NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001

A -- FLIGHT RESEARCH FOR REVOLUTIONARY AERONAUTICAL CONCEPTS POC Sharon D. Deberry, Contract Specialist, Phone (757)-864-7928, Fax (757) 864-6131, Email S.D.DEBERRY@larc.nasa.gov -- Mary Jane Yeager, Contracting Officer, Phone (757)-864-2473, Fax (757) 864-7898, Email M.J.YEAGER@larc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/LaRC/date.html#99-LaRC-3. E-MAIL: Sharon D. Deberry, S.D.DEBERRY@larc.nasa.gov. NASA Langley Research Center plans to issue a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) 99-LaRC-3 for Flight Research for Revolutionary Aeronautical Concepts. Specifically, the NRA plans to solicit proposals for the flight research of advanced vehicle concepts that accelerate the exploration of high-risk, breakthrough technologies in order to enable revolutionary departures from traditional approaches to air vehicle design. Through this NRA process, it is NASA's intent to enhance U.S. aerospace competitiveness by supporting a continuous series of advanced vehicle concept developments and flight research activities that achieve the following objectives: 1) Revolutionize traditional approaches to aerospace technology evolution and maturation, 2) Develop methods to reduce time to develop and certify new flight vehicles and flight vehicle systems, 3) Develop new methods for enhancing scale accuracy and the fidelity of simulation techniques, 4) Expand the current portfolio of technology investigations into non-traditional arenas, and 5) Provide early validation of the concepts in a relevant environment, specifically flight, to demonstrate breakthrough technology. Awards will be initiated in FY2000 as the first in a continuous series of advanced vehicle development and flight demonstration activities. The focus of the Revolutionary Concepts Project (REVCON) is to develop a robust project with multiple, consecutive flight-test elements that are responsive to civil, commercial, and Department of Defense (DoD) needs. Mission areas that may be targeted by REVCON studies and research vehicles include advanced general aviation and personal air transportation vehicles, supersonic and subsonic transports, rotorcraft, and advanced military air vehicles. In close coordination with the Flight Research, Airframe Systems, and Propulsion System Base Programs and other NASA programs, the REVCON Project will maintain national policy direction in the development of future capabilities. REVCON studies and demonstrators are expected to leverage from and be synergistic with the Flight Research, Airframe Systems, Propulsion Systems, and Information Technology Base Program technology development activities, as well as any appropriate focused programs, to the fullest extent possible. The REVCON Project consists of flight research of advanced vehicle concepts preceded by systems analysis studies to select the best concepts. The technology-driven REVCON research may consist of government-led or industry-led efforts to assure a broad coverage of technologies and applications. Flight research will be focused on technology demonstrations with short development times and must demonstrate high-payoff technologies that significantly advance the state-of-the-art. REVCON projects may include new research vehicles, such as the X-36, or advanced technology experiments on new or existing test platforms, such as actuated nose strakes on the F-18 forebody. Specific performance goals for each project will be established prior to the initiation of each project. Demonstrators must use representative hardware in a relevant environment to significantly advance the Technology Readiness Level and to validate the technologies through flight testing. Innovative research partnerships with NASA are highly encouraged. REVCON project efforts will include system analyses, vehicle/hardware design, fabrication, instrumentation, assembly, ground test, flight test, and documentation. The activities under this NRA will consist of the following two phases: Phase 1, or the candidate screening phase, will be focused on developing the system benefits of the technology through system studies, establishing the feasibility of the flight vehicle experiment, and a detailed definition of the proposed flight research project. Limited maturation activities are also possible in this phase. Multiple selections for Phase 1 are expected. Phase 2, or the implementation phase, will be focused on the development and flight test of vehicles and/or technology demonstrations and an assessment of the viability of the technology. Phase 2 flight technology demonstrators are expected to be down selected from Phase 1 proposals. One or more awards for flight test of vehicles or technology demonstrators are anticipated. Proposals should include technical and cost information for both Phase 1 and 2 activities at initial submittal. The Phase 1 information will be considered a firm proposal, while the Phase 2 information, which will be considered preliminary, will be used to understand the overall scope of the proposed effort and will be a factor in the Phase 1 selection. Using the information generated in Phase 1, the Phase 2 proposals may be updated prior to Phase 2 final selection. The following budget information, while tentative, is provided for planning purposes only. Any award will be subject to the availability of funds and appropriate technical evaluation. The approximate near term funding plan for Phase 1 (system analysis, feasibility, and project development) is a total of $1.8 million for fiscal years 2000 and 2001. It is anticipated that awards for Phase 1 activities will result in about six studies of about $300K each to be shared among the partners. The Government reserves the right to defer funds to Phase 2. The total anticipated multiple-project funding for Phase 2 is $45M from fiscal years 2001 through 2003, to be distributed over one to three awards. Participation in this NRA is open to all organizations or teams of organizations from industry, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations (includes not-for-profit organizations), and U.S. Government agencies (acting independently or as part of a team). However, foreign proposers should be aware that their proposed participation would be on a no-exchange-of-funds basis in accordance with NASA Federal Acquisition Supplement (NFS) 1872.306. Cost sharing arrangements are highly encouraged. Multiple awards are anticipated as a result of this NRA. A draft NRA for information is anticipated for release on June 25, 1999. The purpose of the draft NRA is to solicit industry comments and questions prior to the issuance of the final NRA. Comments on the draft NRA should be submitted in writing within two (2) weeks of the release of the draft. The industry input to the draft NRA will be considered in formulating the final NRA. The final NRA is anticipated for release by mid-July with approximately eight (8) weeks to submit proposals. The draft NRA and the final NRA will be available over the Internet. The documents will be in Microsoft Office Suite (Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, or PowerPoint 4.0) format and will reside on a World-Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The WWW address, or URL of the NASA/LaRC Business Opportunities page is http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/LaRC/class.html At the time of the final NRA release, prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the aforementioned Internet site for the release of the draft NRA and the final NRA and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the draft NRA and the final NRA and amendments (if any). Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://cbdnet.access.gpo.gov/num-note.html and http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html Posted 06/14/99 (D-SN342736). (0165)

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