Acoustic Emissions from F-35 Aircraft during Ground Run-Up

A multi-organizational effort led by the Air Force Research Laboratory conducted acoustic emissions measurements on the F-35A and F-35B aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California in September 2013. These measurements followed American National Standards Institute/Acoustical Society of America S12.75-2012 to collect noise data to support community noise modeling and ground personnel noise exposure assessments. This field study utilized the most spatially extensive measurements of a military jet aircraft to date. In total, the microphone array was composed of 235 unique locations. These locations ranged from radial distances of 3 m outside the shear layer to 1,220 m from the aircraft with angular positions ranging from 0° (aircraft nose) to 160° (edge of the exhaust flow field). The acoustic emissions of the F-35 are presented for engine powers from idle to full augmented power (maximum afterburner). The acoustic emissions are characterized with spatial maps and are discussed in terms of overall and spectral band levels as well as statistical skewness measures. The directivity of the F-35 is described in general and in terms of variations in radial distances and individual spectral bands. Additionally, nonlinear propagation effects are identified and described along the peak radiation region for the range of engine powers.