NASA's new F-15 aircraft at the Armstrong Flight Research Center.NASA / Christopher LC Clark
The US Air Force has given NASA two retired F-15 jets to boost the space agency’s supersonic flight research capabilities.
The F-15, the Air Force’s primary fighter jet aircraft and interception platform since the early 1970s, will aid in NASA’s X-59 program, which aims to make Concorde-like supersonic flight a reality again.
The two fighter jets are now stationed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. According to a NASA blog post, they are “transitioning from military service to a new role enabling breakthrough advancements in aerospace.”
Supporting supersonic research
The new F-15s will support supersonic flight research under NASA’s Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project, the space agency explains. This will include testing that will help collect data relevant to the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft.
One of the aircraft will fly and serve as an active research aircraft. The other will be used for parts, NASA explained in its blog post “to support long-term fleet sustainment.”
“These two aircraft will enable successful data collection and chase plane capabilities for the X-59 through the life of the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project,” said Troy Asher, director for flight operations at NASA Armstrong. “They will also enable us to resume operations with various external partners, including the Department of War and commercial aviation companies.”
NASA’s experimental X-59 silent supersonic aircraft performed its historic first flight in October last year. Built by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, the X-59 aims to replace the loud sonic boom—problematic during the era of the Concorde—with a gentle “thump.”
NASA’s modified F-15s
The two F-15 aircraft, from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field, completed their final flights for the Air Force last year. They arrived at NASA Armstrong on Dec. 22.
NASA will modify the active F-15 to support its flight research. During flight tests, the fighter jets can carry hardware under their wings or under the main fuselage. Flight controls and software can also be modified for specific mission requirements.
The two NASA F-15 aircraft modified for X-59 research. Source: NASA / Carla Thomas
It isn’t the first time NASA has used US Air Force aircraft for research purposes. As Asher pointed out, “NASA has been flying F-15s since some of the earliest models came out in the early 1970s. Dozens of scientific experiments have been flown over the decades on NASA’s F-15s and have made a significant contribution to aeronautics and high-speed flight research.”
In fact, NASA has recently operated two modified F-15s to fly at up to 60,000 feet. This is the top of the flight envelope for the X-59, which will cruise at 55,000 feet. The modifications allow pilots to operate more comfortably at these altitudes. The new active F-15 will feature the same modifications, NASA confirmed in its post.
