T&E Lessons Learned from Wind Tunnel Testing of the B-1 A/B Bomber in Preparation for Next-Generation Long- Range Strike (NGLRS) Development*

The Air Force has begun to lay the foundation of plans and requirements needed to create and field a next-generation, long-range bomber by the year 2018. Currently known as the Next-Generation Long-Range Strike (NGLRS), expectations are that the bomber will be subsonic and probably will leverage off of the F-22's stealth and maneuverability capabilities. Also, in order to meet the expected requirements, it is more than likely that along with the NGLRS aircraft, a supersonic/hypersonic weapon system will need to be developed to reduce the response time of an attack. Although existing technologies will be used to develop the NGLRS vehicle, lessons can be learned from the wind tunnel test and evaluation work, including the store separation testing, that was conducted at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) on the supersonic B-1A and the derivative, transonic B-1B bomber. This paper highlights the wind tunnel testing and evaluation processes and techniques and the lessons learned that would contribute to the wind tunnel Test and Evaluation work that may lay ahead for development of the Next-Generation LongRange Strike vehicle.