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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1015.PDF
FLIGHT, 25 May 1950 DROPPING THE PILOT 647' of 1,100 m.p.h. A maximum of five 11,000-lb thrust rockets can be used for forward propulsion and, to bring the test carriage to a halt, retarding rockets are mounted at the front end. In order to reduce the jolting action of the open- ended rail joints, the carriage rides on metal slippers instead of wheels. The first group of experiments is being conducted with the same type of cockpit layout and ejection seat used in the Northrop F-89 Scorpion all-weather fighter; the subject pilot, however, is a 180-lb dummy. The ejection seat, with dummy, is triggered at approximately the half-way point, while complex elec- tronic instrumentation and high-speed cameras record the seat trajectory. Up- right and horizontal posts are mounted at the rear of the cockpit for use as co- ordinate guides in interpreting the photo- graphic trace of the seat after ejection. The Air Force authorized building of the present track after earlier experiments by Northrop with a shorter track in 1947 proved that speeds ranging up to 1,019 m.p.h. were possible. (Incidentally, it should be said "that the track under discussion is not the same as that in use for the aircrew decelerator experiments described in "American Notebook" in Flight of February 9th, 1950.) In order to make these extreme ground velocities possible, the track was laid down with great care. It is ruler- straight for its two-mile lengtn and it was built to precision- aircraft-jig accuracy on a concrete foundation. To prevent distortion from the wide temperature range prevalent at Muroc, the rail joints follow standard railway practice in having open-ended, fish-plated connections. Unlike the deceleration tests previously noted, no manned runs are contemplated with the present ejector- seat research programme. The tests are being conducted to determine the speed limitations of the present type of seat; also to find what added protection is required for the pilot's face and body when he leaves a jet aircraft at supersonic speed. If it is found that the seat cannot get a pilot free of his disabled aircraft at these high speeds, research will be conducted either to improve the present version or, possibly, combine it with the type of escape Fig. 7. Northrop ejector-seat test carriage: A rocket-propelled rail-car for ground testing of ejector-seats and pilot-dummies at velocities of up to 1,100 m.p.h. (M=l.45). I I I I capsule unit now under development by Douglas, El Segundo, and the U.S. Navy. Various military seat-catapults are being tried in the 20 different tests which make up this project. Among the devices to be tested will be the ventral type of gravity ejection already successfully used in the Douglas Sky- knight. It is believed that this scheme—also reported planned for the Douglas-USAF X-3 supersonic research aircraft now under construction—will improve the pilot's chance of survival, because there should be less possibility of striking the tail unit. As an historical tailpiece, perhaps we might be permitted to recall that some 20 years ago we dared to suggest this same gravity-chute idea in connection with a pusher- propped fighter project. In the days of whirling windmills, the pusher propeller was invariably—and perhaps inevit- ably—killed by the flying fraternity because of its lethal potentialities astride the escape path. Now that the propeller itself has gone down the design hatch, it is interesting to note the rebirth of the ventral ejection con- cept, especially on the supersonic side of the spectrum. Assuming that tails remain in fashion, it is just possible that " down the hatch " may turn out to be the best way of dropping the pilot after all. R.Ae.C. OFFICIALS, 1950-51 THE Royal Aero Club has announced the election of officialsand committee-members for the year 1950-51. Names of those elected as officials and as members of the principal com- mittees are as follows :— CLUB COMMITTEEPresident.—Lord Brabazon of Tara, M.C., P.C. Vice-Presidents.—Capt. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland. O.B.E., LordGorell, C.B.E., M.C., Sir Francis K. McClean, A.F.C., Sir Frederick Handley Page, C.B.E., The Duke of Sutherland, K.T., P.C. Chairman.—Whitney W. Straight, C.B.E., M.C., D.F.C. Vice-Chairman.—S. Kenneth Davies.Committee Members.—Capt. K. J. G. Bartlett, Capt. H. S. Broad, M.B.E., A.F.C., Capt. C. W. Byas, R.N., Air Marshal Sir RoderickCarr, K.B.E., C.B., D.F.C.. A.F.C., T°hn Cunningham, D.S.O , D.F.C., Col. W. C. Devereux, C.B.E., Eric S. Greenwood, O.B.E.,Capt. A. G. Lamplugh, C.B.E., Maj. R. H. Mayo, O.B.E., H. \V. H. Moore, G/C. C. S. Morice, D.S.O., M.C., Maj. H. A. Petre, D.S.O.,M.C., Maj. J. Stewart, O.B.E.. Lawrence Swan, C. F. Uwins, O.B.E., A.F.C., Frank Woodhead. PRIVATE PLYING AND AIR TOURING COMMITTEE.—C. E Berens, Capt. C. W. Byas, R.N., Lt. Cdr. J. G. Crammond, S. Ken- neth Davies, E. S. Davis, A. D. Duncan, R. G. Kent, F. G. Miles, H. W. H. Moore, Maj. H. A. Petre, D.S.O., M.C., W. Guy Robson, H. M. Samuelson, O. J. Tapper, J. C. C. Taylor, D. Ward-Campbell. RECORDS, RACING AND COMPETITIONS COMMITTEE.—Capt. H. S. Broad, M.B.E., A.F.C., E. C. Bowyer, Capt. C. W. Byas, R.N., John Cunningham, D.S.O., D.F.C., Cdr. A. Goodfellow, Eric S. Greenwood, O.B.E., G/C. J. Jeffs, C.B.E., M.V.O., P. B. Mayne, Maj. R, H. Mayo, O.B.E., Lt. Cdr. J. Quill, O.B.E., A.F.C., F. Rowarth, S. Scott-Hall, C.B., C. F. Uwins, O.B.E., A.F.C., S/L. T. S. Wade, D.F.C., A.F.C., G/C. H. J. Wilson, C.B.E., A.F.C. STEWARDS.—Lord Brabazon of Tara, M.C., P.C., Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr, K.B.E., C.B., D.F.C., A.F.C., Lord Gorell, C.B.E.,M.C., Sir Francis K. McClean, A.F.C., H. W. H. Mwire, Maj. H. A. Petre, D.S.O., M.C., The Duke of Sutherland, K.T., P.C., FrankWoodhead. OFFICIALS FOR RACES AND RECORDSTimekeepers.—Maj. J. W. Barber, A. L. Ebblewhite, Maj. Gen. A. H. Loughborough, C.B., O.B.E., L. H. Lumby, P. B. Mayne.Handicappers.—F. Rowarth (Senior Handicapper), C. M. Britland, W. J. Charnley, Miss I. J. Ferguson, W. S. Johnson, D. J. Lyons,S/L.R. F. Martin, D.F.C., D. R. Murrin, L. R. Wilson. F.A.I. REPRESENTATIVES.—Capt. K. J. G. Bartlett ( A Vice-President), A. F. Houlberg (models commission), Maj. R. H. Mayo, O.B.E. (sporting commission), Col. R. L. Preston, C.B.E. (air touringCommission), P. A. Wills, C.B.E. (gliding commission). Lord Ventry (balloon commission), Sir Harold Whittingham, K.C.B., K.B.E.,Ll.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.S. (medical commission). DISPLAY REHEARSAL FOR THE SCHOOLS WEDNESDAY, July 5th, is the day selected for the dressrehearsal of the Royal Air Force Display that is to takeplace on the following Friday and Saturday, and special arrangements are being made for school and youth organizationparties to attend the rehearsal as guests of the Service. The Air Ministry announces that application for schooltickets (age limits 11-18) must be made by organizations be- fore June 10th at the latest, stating the number of childrenand of supervisors (limited to one to every 20 children). Appli- cations, which must be accompanied by a large stamped,addressed envelope, must be sent to The Secretary (D), Appeals Department, R.A.F. Benevolent Fund, 1, Sloane Street,London, S.W.y No tickets will be available at the gate. There^Htill-h& ^pace at Farnborough for some 70,000 children,but applications will be dealt with as received.
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