DASSAULT AVIATION : Essais de soufflerie dans le cadre du programme nEUROn

(Le 10 avril 2007) Saab réalise en ce moment les premiers essais de soufflerie dans le cadre du programme nEUROn. Les tests sont menés à grande vitesse pouvant atteindre celle du son.

Une maquette échelle 1/16 du démonstrateur nEUROn a été placée dans une soufflerie de l'institut de recherche FOI à Stockholm. Saab a réalisé les premiers tests de soufflerie la semaine dernière.

La maquette est soumise aux conditions réelles de vol d'un aéronef. Lors du test, la soufflerie absorbe la pression. The tests are carried out in order to verify that the aircraft can be controlled and steered inside the entire flight envelope. It is also about fulfilling the aircraft's requirements with regards to air resistance and maximum air power at higher speeds.

Wind tunnel test campaigns of the feasibility phase aim at defining external and internal shapes of the nEUROn project, in order to reach the best compromise between aerodynamic behaviour in the whole flight domain engine functioning and stealthiness.

Complementary to the Stockholm FOI testings, different compaigns have been done since two years:

- Preliminary test in June 2005.

- Two low speed tests at Emmen in Switzerland in 2006 in partnership with RUAG Aerospace.

- Three air in take tests in 2006 and 2007 at S2 ONERA Modane in France.

- One low speed test in March 2007 at F1 ONERA Fauga in France.

With the positive results gained all along these different tests, nEUROn shapes are validated and almost frozen.

nEUROn is a technology demonstrator of an Unmanned Combat Aircraft Vehicle which aim is, to maintain the competences and, to develop the sovereignty technologies in Europe.

The nEUROn programme, which includes the industrial partners Alenia Aeronautica, SAAB, EADS CASA, HAI and RUAG Aerospace under Dassault Aviation's prime contractorship, validates a new cooperation scheme leading to the team of the next generation European Combat Aircraft.

nEUROn first flight is planned in 2011.