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At least 1,675 records · Page 93

Experimental measurements of motion cue effects on STOL approach tasks

An experimental program to investigate the effects of motion cues on STOL approach is presented. The simulator used was the Six-Degrees-of-Freedom Motion Simulator (S.01) at Ames Research Center of NASA which has ?2.7 m travel longitudinally and laterally and ?2.5 m travel vertically. Three major experiments, characterized as tracking tasks, were conducted under fixed and moving base conditions: (1) A simulated IFR approach of the Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft (AWJSRA), (2) a simulated VFR task with the same aircraft, and (3) a single-axis task having only linear acceleration as the motion cue. Tracking performance was measured in terms of the variances of several motion variables, pilot vehicle describing functions, and pilot commentary.

Ringland, R. F.↗

Assessment of Jupiter's trapped radiation by pioneer

The experiments planned for Pioneers F and G during their Jupiter flybys are discussed. The complement includes four energetic charged particle experiments: University of Iowa package consisting of Geiger-Mueller tubes; University of California, San Diego, trapped radiation package consisting of solid state detectors, thin scintillators, and an alcohol water Cerenkov radiator; University of Chicago package containing charged particle detectors; and a Goddard Space Flight Center package containing solid state, cosmic ray detectors. Other experiments are the Jet Propulsion Laboratory magnetometer and the Ames Research Center plasma analyzer. Pitch angle distributions at Jupiter, and the capabilities for unambiguous identification of energetic protons at Jupiter are also discussed.

Mihalov, J. D.↗

Low speed aerodynamic characteristics of a large scale model with a thin, highly swept, 2.67 aspect ratio wing having a cranked leading edge

The low speed aerodynamic characteristics of a large-scale model intended to represent advanced fixed-wing fighters have been investigated in the Ames 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel. The model possessed positive static longitudinal stability to nearly 28 deg angle of attack, the maximum tested, both with and without leading-edge flaps deflected. Lateral control with differentially deflected ailerons and a right wing spoiler simultaneously deployed as combined controls was only slightly greater than that with the differentially deflected ailerons deployed as a separate control without the spoiler. Measured lift and drag were in close agreement with that predicted by theory to about 14 deg angle of attack, including the prediction of lift due to 30 deg of trailing edge flap deflection. Estimated takeoff performance of an aircraft 4/3 the scale of the test model showed takeoff distances of less than 2000 ft.

Giulianetti, D. J.↗

Aerodynamic characteristics of a large-scale lift-engine fighter model with external swiveling lift-engines

The aerodynamic characteristics of a six-engine (four lift, two lift-cruise) lift-engine model obtained in the Ames 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel are presented. The model was an approximate one-half scale representation of a lift-engine VTOL fighter aircraft with a variable-sweep wing. The four lift-engines were housed in the aft fuselage with the inlets located above the wing. Longitudinal and lateral-directional force and moment data are presented for a range of exhaust gas momentum ratios (thrust coefficients). Wind tunnel forward speed was varied from 0 to 140 knots corresponding to a maximum Reynolds number of 6.7 million. The data are presented without analysis.

Barrack, J. P.↗

Simulation study of the lift roll coupling problem for hovering VTOL aircraft

The effects of lift-roll coupling on the handling qualities of hovering VTOL aircraft using differential thrust for roll control were assessed in a piloted simulation study in the Ames six-degrees-of-freedom motion simulator. The configuration tested has three vertical thrust sources, one on the roll axis and two laterally displaced from the roll axis, with a thrust distribution of 25%/50%/25%. The outboard thrust sources were modulated to provide roll control whereas all three provided height control. Maximum thrust-to-weight ratio was varied together with a coupling parameter that combined roll-inertia, weight, and engine location. Results showed that handling qualities are affected not only by the occurrence of lift-roll coupling (dependent on both variables) but also by the severity of the coupling (dependent on the coupling parameter alone). However, the advantages of differential thrust for control can be retained with careful design.

Jacobsen, R. A.↗

Infrared studies of the circumsolar and night sky, April 1968 - 30 November 1971

A program is summarized of infrared studies of the circumsolar and night sky conducted between April, 1968, and November 30, 1971, at the University of New Mexico. In addition to observations performed at Capillo Peak Observatory in New Mexico, airborne observations from the Ames Research Center's CV990 were performed in 1968, and eclipses in Siberia (1968) and southern Mexico (1970) were observed. Two dual-channel filter photometers covering wavelengths in the 0.8 to 4.8 micron range were constructed for the aircraft and eclipse observations. A single channel differential photometer was constructed for daytime circumsolar observations. Two large-aperture (12 inch and 24 inch) photometers have been constructed for twilight and night sky photometry. Finally, a small spectrograph for eclipse work has been constructed. It has been used for airglow observations also. Other specialized instrumentation include a four-axis mounting for radial scanning with the eclipse photometers and a 14-inch diameter collimator for use with a black body in calibration of the photometers. The observations performed are included.

Peterson, A. W.↗

Aerodynamic effects of leading-edge serrations on a two-dimensional airfoil

An investigation was conducted to determine the flow field and aerodynamic effects of leading-edge serrations on a two-dimensional airfoil at a Mach number of 0.13. The model was a NACA 66-012 airfoil section with a 0.76 m (30 in.) chord, 1.02 m (40 in.) span, and floor and end plates. It was mounted in the Ames 7- by 10-Foot Wind Tunnel. Serrated brass strips of various sizes and shapes were attached to the model in the region of the leading edge. Force and moment data, and photographs of tuft patterns and of oil flow patterns are presented. Results indicated that the smaller serrations, when properly placed on the airfoil, created vortices that increased maximum lift and angle of attack for maximum lift. The drag of the airfoil was not increased by these serrations at airfoil angles of attack near zero and was decreased at large angles of attack. Important parameters were serration size, position on the airfoil, and spacing between serrations.

Soderman, P. T.↗

Wind sensitivity studies of a non-return wind tunnel, with a 216- by 432-mm (8.5- by 17.0-inch) test section, phase 1

The study to develop inlet and exit treatments which would minimize the effect of external wind on the test-section flow quality of a nonreturn wind tunnel is reported. The investigation was conducted in the Ames Research Center 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel which served as the wind source. Several inlets and two exits were tested at wind directions ranging from 0 to 180 degrees and at wind-to-test-section velocity ratios between zero and one. For the best inlet configuration the flow quality was good, with a velocity deviation in each of the three directions generally less than 1/2 knot (0.26 m/sec) for wind velocities of 15 knots (7.7 m/sec) or less. The loss in total pressure due to the inlet treatment was low: about 0.03 of the test-section dynamic pressure.

Eckert, W. T.↗

A study of turbulence generation in a hypersonic boundary layer.

Extensive hot wire correlation and disturbance convection velocity measurements have been obtained in the fully developed turbulent hypersonic boundary layer on a cone-ogive-cylinder at a free-stream Mach number of 7.2 in the Ames 3.5-foot hypersonic wind tunnel. These data suggest that turbulence production in hypersonic boundary layers may be created by highly three-dimensional disturbances originating close to the wall, similar to previous observations in incompressible flows.

Owen, F. K.↗

Effect of thermally expanding surfaces on aerodynamic roll torques for cones.

An experimental and analytical study has been made of the aerodynamic roll torque on smoothly ablating, spinning cones. The tests, conducted in the Ames 3.5-Foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel, indicated that the smoothly ablating model rolling at 0 deg angle of attack experiences roll damping, but when rolling at angle of attack an aerodynamic torque in the direction of spin arises if thermal expansion of the body surface occurs. An analysis of the spinning body at angle of attack is included to show how the relative importance of the ablator thermal expansion and the surface recession rate determines whether the motion is damped or undamped.

Mcdevitt, J. B.↗

Wind-tunnel studies of wing wake turbulence.

Description of velocity measurements made in the wake of wings in the Ames 7 x 10 ft wind tunnel. Distributions of velocity components were measured with a three-wire anemometer up to 12 chord lengths downstream of a CV-990 aircraft model and a rectangular wing. Results show that increasing the drag increases the vortex core radius, reduces the maximum tangential velocities, and increases the magnitude of axial velocity defects. For the rectangular wing, axial velocity changes from a defect (wake flow) for angles of attack less than 9 deg to an excess (jet flow) for angles of attack greater than 9 deg. Wind-tunnel measurements of the near flowfield are compared with flight measurements of the far flowfield.

Chigier, N. A.↗

Average solar wind proton properties from Pioneers 6 and 7.

Distributions and average values for the proton speed, azimuthal and polar flow directions, and the proton temperature and density in the solar wind are presented. The data are obtained from the Ames plasma probes on Pioneers 6 and 7. The time periods covered include Dec. 18, 1965 to mid-February 1966, and mid-August to mid-October 1966. The distributions of the parameters, except for the polar flow direction, are skewed, partially because of stream-stream interactions in the solar wind. The average values of the basic plasma parameters from the two spacecraft are different which could be due partially to different solar activity at the two times, and partially to sector and beam structure dependence.

Mihalov, J. D.↗

Interstellar molecules and the origin of life.

Synopsis of the various views expressed at the conference held at NASA Ames Research Center in February 1971 on the relationship of interstellar molecules to the origin of life, intended to provide a basis for future discussion and work in this area. The topics covered include: a summary of molecules discovered, the interstellar environment, laboratory measurements, chemical evolution, and exobiology.

Buhl, D.↗

Average plasma-sheet configuration near 60 earth radii.

Nearly three years of Ames magnetometer data from Explorer 35 are used to establish plasma-sheet configurations in the geomagnetic tail at the lunar orbit. The plasma sheet is defined either as a region with different field orientations from normal magnetic-field directions in the tail, or as a region where the magnetic field variance is greater than elsewhere in the tail. The plasma-sheet configuration at the lunar orbit derived in this manner is found to be similar to the distribution at 18 earth radii observed by Vela satellites. The seasonal dependence and variations with geomagnetic activity are also presented.

Meng, C.-I.↗

PAET entry heating and heat protection experiment.

A description is given of the thermal characterization of two low-density (270 and 450 kg/cu cm) elastomeric silicone ablators determined during the entry of the NASA Ames Planetary Atmosphere Experiments Test (PAET) vehicle into the earth's atmosphere. The spacecraft configuration, entry parameters, and associated trajectory variables are presented. Measurements of both the surface convective heat transfer rate and pressure on the beryllium nose cap are shown to be within 5% of theory. The predicted and measured internal temperatures are compared at various depths in the forebody and afterbody heat shields. Significant differences observed between experiment and theory for the afterbody thermal response are examined in relation to existing laboratory data.

Vojvodich, N. S.↗

Hypersonic transitional boundary layers.

Surface thin-film gages have been used to determine the extent of the transition region, intermittency distribution, and disturbance convection velocities in the boundary layer on a sharp 5-deg half angle cone at Mach 7.4 in the Ames 3.5-ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel. In addition, extensive hot wire space-time correlation measurements have been obtained in the wind-tunnel freestream and in the transitional hypersonic boundary layer on a cone-ogive-cylinder in the same facility. Disturbance convection velocities have been obtained from the longitudinal cross correlation measurements as a function of fluctuation scale and distance from the wall. The results of normal cross correlation measurements are also discussed.

Owen, F. K.↗

Measurements of Reynolds analogy for a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer on a nonadiabatic flat plate.

The purpose of the described experiment was to obtain simultaneous measurements of skin friction and heat transfer at hypersonic Mach numbers, especially with conditions of considerable heat transfer. The experiment was conducted in air in the Ames Hypersonic Wind Tunnel, in which cold air was passed through an alumina storage heater system and heated to total temperatures ranging from about 670 to 1170 K. The nozzle was contoured to produce a flow at Mach 7.4. Thin-skin heat-transfer gauges were placed at equal intervals along the centerline of a sharp-edge flat plate, which was used as the model. A skin-friction balance and a boundary-layer pitot-pressure rake were mounted on each side of the centerline at a certain distance from the leading edge.

Keener, E. R.↗