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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 1029.PDF
within a conical a^roshell, which slows the speed from entry velocity to subsonic, after which it is jettisoned while a para chute system is deployed as gas cylinders are charging the balloon. When this operation is completed the empty cylinders and the parachute are also jettisoned, leaving the buoyant station free-floating. The other planetary exhibit is a soft-landing spacecraft, of lift diameter and weighing 1,2001b, carrying its own retro- motors and stabilisation system. Among the experiments are a soil analyser and a Wolf trap (a device to analyse soil for biological activity). While this exhibit is general in concept, it is clearly aimed at America's most ambitious unmanned planetary mission, Project Viking, which is designed to soft- land two spacecraft on Mars in 1973. A model of the Titan 3M vehicle, which will orbit the USAF.S MOL (manned orbit ing laboratory) satellite in the early 1970s, indicates the most advanced application of solid-propellant boosters in the Western World. The recent re-affirmation by France and Germany that they will shoulder the extra burden of the Europa vehicle has led to new confidence in its future, and a number of models and pieces of equipment testify to the continued progress of Europe's own satellite launcher. The third stage is exhibited full size by BOLL France's new national launcher Diamant B (designed to orbit her D-2 satellite) is shown in its impressive full size outside the CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Francais) pavilion, testimony to the progress of the independent and successful national programme in which French rockets have launched French satellites. By contrast, the national British launcher Black Arrow can be found only with difficulty—as a small model on the Westland stand. With the first launch of this vehicle at Woomera now imminent, a little more trumpet-blowing might have been apposite. The CNES Pavilion is worth a visit to see examples of French space technology and, in particular, a model of the Europa 2 launch site at Kourou in Guyana. In the Ministere des Armes pavilion other examples of future projects are to be seen; Turquoise is a concept of a national satellite launcher with the solid-propellant stages of the MSBS and SSBS strategic missiles. The first stage has five P. 16 rockets, the second one P. 16, the third one P.4, and the fourth a PI.8. This rocket would place 4851b in geostationary orbit. Turquoise B is a development which could place 300kg-500kg in a low-Earth orbit, or 70kg in a geostationary orbit. Visitors to the GE stand can see the automatic picture transmission system printing out facsimile weather charts directly from the data transmitted by the same company's advanced Nimbus 3 experimental weather satellite which was recently launched. GE also displays its concept of the advanced ATS (applications-technology satellite) F and G spacecraft, in model form. This will be an experimental geostationary satellite for research into communications, meteorology, navi gation and air traffic control; it is characterised by high pointing-accuracies and a 30ft antenna which will enable it to operate in conjunction with small ground stations, or low- power transmitters on aircraft or satellites at a lower level. Lockheed shows a model of a 60-70 channel TV, 40,000 two-way voice satellite, wheel-stabilised in three axes, with a 4kW flexible-substrate solar array to operate in the microwave, UHF and millimetre wavebands. FLIGHT international, 5 June 1969 937 Europe's interest in commercial satellites is illustrated by models of the 16ft-high Intelsat 4 fourth-generation com munication satellite (Hughes are prime contractors, with BAC major sub-contractor) and the experimental Franco-German Symphonie. The latter is intended to be operational for the next Olympic Games, to be held in Munich in 1972. As a result of a German-American agreement, two com peting studies for the Helios project are to be seen on the ERNO and Messersclimitt-Bolkow stands. STATIC HIGHLIGHTS There seems to be much more new equipment inside the vast halls at Le Bourget this year than there was two years ago. Systems and equipment for new generations of aircraft are now readily available for the first time. On the civil side these include systems either ordered or proposed for the Boeing 747j Concorde, Lockheed TriStar, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and further ahead, for the BAC Three-Eleven and the A-300. On the military side much more of the equipment for Jaguar has been de-classified since Farnborough, and some WG.13 helicopter systems are shown for the first time. The three most noticeable features of the equipment displays as a whole are the tremendous growth in the uses of airborne computers, the numerous systems on the French and American stands which incorporate satellite links, and, to a lesser extent, the growth in the number of head-down instrument and weapon displays which use TV screens. Among British companies which announced orders early in the show were Sperry Gyroscope, with an order valued at more than £750,000, the majority of which was for Buccaneer instruments and Martel missile gyros. Sperry is also showing its new 800-series digital flight recorder system—a development of the SADAS equipment—which incorporates a Penny & Giles crash-protected recycling tape recorder. Sperry is also showing its new head-up display which is being jointly manu factured in the UK and USA: Sperry Bracknell are responsible for the optics and Sperry Flight Systems Division in the USA for the electronic aspects. It is a relatively simple HUD system which gives flight-path information during the approach, landing, take-off and climb-out stages of flight. It will be covered in greater detail in next week's issue. One of the TV displays on show is General Electric's flight director, which superimposes computed flight director information on a TV display of the outside world. The 7in screen is mounted directly in front of the pilot, just below the coaming, and the camera is located either in the nose or on the landing gear so that the TV picture corresponds as closely with the pilot's view as possible. Information projected on the c.r.t includes artificial horizon, pitch attitude, pitch reference, roll reference, radar/radio altitude, roll command, speed error, flight-path acceleration vector and ILS. TV information can be presented without the symbology when the equipment is used as a taxying aid. The system comprises the display unit, control panel, and an low-light-level TV camera by General Electric, used for airborne weapon delivery, reconnaissance and similar duties
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