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At least 253 records · Page 14

Survey of helicopter control/display investigations for instrument decelerating approach

Control-display requirements for helicopters conducting decelerating approaches in the terminal area under instrument meteorological conditions were surveyed. The programs are organized on the basis of the control augmentation concepts that were considered, and the results are summarized and compared. Nine control-display combinations are hypothesized as possible candidates for future ground and in-flight investigation. Specific guidelines for the guidance relationship, control characteristics, and display presentation concepts are given.

Lebacqz, J. V.↗

A simulation investigation of cockpit display of aircraft traffic during curved, descending, decelerating approaches

The results of a simulation experiment involving the evaluation of cockpit display of aircraft traffic information are presented. The experiment was conducted using taped time dependent, noninteractive traffic in an approach to landing situation and two levels of pilot control models: 3-D automatic and computer augmented control. The tests involved two cases: the simulation aircraft flew approach paths which (1) followed another aircraft in between two other aircraft, and (2) merged between two other aircraft. Speed control via manual throttles was used in all tests (path stretching was not allowed for maintaining separation between aircraft). The approaches were conducted while the simulation aircraft was conducting a curved, descending, decelerating approach to landing. Performance data sets were examined, and subjective opinions regarding workload were gathered. Traffic positioning was varied to further evaluate the test subjects' monitoring performance.

Steinmetz, G. G.↗

Flight experience with advanced controls and displays during piloted curved decelerating approaches in a powered-lift STOL aircraft

A program to assess the feasibility of piloted STOL approaches along predefined, steep, curved, and decelerating approach profiles was carried out with a powered-lift STOL aircraft. To reduce the pilot workload associated with the basic control requirements of a powered-lift aircraft equipped with redundant controls and operating on the backside of the power curve, separate stability augmentation systems for attitude and speed were provided, as well as a supporting flight director and special electronic cockpit displays. The control, display, and procedural features are described for the flight experiment that led to the conclusion that, given an adequate navigation environment, such constrained approaches may be feasible from a pilot acceptance point of view.

Hindson, W. S.↗

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Decelerator Subsystem Rocket Sled Test Program

A rocket sled test was performed as part of the development test program of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Decelerator Subsystem. The test objectives were to evaluate the nose cap/pilot chute deployment behavior and performance. The tests were performed by accelerating the sled and test article to the desired deployment conditions and then ejecting the SRB nose cap by firing three 30,000-lb thrusters. The nose cap then deployed the pilot chute (11.5-ft diam) which, in turn, initiated drogue chute pack deployment. Text conditions simulated the design deployment environment of dynamic pressure of 200 and 270 psf (corresponding sled velocities of 445 and 530 ft/s) and were conducted in configurations representative of SRB (solid rocket booster) angles of attack of 80 and 140 deg, respectively. A test description and summary of results are presented.

Kross, D. A.↗

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster decelerator subsystem drop test results

An air drop test program was conducted as part of the development of a decelerator subsystem for recovering the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster. This development test program consisted of six drops performed over the period from June 1977 to September 1978 at a parachute test center in California. The testing concerned a 48,000-lb drop test vehicle released from the B-52 mothership. The drop test program is described and pertinent test results are discussed. Data include snatch loads, inflation characteristics, peak inflation and disreef loads, and drag performance. Performance characteristics of the drogue parachute and the main parachute are established.

Moog, R. D.↗

Analysis of fuel-conservative curved decelerating approach trajectories for powered-lift and CTOL jet aircraft

A method for determining fuel conservative terminal approaches that include changes in altitude, speed, and heading are described. Three different guidance system concepts for STOL aircraft were evaluated in flight: (1) a fixed trajectory system; (2) a system that included a fixed path and a real time synthesized capture flight path; and (3) a trajectory synthesizing system. Simulation results for the augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft and for the Boeing 727 aircraft are discussed. The results indicate that for minimum fuel consumption, two guidance deceleration segments are required.

Neuman, F.↗

The distribution of temperature maxima for micrometeorites decelerated in the earth's atmosphere without melting

A simple model for the statistics of heating of micrometeorites decelerated in the earth's atmosphere without melting predicts that for 10 micron particles with thermal emissivity near 1, roughly half of those with density 1 g/cc are heated above 550 C, while half of those with density 3 g/cc are heated above 800 C. In the study of stratosphere collected interplanetary dust, the model can be helpful in identifying petrographic thermometers of the atmospheric entry process, and in understanding the most recent history of this new class of extraterrestrial material available in the laboratory.

Fraundorf, P.↗

Sensitivity analysis of helicopter IMC decelerating steep approach and landing performance to navigation system parameters

Results of a study to investigate, by means of a computer simulation, the performance sensitivity of helicopter IMC DSAL operations as a function of navigation system parameters are presented. A mathematical model representing generically a navigation system is formulated. The scenario simulated consists of a straight in helicopter approach to landing along a 6 deg glideslope. The deceleration magnitude chosen is 03g. The navigation model parameters are varied and the statistics of the total system errors (TSE) computed. These statistics are used to determine the critical navigation system parameters that affect the performance of the closed-loop navigation, guidance and control system of a UH-1H helicopter.

Karmali, M. S.↗

Solar wind deceleration and MHD turbulence in the earth's foreshock region - ISEE 1 and 2 and IMP 8 observations

The interaction of the solar wind with ions backstreaming from the earth's bow shock is investigated using plasma and magnetic field measurements on ISEE 1 and 2 and IMP 8 at widely separated positions in the earth's foreshock. This technique separates temporal and spatial variations within the foreshock. It is found that the solar wind acceleration associated with backstreaming ions is correlated with the amplitude of the MHD turbulence, and that the largest decelerations are seen close to the bow shock. The density of the backstreaming ion beam is strongly correlated with distance from the shock, and decreases by about a factor of three in a distance of about 3R(e).

Bonifazi, C.↗

Accreting X-ray pulsar atmospheres heated by Coulomb deceleration of protons

Results are presented from detailed self-consistent models of accreting magnetized neutron star atmospheres, heated by the gradual deceleration of infalling protons via Coulomb encounters. The temperature and density gradients are calculated assuming momentum and energy balance, coupled with the radiative transfer for two polarizations. The cyclotron resonance effects were treated approximately. These models are characterized by power-law energy spectra, with single pulses at higher frequencies and multiple pulses at lower ones for some aspect angles, as well as a phase-dependent spectral index.

Meszaros, P.↗

Observation of plasma deceleration at a rotational magnetopause discontinuity

This letter presents a detailed experimental analysis of the electric fields and electron flow velocities at a rotational magnetopause discontinuity. It is shown for this event that the magnetosheath plasma velocity is sharply decelerated on entry into the magnetosphere in very good agreement with a theoretical magnetohydrodynamic fit. This type of event is remarkable because the product of the electric-field vector and the Chapman-Ferraro magnetopause current is negative during the magnetopause crossing. This case represents one of two types of valid solution to the MHD boundary conditions. It differs from previously published examples of reconnective magnetopause geometries in that energy is being transferred locally from kinetic energy into electromagnetic energy at the time of these measurements.

Aggson, T. L.↗

Instabilities in decelerating supersonic flows with applications to cosmic ray shocks

The nature of instabilities in cosmic ray shocks is investigated by using two distinct models for the shock wave. For wavelengths which are short relative to the thickness of the shock wave, the shock is treated as a smoothly decelerating low, and an appropriate JWKB type expansion is used to describe the perturbations to the flow. In this, the short wavelength regime, the presence of squeezing and an effective g renders strong cosmic ray shocks unstable in a way which is similar to instabilities in other supersonic flows, such as in de Laval nozzle flow or a heat conduction dominated shock wave. In the long wavelength limit, where the shock is treated as a discontinuous transition, a stability function is derived which, if negative, corresponds to unstable disturbances growing exponentially in time. In this case, it was found that if the cosmic ray fluid is relativistic (gamma sub c = 4/3) and the background plasma ideal (gamma = 5/3), then strong shocks are unstable.

Zank, A. P.↗

Aerothermodynamic environment for a Titan probe with deployable decelerator

It is pointed out that further exploration of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is of current interest to the scientific community, particularly from the standpoint of the organic chemical evolution of its atmosphere. For a suitable study of this Saturnian satellite, a mission involving a Titan atmospheric entry probe is to be conducted. The probe is to employ a deployable decelerator with the aim to allow scientific measurements in the haze layer. The present investigation is concerned with an assessment of the aerothermodynamic environment for the considered probe during its hypervelocity, low-Reynolds-number entry. Attention is given to the employed computational method, the Titan probe configuration, the Titan probe trajectory, the viscous-layer regime of the aerothermodynamic environment, and the incipient merged-layer regime.

Green, M. J.↗

Space shuttle program solid rocket booster decelerator subsystem

The recovery of the Solid Rocket Boosters presented a major challenge. The SRB represents the largest payload ever recovered and presents the added complication that it is continually emitting hot gases and burning particles of insulation and other debris. Some items, such as portions of the nozzle, are large enough to burn through the nylon parachute material. The SRB Decelerator Subsystem program was highly successful in that no SRB has been lost as a result of inadequate performance of the DSS.

Barnard, J. W.↗

Deceleration of infalling plasma in the atmospheres of accreting neutron stars. I - Isothermal atmospheres

The stopping of infalling protons in a strong magnetic field is studied in detail using linear response theory and a Monte Carlo code. The calculations include both Coulomb collisions with atmospheric electrons and collective forces due to the resonant excitation of the atmospheric electron plasma modes by the impinging protons. Graphs are presented showing how both energy and momentum are deposited in the atmosphere by the flow. A striking dependence of the deceleration on the temperature is found which distinguishes the magnetic from the nonmagnetic process.

Miller, G. S.↗

Flight-test determination of aircraft cruise characteristics using acceleration and deceleration techniques

A flight-test technique has been developed under NASA Dryden sponsorship NSG 4028 to predict aircraft cruise performance characteristics. The technique used acceleration and deceleration maneuvers to define baseline aerodynamic and propulsion system characteristics, which were then input to a performance modeling prediction program. Conventional stabilized 'speed power' tests, which are normally used for cruise performance definition, can comprise a large portion of the flight time in a program. A significant reduction in flight time was estimated using the performance modeling approach with associated savings in cost and schedule. A 20-h verification flight-test program was accomplished.

Yechout, T. R.↗

The radiative deceleration of ultrarelativistic jets in active galactic nuclei

A detailed study of the dynamical interaction between a highly relativistic jet and the thermal radiation field from an AGN accretion disk is reported, and the Comptonized spectrum arising from this interaction is self-consistently determined. A simple model that captures the essential radiative and geometrical features of realistic disk configurations is presented, and the disk radiation field is calculated. The results confirm Phinney's (1987) suggestion that the thermal radiation field produced by accretion in an AGN could be very effective in decelerating ultrarelativistic jets that are accreted by electromagnetic or hydromagnetic forces closer to the central black hole. Terminal Lorentz factors are consistent with the values inferred in superluminal radio sources are readily produced in this model for plausible disk and jet parameters without additional acceleration in the interaction zone. A new interpretation of the hard X-ray component detected in BL Lac spectra is proposed.

Melia, Fulvio↗

Rotorcraft deceleration to hover using image-based guidance

Rotorcraft operating in hostile environment fly at low altitudes to minimize exposure to the defensive weapons arrayed against them. The development of intelligent guidance commands at low altitudes requires the integration of conventional guidance with the information provided by the sensor on relative position between the vehicle and local terrain or obstacles. Deceleration to hover (DTH) is one of the common maneuvers executed by a rotorcraft. The authors describe the integration of DTH guidance logic with an image-based scheme to estimate the hover point. The performance of such a system is affected by parameters of the guidance and by navigation and image processing algorithms. Results are presented on the effect of the parameters on system performance.

Sridhar, Banavar↗