AEDC sets record with largest aircraft model to conduct B-52H store separation test

Posted 10/10/2011  

http://www.arnold.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123275270

by Philip Lorenz III
AEDC/PA

10/10/2011 - ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. –– The Air Force's oldest legacy bomber still in service, the B-52H Stratofortress, is in the midst of major weapons and flight systems upgrades, including a capability to drop smart bombs from the plane's internal weapons bay.

AEDC has 40-plus years of store separation experience, but this test entry is unique and challenging in several ways, according to Doyle Veazey, the ATA store separation section manager.

"We have never tested a store separation aircraft model of this size in our wind tunnels," he said. "For that matter, our design group and Model Shop have never fabricated a store separation test article this large."



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Work started last November when the B-52H Program Office agreed to fund a wind tunnel test program and the Air Force SEEK Eagle Office provided CAD (computer-aided design) geometry files to AEDC's design personnel.

The Air Force is upgrading the B-52's internal weapons bay to expand the aircraft's payload by roughly two-thirds, according to Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.

"The B-52 delivers the widest variety of stand-off, direct-attack nuclear and conventional weapons in the Air Force and we have been investing in multiple improvements," General Kowalski told an audience recently during a National Defense University Foundation-sponsored address in Washington, D.C.

This effort represents the "most significant B-52 modernization since the [1980s] and will add 21st century capability to the aircraft," Kowalski said.

Major improvements include new flight control software to enhance targeting pod capabilities and incorporate miniature air launched decoys onto the B-52, as well as a modern digital communications system. With progress thus far, General Kowalski said he expects the B-52's combat network communications technology upgrade to enter low-rate production by 2013.

For AEDC's role in the B-52H store separation testing, the design team, led by Scott Wieland, has worked concurrently with projects representatives, who established requirements and shop personnel, all on a highly accelerated timeline.

Since January, AEDC's Model Shop has been busy fabricating and assembling the components making up the approximately 3,400-pound aluminum and steel B-52H model, at 10-percent scale, to undergo store separation testing in the center's 16-foot propulsion wind tunnel in August.

Veazey said the upcoming test will support a more efficient and effective weapons system platform.

"The Global Strike Command has a requirement to put weapons into the [internal] weapons bay of the B-52H that historically have not been there, specifically Global Positioning System (GPS) weapons, like the MALD (Miniature Air Launched Decoy), the JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) and the several variants of JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition)," he said. "The requirement is to carry them internally in the weapons bay. That reduces the aerodynamic drag on the airplane and allows for extended range missions of the B-52H.

"That's one way to get more energy efficient, to bring those weapons internal. It also allows them to carry more weapons on a B-52H. They can load up the wing pylons' two Heavy Stores Adapter Beams and they can load up the new Conventional Stores Rotary Launcher internally."

Safe release of the stores from the aircraft is imperative for a successful mission to protect the crew, avoid damaging the airplane or the stores and accurately strike the targets.

"Bay separations from any airplane are complex and dynamic enough as it is, but when you combine that bay separation with stores that are not necessarily aerodynamically stable to begin with, it just really makes things even more challenging," Veazey said. "Aside from the safety of the crew, the risk to the weapons and the airplane is a real concern."

The primary measurements obtained during a store separation test are the force and moments of the separating store in the flow field of the airplane.

"There will be captive trajectories, pseudo-freestream and aerodynamic grid data that will be acquired, the usual CTS (captive trajectory support) test techniques," Veazey said. "Pseudo-freestream testing means the aircraft model is in the tunnel during CTS store model freestream data acquisition."

If a test article is too large, it can block enough of the airflow in the wind tunnel to adversely affect the test.

"The total blockage of the model is one of the things we were concerned about," said JT Thompson, ATA project engineer.

Veazey said, "It is about 2.2 percent, which is higher than desired from an aerodynamicist's perspective, but for store separation work, that's tolerable. We're using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) to support that engineering judgment."

The test team plans to use one other tool to ensure the stores deploy safely from the B-52H model and that blockage is not an issue with the test.

"One of the things we're looking at using during the course of the test is Background-Oriented Schlieren (BOS), which may help show some flow characteristics around the test articles," Veazey explained. "This technique, installed and operated by ATA Technology personnel, uses a simple optical set-up consisting of a structured background pattern, an electronic camera with a high shutter speed and a high-intensity light source. Then special COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) software is used to process the images and produce the final product.

"This first B-52H store separation effort will result in AEDC employing all its capabilities from planning, design, fabrication, testing, computations and analysis and reporting. Combining that with the ongoing collaboration with the B-52H Program Office, AFSEO and the several weapons program offices and their contractors makes this a truly 'Integrated Test and Evaluation' program."

Awesome

Can I have that model when they're done with it?

This, I need something to hang over my bar

How many operational B-52's are there?

i lubs the buff

And how much longer can they possibly fly?  This is nuts... these planes are all 50 years old!  We should be designing new planes... except that would automatically turn into a trillion dollar boondoggle.

One of these days, they're going to find some crack or stress in a couple of Buffs, ground 'em all, and that'll be that for our airborne strategic capability

Old Dog technology?

Took a second look before I noticed that the model in question was inverted...

They should give the bird modern engines if possible.

Good! The Buff is that favorite rifle in the arsenal - and old rifle, but when it fires; it gives you massive wood.

LeMay is smiling; his favorite bird is still kicking ass and taking names.



Nothing like a Buff taking off to let you know someone on the other side of the planet is going to get his ass kicked hard.

B52 + UAV stealth fighters on internal rotary launchers = global air superiority force that makes F22 jocks throw up their hands in frustration.

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They are expected to remain flying until 2045 according to the interwebs. It will be weird for pilots in 2045 flying the last B52's knowing their great grand parents generation were the first generation to fly them.

Inverted flight for B-52 is now approved at all altitudes.

How about 2 GE-90-160A engines, one under each wing?

Engineers know what they are doing.

Now why are we doing this. Somebody better start behaving themselves cause shit is about to get real.

Why am I now thinking that my grand kids will be fighting the Martian revolt in B-52Xs.

This thing is frickin' immortal.  I love it.

Fucking awesome! Progress. Now this is what technology is for. More bombs. Hell yeah!

Actually the USAF said a few years ago that the B52  will be in service till 2045 that is  90 years. The engine upgrade and other upgrades to the plane are insuring that the BUFF will be around for a long time.

First thought when I saw that picture was how big the model is for that test section.



You don't say, those wingtips look awfully close to the walls, hello wall effects.

Damn, the B-52 is going to be the Air Force's version of the M2 Browning .50 cal. They're never going to get rid of that thing.

 

Now I'm not saying this is true in this case, but I know some engineers that work on planes that have a motto: "Take it from us... take the bus."

Wow, I am not sure that I will live long enough to see the B52 retire.

Reminds me of the Galactica; it's hard to comprehend an aircraft serving for 90 years.

Preparing to drop Slim Pickens  replicas  on Iran.

A few years ago, I was underneth the belly of a B52, they have 2 bomb bays, and they are HUGE.

Funny, they still some of the old cabling and wiring in place from the days of the Hound Dog missile from the early 1960s. I guess the USAF didn't want to remove those wires and cables and screw something up, so they just fly with the extra weight.

Yeah, I am sure they haven't thought of that yet.

Out of 742 produced.

I don't really see the use...

But I have no nostalgia for military hardware.

Like the Ma Duece it flat out works.. Nothing works as good or they would not have kept it..  Do you know how many planes were supposed to replace it over the decades?  Several. My old man used to tell me how the B58 hustler was supposed to do it in when he was in SAC...

Negative. We have only one bomb bay. The B-1, however, has 2 bays, I think.

Thank the START Treaty.. Phucking Daddy Bush.

We still have B-1 and B-2's and the new B-3 or what ever they are designing.

 

Maybe the AF is doing this to justify having a manned bomber fleet.    I imagine UCAV and un-manned bombers would be in enough numbers to be viable in 10 years.  If unmanned bombers is viable, the AF would lose a lot of pilots since they aren't needed to drop iron over unchallenged airspace.   Especially with the military's standoff weapons..

No engine upgrade.  They plan to keep using the existing one.

The Bone has three bays. Just don't start loading the bomb mods in the back first...

This modification would up the weapons load to 116,200 pounds from 70,000.

I can't see how they could do that without re engining.

That's fooking nuts!

Nearly a century service life for a vehicle.  That would be like having an airplane from 1925 still in service today

BUFF Crews will also be quick to inform you that when the last B-2 is flown to the graveyard at Davis-Monthan AFB, the Pilot and Mission Commander will hitch a ride back to Whiteman in a BUFF.  Great job to all at the 52 SPO!

Schlweeeet...

"For AEDC's role in the B-52H store separation testing, the design team, led by Scott Wieland, has worked concurrently with projects representatives, who established requirements and shop personnel, all on a highly accelerated timeline."

How'd this guy get involved?

Minimal fuel at take-off. Aerial refuel shortly after take-off.



Weight reductions elsewhere



 

Well how many aircraft from 1925 are capable of delivering direct nuclear weapons, stand off nuclear weapons and God knows how many types of PGM?? The BUFF is the do all machine and Curtis LeMay's lasting legacy ..  God Bless you General LeMay