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NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone   (661) 276-3449
FAX (661) 276-3566 
                        __
July 9, 2003

Alan Brown
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-2665
alan.brown{at}dfrc.nasa.gov

RELEASE 03-38 -- NOTE TO EDITORS:

ACTIVE AEROELASTIC WING F/A-18 ON DISPLAY AT THREE MIDWEST AIR SHOWS

NASA's Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) F/A-18A Hornet, the first 
aircraft to bear the official "Centennial of Flight" logo, will be on 
display at three major Midwest air shows from mid-July through early 
August. 

The modified jet fighter is currently in a flight research program to 
investigate active control of flexible wings for enhanced 
maneuverability at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards 
Air Force Base, Calif. A joint program of the Air Force Research 
Laboratory (AFRL), NASA Dryden and Boeing Phantom Works, AAW seeks to 
demonstrate improved aircraft roll control through aerodynamically 
induced wing twist on a full-scale manned supersonic 
aircraft-essentially a 21st century, high-tech update of the 
primitive wing-warping control system devised by the Wright brothers 
for their 1903 Wright Flyer. Among other benefits, the concept could 
allow lighter-weight wings for better maneuverability for future 
high-performance military aircraft.

The AAW test aircraft will be featured as part of NASA's Centennial 
of Flight exhibit at the Dayton International Air Show at Dayton 
International Airport, Dayton, Ohio, July 17 - 20. The modified 
F/A-18 will be parked in the static aircraft display area near the 
main air show entrance. 

Following its appearance at Dayton, the AAW F/A-18A will head to 
Grissom Air Reserve Base north of Kokomo, Ind., for display at the 
Grissom Community Air Show July 26-27. It will be located in Hangar 
200 at the main entrance to the air show, directly across from the 
public parking area.  

The final stop on the Midwest air show circuit for the NASA research 
aircraft will be at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis., for 
the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture 2003. The highly 
instrumented research craft will be displayed at AeroShell Square 
(west ramp) adjacent to the "Countdown to Kittyhawk" pavilion at 
AirVenture from July 29 through Aug. 4.

Several NASA, AFRL and Boeing Phantom Works AAW program personnel 
will be on hand at the Dayton venue July 16 - 20 to discuss the 
program with news media. Among those available for media interviews 
will be NASA Dryden project managers Larry Myers and Denis Bessette, 
chief engineer David Voracek, and project pilots Dana Purifoy and 
Richard Ewers.  Boeing program managers David Riley and James Guffey 
and AFRL program managers Peter Flick and Ed Pendleton will also be 
available for media queries at various times during the Dayton event. 
The NASA AAW personnel will also be available for media interviews at 
the Grissom AFB and EAA AirVenture shows.     

Media representatives desiring interviews with AAW program staff at 
the Dayton air show should contact Leslie Williams of NASA Dryden 
public affairs at (661) 276-3893 by July 11 or at (661) 810-4977 
after that date, or Larine Barr of AFRL public affairs at (937) 
656-9010. Williams will also be the AAW media liaison at the Grissom 
air show. Media wishing to interview AAW personnel at EAA AirVenture 
2003 should contact Alan Brown at NASA Dryden public affairs at (661) 
276-2665 by July 24, or at (661) 810-4978 after that date.

- NASA -

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