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Hi, I'm Neil Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 mission.

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That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

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I'm working with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics on the Evolution of Flight campaign.

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This campaign marks the 100th anniversary of flight and lays the groundwork for the next 100 years of innovation in aviation and space technology.

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AIAA and NASA Connect are excited to give you the opportunity to learn about the aircraft design process.

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You'll see a really cool experimental aircraft.

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You'll observe NASA engineers and researchers using math, science, and technology to solve their problems.

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In your classroom, you'll test and improve wing designs.

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In our instructional technology activity, you will become an employee of Plane Math Enterprises to design and test aircraft using a computer.

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So stay tuned as host Dan Jerome takes you on another exciting episode of NASA Connect.

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Hi, welcome to NASA Connect, the show that connects you to math, science, technology, and NASA.

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I'm Dan Jerome, and today I'm at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

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Over my shoulder is the Wright Flyer.

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This is the first manned airplane to fly under its own power.

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It was built by the Wright brothers.

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This is the Bell X-1, the first plane to break the sound barrier.

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Notice how sleek its shape is.

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And this is the X-15.

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It's the first airplane to fly into space.

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Notice how closely shaped it is to a rocket.

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There are tons of planes here. Let's take a look.

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Now, before we continue our show, there are a few things you and your teacher need to know.

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First, teachers, make sure you have the lesson guide for today's program.

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It can be downloaded from our NASA Connect website.

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In it, you'll find a great math-based hands-on activity

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and a description of our instructional technology components.

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Kids, you'll want to keep your eyes on Norbert,

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because every time he appears with questions like this,

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have your cue cards from the lesson guide and your brain ready to answer the questions he gives you.

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Oh, and teachers, if you're watching a taped version of this program,

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every time you see Norbert with a remote,

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that's your cue to pause the videotape and discuss the cue card questions.

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Today's show is about the future of flight.

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But before we talk about the future, what is commercial flight like today?

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And what current technologies are being used by pilots?

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Hi, I'm Connie Tobias, and I'm a pilot with U.S. Airways.

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This modern Airbus aircraft gives us the tools we need to navigate safely and efficiently

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through today's complex air traffic control system.

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The Airbus aircraft has an array of computer screens

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that give the pilot information about performance, navigation, weather,

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and the location of other aircraft in our airspace.

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About 10 years from now, over 3 million people will be flying every day.

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That's about 1 million more than today.

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Updated computer technology and faster aircraft will be needed to deal with this increase

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and to reduce the travel time between destinations.

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Thanks, Connie.

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Now that we know what pilots have to keep in their minds with today's aircraft,

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let's consider the future of flight.

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Have you ever wondered what the airplanes of tomorrow will look like?

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Or how fast they will travel?

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Will tomorrow's planes travel into space or beyond?

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On today's show, we're going to learn how NASA researchers and engineers

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are using geometry and algebra to design, develop, and test future experimental airplanes.

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What is an experimental plane?

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Experimental planes, or X-planes, are tools of exploration that come in many shapes and sizes.

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They fly with jet engines, rocket engines, or with no engines at all.

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Which means NASA flies not only the fastest airplanes, but the slowest as well.

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Some planes are too small for a pilot, and some are as large as an airliner.

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The research conducted on experimental aircraft today gives us a glimpse into the future.

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NASA is developing one of the fastest experimental X-planes ever.

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It's called the HyperX.

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What is the HyperX?

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The HyperX research vehicle is an experimental plane

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that uses this really cool engine technology called the scramjet.

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Go for main engine start.

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Unlike rockets, such as the Space Shuttle main engines, which must carry both fuel and oxygen,

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the scramjet will only carry hydrogen fuel.

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It will take in oxygen out of the thin upper atmosphere as it travels along.

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We call this kind of engine an air breather, and it will allow the HyperX to fly at incredible speeds.

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In fact, the HyperX will fly at about 3,020 meters per second,

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which is about 6,750 miles per hour, or Mach 10.

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What does Mach number mean?

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Mach number represents how many times the speed of sound a vehicle is traveling.

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For example, Mach 1 equals the speed of sound,

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which is approximately 302 meters per second, or 675 miles per hour,

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at an altitude of 100,000 feet, which is the test altitude for the HyperX.

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Mach 2, which is twice the speed of sound,

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will approximately be 604 meters per second, or 1,350 miles per hour,

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at an altitude of 100,000 feet.

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Mach numbers are used by NASA researchers to describe the speed at which a plane is flying.

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Let's use algebra to show how to calculate the Mach number of the HyperX,

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which is flying at 3,020 meters per second, or 6,750 miles per hour.

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This algebraic equation shows that the Mach number equals the speed of the plane

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divided by the speed of the sound in the air, where M is the Mach number.

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V is equal to the speed of the plane, and A is equal to the speed of sound in the air.

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If the speed of the plane is 3,020 meters per second,

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and the speed of sound at 100,000 feet is 302 meters per second,

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then what is the Mach number?

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That's right!

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3,020 meters per second is about Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound.

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We'll learn more about Mach numbers later in the show,

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but first, let me tell you about the HyperX.

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The HyperX is designed as a flying engine,

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which means the airplane and the engine are one unit.

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The unique shape of the airplane develops the lift necessary to keep the plane up in the air,

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so it doesn't need wings to produce lift.

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The entire undersurface of the airplane is designed to act as part of the engine.

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In order to test the scramjet engine, the HyperX is launched by NASA's B-52

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and boosted by a rocket to its testing altitude.

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It will then separate from the rocket, and the scramjet engine will begin its test flight.

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So, have you ever wondered what goes into designing an experimental plane,

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such as the HyperX? I know I have.

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I'm here at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to talk to Dr. Scott Hull.

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What are the steps in designing an aircraft?

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How do the mission requirements of an aircraft determine its shape?

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Why are wind tunnels important in testing aircraft designs? Why?

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Hi, Dan.

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Hey.

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HyperX is definitely a very exciting program.

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In my job, I use wind tunnels to determine the flying characteristics of a variety of different vehicles

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that fly many times faster than the speed of sound, like the HyperX.

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The exciting part of the HyperX program is that it's truly pioneering.

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That means no one's ever done it before, so we have to blaze the trail.

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NASA sure has blazed many trails. How do they do it?

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The first thing you have to do when blazing a trail is to determine a mission, or where you want to go.

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We develop a set of requirements for the vehicle,

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and then we begin a process of designing a vehicle to meet that mission.

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Have you ever been to an air show to see a bunch of different airplanes?

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Yeah. Some planes are short, some are long and slender, some fly slow, and some fly fast.

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You're right. They look and perform differently because they were designed to satisfy different missions.

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For the HyperX program, our mission is to have it fly very fast.

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We also want to be able to control it, and we want it to be able to propel itself.

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You see, NASA has many years of experience testing fundamental shapes

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to understand and document how those shapes, we call them geometries,

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respond to the airflow at various speeds. Let me show you.

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The Apollo capsules used to bring the astronauts back to Earth after their trips to the moon

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were designed as blunt bodies.

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This is because this particular shape has high drag, a force that slows an object down.

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The blunt body creates the drag needed to deploy the drogue parachute,

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followed by the main parachutes.

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The force of drag, then, gently lowers the vehicle safely to the Earth.

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NASA had to design a vehicle that would slow down to speeds where it was safe

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to deploy the parachute for landing in the ocean.

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Okay, I get it. But what about other shapes?

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Well, we know that slender shapes, like the Concorde, have less drag.

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A vehicle that has to propel itself, like the Concorde or the HyperX,

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has to have an engine with enough power to overcome the vehicle's drag.

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So if you were designing the HyperX to propel itself and fly really fast,

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would you want a blunt body or a slender body?

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I'd want a slender body.

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That's right.

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The HyperX is designed as a slender body because it has less drag for the engine to overcome.

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You're well on your way to becoming a conceptual designer, Dan.

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I am? Sweet.

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So, once you've decided on a mission, what's next?

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Detailed design.

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A conceptual designer makes decisions, like the one you just made,

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to find a geometry that will meet the mission requirements.

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A detailed designer uses tools such as CAD or computer-aided drafting to turn ideas into drawings.

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These drawings help us work out the details of how to design parts of the HyperX,

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like the engines, the control surfaces, the fuel tanks, and so forth.

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Once we have an initial design, we begin a process to improve it.

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We compare the design of the HyperX to other vehicles with similar characteristics.

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We may need to make changes to the geometry to improve the performance.

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How do you know if you need to change the shape?

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One way is conducting wind tunnel tests.

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You see, during the design and computer modeling stages,

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we extensively used our wind tunnels to quickly screen our HyperX designs.

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And then, the wind tunnel tests helped us to determine the best design

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and to understand how the vehicle will fly.

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Okay, so what is a wind tunnel?

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Wind tunnels are devices that allow us to move air over a scale model of a flight vehicle,

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like the HyperX.

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We use models instead of the real vehicle because they're smaller, less expensive,

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and easier to change if needed.

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This is NASA Langley's 31-inch Mach 10 wind tunnel.

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This tunnel can get the air moving up to 10 times the speed of sound.

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Once we place the model of the HyperX in the wind tunnel,

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we make measurements to determine how the air interacts with the model.

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At the nose of the vehicle, the flow near the surface is very smooth.

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We call it laminar.

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But as the air moves down the length of the body, it changes and becomes turbulent.

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You can see this natural process by looking at the smoke after you blow out a candle.

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After you've blown out a candle, you'll notice that the smoke near the candle rises smoothly.

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That's laminar flow.

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But farther away from the candle, you'll notice it becomes rough and irregular.

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That's turbulent flow.

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Normally, we think of laminar flow when designing aerodynamic shapes.

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We want the air to flow smoothly around them.

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However, for the HyperX geometry, we require turbulent flow.

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Why would you want turbulent flow on the HyperX?

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In order for the scramjet engine to work properly.

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You see, turbulent airflow enhances the mixing of the air with the hydrogen fuel for better engine performance.

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Turbulent airflow is created by a device called a trip located underneath the belly of the HyperX.

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Using the wind tunnel, we tested several trips with different shapes or geometries

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to see which one worked best to change the airflow from laminar to turbulent.

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Our wind tunnel tests determined that this triangular-shaped trip was the best design

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for creating turbulent flow for the scramjet engine on this vehicle.

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How do you test the scramjet engine?

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We have specialized wind tunnels capable of testing scramjets,

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but the ultimate proof of the HyperX is flight testing.

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That's the last phase in designing an aircraft.

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NASA conducts all of its flight tests on aircraft at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

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Thanks, Scott.

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We'll visit NASA Dryden Flight Research Center later in the show.

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But first, join me in Dan's Domain,

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where we'll use technology to prepare for today's math-based, hands-on activity.

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Welcome to my domain.

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In just a minute, we'll get to the hands-on activity,

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which will require that you use different shapes in designing airplanes.

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Before we do, let's take a look at Riverdeep Interactive Learning's destination math tutorial.

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It's available free to NASA Connect educators.

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You can get to it from the NASA Connect website.

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It's part of the Mastering Skills and Concepts III section of Destination Math.

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With this lesson, you will explore the geometric and algebraic characteristics of basic shapes.

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Teachers, this is an excellent tutorial that can give your students information and assistance

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as they prepare to do the hands-on activity for the show.

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In this tutorial, Digit explores parallelograms, trapezoids, and right triangles

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while examining the flags of some of the countries in the United Nations.

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Many thanks to Riverdeep for providing NASA Connect

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with this exciting instructional technology enhancement to our show.

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Now, let's do an aircraft design activity which you can do in your classroom.

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We're from Pulaski Middle School.

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Here in New Britain, Connecticut.

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NASA Connect has asked us to show you this show's hands-on activity.

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Here are the main objectives.

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You'll use algebra to calculate wing area and aspect ratio.

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You'll use a portable glider catapult to analyze wing geometry.

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You'll design, construct, and test an experimental wing.

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And you'll work in teams to solve problems related to wing design.

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The list of materials you'll need for this activity can be downloaded from the NASA Connect website.

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The class will be divided into groups of four.

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Each group will use a portable glider catapult, or PGC, which your teacher made previous to this activity.

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Good morning, boys and girls.

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This morning, NASA has designated this class as Aeronautical Engineers in Training.

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Your job is to test current wing designs based on distance traveled, glide, and speed observations.

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From your analysis of the data that you collect,

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you will have the task of designing and testing an experimental wing to achieve maximum distance traveled.

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First, cut out the templates for the fuselage, wings, and horizontal stabilizers.

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Place the templates on the meat trays and trace around the templates.

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Cut out the shapes.

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Tip a piece of masking tape to the nose of the fuselage to prevent the nose of the fuselage from breaking.

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Students will calculate the wing area, the wing span, the root chord, the tip chord, and the average chord for each wing.

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The average chord can be calculated using this formula.

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Next, have students calculate the aspect ratio for each wing using the formula wing span divided by average chord.

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Record all values onto the data chart.

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Prep the launch area by measuring 12 meters in the PGC.

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Mark the distance at one meter intervals.

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Place tables or desks of equal height to the launching line to elevate the portable glider catapult.

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Place a book with a height of approximately 5 centimeters under the front portion of the PGC.

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Select a wing shape to test.

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You will be testing four different shapes.

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Delta.

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Oblique.

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Straight.

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And swept back.

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Attach a small binder clip to the aircraft to give it some weight in order to achieve maximum distance traveled.

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Position the aircraft on the PGC.

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Using a rubber band, pull the aircraft to the launch position.

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Then announce,

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Clear the flight deck for aircraft catapult.

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5, 4, 3, 2, 1, launch.

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You will conduct five trials for each wing shape.

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Measure the distance traveled in centimeters and record the value onto the data chart.

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Record your observations on glide and speed ratings using the scales provided from the lesson guide.

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From the data collected, each group will design and construct their own experimental wing.

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Design your wing to fly farther than the original test wings.

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Okay now, how successful or unsuccessful was your experimental design?

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What were the factors?

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Resume.

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Mine had a lower aspect ratio.

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Big work.

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Mine had a better swept back wing.

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Special thanks to the AIAA Connecticut section and the AIAA mentors who helped us with this activity.

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Thanks.

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We had a great experience today.

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And we encourage teachers to visit our website to learn more about the AIAA mentorship program in your area.

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Okay, we've learned how geometry is important in designing an experimental aircraft.

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We've also learned some steps in the aircraft design process.

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But there's still one more step to go.

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Scott mentioned earlier that the last stage in designing an aircraft is flight testing.

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Well, the lead center for flight testing is NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

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Let's take a look and see what they're doing with the HyperX.

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How will the HyperX reach its test altitude?

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How do the HyperX engineers collect their research information?

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Why is algebra important in HyperX research?

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Hi, I'm Lori Marshall.

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I'm a research engineer in the aerodynamics branch here at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center.

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I'm one of the engineers responsible for getting the HyperX ready for flight.

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In order to do this, we perform tests on the vehicle to ensure that the instrumentation system will measure the necessary data.

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We make sure that the control room is set up properly to record this data during flight.

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We also perform inspections of the HyperX during assembly and testing to ensure that the systems are operational and that no damage has occurred.

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You see, the HyperX is a thermal protection system, similar to the space shuttle.

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The exterior is covered with special tiles that allow it to withstand the high temperatures of high-speed flight.

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If any of the tiles were damaged, not only would the vehicle structure be compromised,

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but the aerodynamic shape that we've tested during the design process could also be altered, and this could affect the flight.

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How do they flight test the HyperX at such high speeds?

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Great question!

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The HyperX is a very small vehicle, about the size of two kayaks side-by-side.

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As Scott told you earlier, it will fly at about Mach 10.

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Now, because of its size, we only have enough fuel for use at the test conditions or when the HyperX reaches Mach 10.

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How do you get HyperX to reach Mach 10?

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The HyperX is attached to the nose of a rocket.

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The rocket is mounted under the wing of a B-52 jet.

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Let me explain what happens.

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The B-52 takes the HyperX, which is attached to the rocket, up to a preset altitude and speed, and releases it.

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Then, the rocket ignites and flies to an altitude of approximately 100,000 feet, traveling to the test conditions.

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Next, the HyperX separates from the rocket and the scramjet engine ignites.

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This is when the flight test begins.

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The HyperX generates over 600 measurements that are sent to the control room during the flight.

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These measurements allow the research engineers to determine the success of the flight.

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Each engineer can access their data on specially designed displays, which are also recorded for post-flight analysis.

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How do they analyze all these data?

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Well, we use several different methods, but algebra is the foundation for all of these.

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We use algebra throughout the design, flight testing, and post-flight analysis phases of the experiment.

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The Vehicle Stability and Control System is a good example of how algebra is used during flight testing.

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For example, take a seesaw.

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A seesaw consists of a board and a pivot point, or fulcrum.

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Suppose we have Norbert on one side of the seesaw and Zot on the other side.

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Here, the seesaw is not balanced.

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How do you balance the seesaw?

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Well, to balance the seesaw, the product of the weight and the horizontal distance on the left side of the pivot point

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must equal the product of the weight and the horizontal distance on the right side of the pivot point.

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By moving Norbert on the left side of the pivot point closer in, you can see the seesaw becomes balanced.

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In mathematical terms, the weight of Norbert times his horizontal distance to the pivot point

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is equal to the weight of Zot times his horizontal distance to the pivot point.

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Now, in the case of the HyperX, the flight computer controls the wings and the tails

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to keep the vehicle flying and stable throughout the experiment.

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Without these calculations, we wouldn't be able to fly and get the necessary data.

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Have you flight tested the HyperX?

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As a matter of fact, we did.

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Unfortunately, like many experiments, this one didn't go as planned,

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and the HyperX never made it to the test conditions.

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Sometimes, when performing experiments, unforeseen events can occur.

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However, we were able to receive data from the HyperX before the test was terminated.

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We can use this data to successfully flight test the HyperX again

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and achieve our mission of testing scramjet technology.

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Wow, if the HyperX program is so successful, how will it affect the future of flight?

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Well, let's see.

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Recently, I flew from NASA Langley in Virginia to NASA Dryden here in California.

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It took about five hours.

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If the commercial aircraft were using the same technology used on the HyperX,

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my flight time would have been reduced to 30 minutes.

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If you ever plan to go into space,

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the same technology would allow for larger cargo capacity, so space travel would cost less.

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This technology would also allow for reusable vehicles at a much lower cost.

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This means we could see more launches and more exploration of space.

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Thanks, Lori.

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For the next couple of minutes, we're going to take a look at a website

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that will reinforce this show's hands-on activity you just saw.

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It's called PlanMath, and it's produced by Info-Use in cooperation with NASA.

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We're going to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington,

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where students from T.T. Minor Elementary School will help us show you

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what the PlanMath website looks like.

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From Dan's domain on the NASA Connect website, go to planmath.com.

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Click on Activities for Students, then choose PlanMath Enterprises.

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You'll need to visit each of the eight training departments.

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Each section gives important information about aeronautical principles and terminology.

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There are a number of geometry- and algebra-related math concepts,

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and you'll also find plenty of interactive activities

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that help you understand the concepts presented in the website.

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The experts will guide you through training

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as you prepare to design an airplane based on certain requirements.

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When your training's complete, enter the Design Department,

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where you meet your client before beginning the design process.

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Then you'll design the size of your fuselage and wings.

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The Building Department will make a prototype, which you'll test in a wind tunnel.

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Based on these results, you'll choose an engine for your plane.

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There will be a flight test to see if your plane can take off and reach its cruising speed.

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If it succeeds in taking off,

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you'll get results on how your plane flies under different conditions.

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Based on your results, you can either make adjustments to your plane and retest it,

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or present your design to your customers.

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Well, that's PlanMath!

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Special thanks to the Museum of Flight

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and our AIAA student mentors from the University of Washington.

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Teachers, if you would like a student mentor to help you in your classrooms,

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find out more on the NASA Connect website.

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Well, that wraps up another episode of NASA Connect.

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We'd like to thank everyone who helped make this program possible.

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Got a comment, question, or suggestion?

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Email them to connect at larc.nasa.gov.

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00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,000
Or pick up a pen and mail them to NASA Connect,

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NASA Center for Distance Learning,

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NASA Langley Research Center,

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Mailstop 400,

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Hampton, Virginia, 23681.

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Teachers, if you would like a videotape of this program

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and the accompanying lesson guide,

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check out the NASA Connect website.

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From our site, you can link to the NASA Educator Resource Center Network.

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00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:19,000
These centers provide educators free access to NASA products, like NASA Connect.

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From our site, you can link to CORE,

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the NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators.

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00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,000
For information about other NASA instructional resources,

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visit NASA Quest at quest.nasa.gov.

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So, until next time,

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stay connected to math, science, technology, and NASA.

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See you then!

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I want the air to flow smoothly around them.

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However, for the HyperX geometry, we require turbulent flow.

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I screwed that up.

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Let's try that one more time.

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And now you have to work.

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Here are the main objections.

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Oh, I said that wrong.

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And the objection is objective.

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Today, I'm one of the...

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I was that close, I was that close, that close, and I stumbled.

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So, have you ever wondered what goes into designing an experimental X?

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No.

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No.

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No.

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00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,000
Well, let's see.

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Recently...

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Too early.

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It's the first airplane to fly into space.

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Notice how closely it's shaped to a rocket.

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There are tons of planes here.

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Traveled, glide, and speed observations.

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You will...

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Oh, I'm sorry.

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00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,000
That's what I do when I'm nervous.

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You're excited.

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My belly itches.

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My belly itches.

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We're out of here. I have donuts.