between 10 and 20 degrees since the swept wing is only of real use in sustained operation in the transonic region. Straight wings produce more lift assisting in producing a low approach/landing speed, as well as reducing the take-off distance required. The airframe of the FXG will take the wing loading, and much like a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the wings will bolt on, allowing a new set of wings to be fitted overnight.


 
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