NASA/Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135

A -- TEAMING OPPORTUNITY FOR REVCON NRA 2 SOL sol-3REVCON2 DUE 091099 POC Steve Craig, Contracting Officer, Phone (216) 433-2887, Fax (216) 433-5489, Email steve.craig@grc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GRC/date.html#sol-3REVCON2. E-MAIL: Steve Craig, steve.craig@grc.nasa.gov. Description Subsequent to the synopsis released 2 August 1999(SOL-3REVCON1), this synopsis is an additional request for partners from industry, academia, non-profit organizations, NASA Centers, national labs, other Government agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC's) to participate with the NASA Glenn Research Center on proposal preparation and submission to respond to NASA Research Announcement (NRA) 99-LaRC-3 for Flight Research for Revolutionary Aeronautical Concepts (REVCON). NRA 99-LaRC-3 was released on 7/28/99. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center will lead this program with participation from the other 3 NASA Aeronautics Centers: the Ames, Langley, and Glenn Research Centers. 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 orindustry-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 rakes 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 beused 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. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is seeking partners from industry, academia, non-profit organizations,NASA Centers, national labs, other Government agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC's) to participate with NASA GRC Principal Investigators in REVCON to develop proposals and execute development and performance of REVCON systems. It is anticipated that selection of the proposal(s) and the availability of funds would result in system study or subsystem contract(s) for the selected partner(s). All potential partners selected by GRC for participation in this joint proposal preparation and submission initiative will be awarded resultant contracts on a sole source basis in the event the subject joint proposal is selected for funding and ultimate award by the Dryden Flight Research Center. No further notice of intent to award will be published by the Glenn Research Center. This synopsis partnership opportunity document does not represent a guarantee of selection for award of any contracts, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at no cost to NASA) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input (e.g., management approach), project schedules, and cost estimates consistent with the requirements of the NRA for such instruments and/or subsystems during the proposal process. A variety of contractual instruments, including contracts, cooperative agreements, or space act agreements, may be considered for award of the ultimate partnering arrangement. Cost sharing and/or other contribution from prospective partners is highly encouraged for this initiative. Potential REVCON partners must demonstrate the capabilities and experience to provide systems analysis and/or develop systems associated with the REVCON Proposals. Partner selection(s) will be made by GRC based on the following criteria in the following order of importance: (1) Recent relevant experience, past performance, technical capability and availability of key personnel; (2) Project Management; and (3) Facilities. These criteria are defined as follows: 1. Recent relevant experience, past performance, technical capability and availability of key personnel: This criteria evaluates the proposer's relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities, technical capability to perform the development and key personnel available for the development. The industry should provide substantive evidence that the proposer has successfully participated in similar developments (component, subsystem, instrument), including customer references (points of contact and current telephone numbers), technical ability to complete the development, ability to assess technology readiness for infusion into instrument development, experience in laboratory and field experiments, availability of key personnel with appropriate experience skills levels, and the capability of the key personnel to maintain appropriate security clearances. 2. Project Management -- Cost, Schedule and Quality control. This criterion evaluates the proposer's: a) ability to achieve performance requirements on time and within budget, b) management processes in place to control quality, cost, and schedule, c) understanding of the inter-relationship among these factors. The proposer should provide evidence of successfully controlling quality, costs, and schedule, for similar developments. The project management approach and processes used, and how the proposer evaluates the interaction of quality, cost, and schedule during a development. 3. Facilities: This criterion evaluates the proposer's facilities or access to facilities to conduct the development and ground qualification of the concept. The proposer should describe what facilities are controlled/available to the proposer, how access to any other needed facilities will be accomplished, and any government facilities needed to complete the development. Response must be limited to five pages and address each of the criteria. A separate proposal, even though it may be duplicative, must be submitted for each team thatthe responder wishes to be considered. The responder must indicate on the cover page of the proposal, the applicable team for each proposal. We are requesting electronic submission of all responses, in MS Word -- Office 97, with a follow-up hard copy by mail or fax. Please address all questions and send all responses to the point of contact: Joseph Doychak, Joseph.Doychak@grc.nasa.gov, NASA Glenn Research Center, Mail Stop 100-5 Cleveland, Ohio, 44135 Fax: 216-433-2184 Phone: 216-433-8560 The due date for submissions is COB 9/10/99. The following is a description of the project being considered for NRA 99-LaRC-3 proposal submission: High Speed Pulse Detonation Engine Powered X-Plane Technology Description: The revolutionary pulse detonation engine (PDE) affords opportunities for supersonic operations heretofore not envisioned. The technology readiness level of PDEs suitable for such applications is being raised in on-going efforts, but cannot be considered for application until the appropriate critical vehicle integration aspects are validated and their benefits realized. However, there is currently no such air vehicle platform capable of demonstrating the integration, speed, and maneuverability attributes envisioned for PDE-powered flight. That is to say, there is no supersonic equivalent of the X-36. The purpose of this proposed X-plane development effort would be to explore the realm of higher Mach number supersonic operations primarily for military applications, but also for other potential applications including commercial aviation, enabled through PDE-based propulsion. Initial systems analysis and conceptual vehicle design efforts would lay the groundwork for subsequent engine and vehicle development. Vehicle development would be patterned off the X-36 experience. Pulse detonation engine development suitable for these applications would be based in part on existing efforts, and that which was recently proposed under the REVCON Quick-Start Program. Anticipated completion dates are Phase 1 -- one (1) year, Phase 2 -- an additional three (3) years. Timeline/Milestones: Early FY01 -- Systems analysis, conceptual integrated engine/vehicle design complete FY02 -- Preliminary vehicle design complete, detailed engine design complete FY03 -- Vehicle fabrication initiated, integrated engine ground test complete Late FY03 -- First flight FY04 -- Flight research tests complete Expertise in some of the following areas would contribute to the project: Supersonic tactical vehicle design Pulse detonation engine technologies Integrated vehicle thermal management systems Flight demonstrations Posted 08/27/99 (D-SN373753). (0239)

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