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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1365.PDF
As reported last week, and commented upon below, No 36 GW Regt, Royal Artillery, is on its way to reinforce BAOR anti-aircraft defence. Here Maj-Gen £. J. H. Bates visits the regiment before departure The first test firing of a complete Nike Zeus anti-missile missile, with two "hot" stages and airborne guidance system, took place from Pt Mugu, California, on September 9. Details are given on this page the orbital elements and with calibration and attitude data, to a final meteorological radiation tape (again in a binary format) which is the basic method of publication of the data. From this tape, by means of appropriate computer programmes and print-out equip- ment, tabulations, grid prints and contour maps on various scales may be obtained. Fifty selected orbits of Tiros 2 radiation data in ihe form of 1 in 6 million and 1 in 30 million grid-prints are now in publication as a NASA Technical Report. How Low the Orbit? Scientific satellites in low-altitude orbits (less than 200km) were suggested by Dr W. F. Hilton during a discussion period at the Anglo-American Conference. Although normally considered as the realm of sounding rockets, he said, this region could be used by satellites, provided they were specially designed. Using low frontal area, and low-drag aerodynamics in general, satellites could be orbited for long periods as low as 80km. Dr W. G. Stroud of NASA asked what these satellites would measure and what would be the gain from their use. Flow problems were such that one would not be able to measure atmospheric parameters. If the object was to look out into space or down at the Earth, one might as well choose higher orbits. Absent Author, Wrong Title The paper written by Dr George E. Mueller of Space Technology Laboratories for presentation at the Conference was Advancement in Spacecraft Technology, and not las printed in the conference programme and pre-prints by the Royal Aeronautical Society) Communications Satellites. In theabsence of Dr Mueller the paper was read by STL's director of European operations, Mr R. B. Rypinski. It contained a review ofspacecraft development, from the "first generation" in which (because of the size restriction caused by the available boosters)miniaturization was developed and the optimization process became crucial, through the second generation of more-sophistica-ted craft, to the third generation with which manned spaceflight was being accomplished. THUNDERBIRDS IN GERMANY Late this month 36 Guided Weapon Regiment, Royal Artillery,is bound for Germany—as reported in Flight for August 31—in answer to a call for increased anti-aircraft protection for BAOR.On September 12 the Director of Royal Artillery, Major-General E. J. H. Bates, visited the regiment at their base at Shoeburyness(see picture). According to unofficial reports, the War Office have "not orderedenough Thunderbirds to equip one regiment on an active basis." According to the Daily Express, deliveries from English ElectricAviation's plant at Stevenage have for some time all been diverted from No 37 Regiment (which performed at Farnborough) to No 36;and even this is said to leave No 36 with only 16 missiles instead of the active service quota of 48, and eight launchers instead of 24. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ranger 1spacecraft, launched on August 23. completed 111 orbits of the Earth before re-entering the atmosphere and burning up on August 29.NASA reported that "the flight demonstrated that the spacecraft orientation, communications and electronic systems worked well." The US Government's Michoud ordnance plant near New Orleansis to be used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the fabrication of large launch-vehicle stages. The plant is adjacentto the Michoud Canal, which is large enough for ocean-going barges, and includes a 5,500ft runway capable of being lengthened to 7.000ftto accommodate large cargo aircraft. On August 30 Republic Aviation reported a S193,9OO USAF contractlor the construction of a compact, battery-powered pinch plasma engine. Since 1957 Republic have been leaders in the development of suchpropulsion. The new engine will be completely self-contained, and >hould meet all practical requirements for actual use in spacecraft. Thesignificance of the contract is given as the "progression of the plasma- engine principle for propulsion from the research to possible develop-mental status." The first full-scale firing of a Nike Zeus down the Pacific Missile Range took place at Point Mugu on September 9. Only two of the three^olid-propellant stages were fired. The 48ft weapon "roared westward •ver the Pacific and disappeared over the horizon in seconds,'" but annternal malfunction caused it to blow up approximately 20sec after .unching. It was unofficially said that the missile was due to belestroyed by radio command several seconds later, at an altitude of 00,000ft. This was the first test of the missile, guidance and related'stems and it will be followed by further tests both from Point Mugu id Kwajalein. A Boeing scientist. Dr M. J. Kofoid, has succeeded in obtaininglaboratory confirmation of the plasma-damping theory advanced in 1945 by Prof L. D. Landau. This verification is expected to be ofconsiderable importance to controlled thermonuclear power. Astropower, Inc, a subsidiary of Douglas Aircraft, has been awardeda $46,000 contract by the USAF Flight Test Center (Edwards AFB) for the design and manufacture of water-cooled propellant injectors forexperimental rocket engines. The latter will be in the 40,0001b class, and deliveries from Astropower's Costa Mesa plant will begin in threemonths. NASA test pilot Joe Walker achieved a speed provisionally calculatedat 3,645 m.p.h. in an X-15 on September 12, 42 m.p.h. faster than the previous highest. The flight-plan called for 3,700 m.p.h., but this wasnot reached owing to failing fuel pressure. On September 6 Goodyear's Aviation Products Division announced a contract to supply new "wire-brush" skids to replace the smooth skids currently used on the X-15 aircraft. The wire skids will allow the aircraft to land on standardasphalt or concrete runways; the smooth skids can be used only on the dry lake bed at Edwards. Earlier this month a number of ICBMs were launched down theAtlantic Missile Range. On September 6 a Titan flew 6,100 miles, and its re-entry vehicle impacted in the designated area, after discharging adata capsule by parachute to provide information on the effects of radiation on fruit flies, skin-tissue and other elementary organisms.On the night of September 7 another Titan flew 5,000 miles from Cape Canaveral, principally to check the new AC Spark Plug inertial guidancefor later Titan versions. On September 9 an Atlas—probably an E model —impacted only about 200 miles out, as the consequence of a prematureshutdown.
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