The NASA History Series Donald L. Mallick The Smell of Kerosene, A Test Pilot's Odyssey (#2) (2004)

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.Naval trainingdeveloped a philosophy toward flying that stays with the trainee the rest of hislife.I m sure that is true with the Air Force training, too.It is such an intenseexperience that it would seem impossible not to retain attitudes and philosophiesgathered there.The time passed quickly for me because it was a worthwhile school andthe JetStar was great to fly.It was my first experience in training at a schooldesigned for commercial operators who flew the aircraft in an airlineenvironment.I also had to memorize numerous emergency procedurs.When I returned to Edwards and the office routine, Audrey was glad tohave me back and get some support on the home front.She had done wellwith the kids in a strange town and strange neighborhood with (as shenoted) some strange people.The strange people that she referred to weresome of our neighbors that walked outside during a rainy day and seemedto greatly enjoy the downpour.Being from Virginia where she had toomuch rain, Audrey thought this very unusual.After we had been in thedesert a few years, we too, walked out to enjoy the rain when it came to thedesert.103Smell of KeroseneNASA photo E63-10201Stan Butchart and Don Mallick delivered the Lockheed JetStar to NASA FlightResearch Center in May 1963.The aircraft was modified to serve as a Gen-eral Purpose Airborne Simulator (GPAS).My first year at Edwards was exciting.I started flying the Aero Commanderand the C-47 in February.These aircraft were used to transport personnelbetween FRC and various locations in the western United States.I often flewthese aircraft to Los Angeles, Burbank, and Ames Research Center.Occasionally, I flew these planes to Beatty, Ely, and Tonopah, Nevada, tosupport the High Range tracking facilities for the X-15.During the course ofthe year, I accumulated over 200 hours flying time in 12 different types ofaircraft.It looked as if I had made the right decision regarding the transfer.Some of the various aircraft types included the JetStar (also called a C-140 orL-1329), C-47 Skytrain (we called it the Gooney Bird ), T-33 Shooting Star,T-37, F5D-1 Skylancer, A-5 Vigilante, F-100 Super Sabre, M2-F1 lifting body,Aero Commander, two Schweizer sailplanes, and the double-sonic F-104.The Skylancer was unusual, as only a few prototypes were built.It wasdesigned as a follow-on to the Navy F4D Skyray production fighter.Ascompletely powerless aircraft, the sailplanes were an entirely newexperience for me.My experience in the M2-F1 was not only powerless,but wingless as well!104High Desert Flight ResearchStan and I went back to Marietta on 22 April.We brought the JetStar backwith us to FRC on 8 May.About six months after NASA accepted it fromLockheed, technicians began to modify the aircraft as an airborne simulatorthat could duplicate the flight characteristics of almost any other aircraft.Anumber of smaller aircraft (such as the JF-100C and NT-33A) had their flightcontrol systems modified for similar work, but finding adequate space to putall of the computer equipment, servos, and associated equipment required forthe variable-stability aircraft was a problem.The JetStar had ample space forthe equipment and excellent flight performance characteristics.We collected baseline data on the flying qualities of the aircraft and thensent it to Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in Buffalo, New York.At the time,Cornell was the most experienced organization with regard to variable stabilityaircraft.It took more than a year to complete the modifications.The modified JetStar was called the General Purpose Airborne Simulator(GPAS).It was a unique research tool that served us well for many years.Astechnology evolved, additional modes and improvements were added.Thesystem was referred to as a Model Following System and was several stepsbeyond other computer-based simulators then in use.A specific aircraft sequations of motion could be programmed into the JetStar s system, whichwould then respond to control inputs just as the subject aircraft would.Thiscould be accomplished even before the subject aircraft was built by using theequations of motion developed from ground-based simulators, wind-tunneldata, and mathematical predictions.We found that the GPAS results were reliable and repeatable.When a setof equations was programmed and verified, the response and performance ofthe system were identical to simulations that had been completed duringprevious tests.Older simulations with rate feedback logic often changedfrom day to day, even with the same inputs or settings.They required a moreinvolved verification checkout prior to being used for gathering data.Additionally, rate feedback systems did not have as wide a capability forsimulation as the Model Following System.I consider the GPAS one of themost successful airborne simulators of all time.It served as a researchworkhorse at FRC for over two decades.Besides its GPAS function, the aircraftalso provided data on laminar flow, propfan characteristics, ride qualities, andthe Microwave Scanning Beam Landing System for the Space Shuttle.Variable Stability F-100 Super SabreWhile the JetStar was undergoing modification, Joe Walker assigned meto the JF-100C as prime research pilot.The aircraft was equipped with amodified flight control system for variable-stability research.Bill Dana hadbeen prime pilot in the JF-100C, but his assignment to the X-15 programdominated his workload.My experience flying the JF-100C at Langley mademe a natural to pick up the program.In the JF-100C, the pilot used a side-stick105Smell of KeroseneNASA photo EC62-00144This JF-100C was modified for variable stability and equipped with a side-stick controller.It was flown to evaluate minimum levels of controllability.controller to select the variable stability system once the aircraft was airborneat a safe altitude.Thus, in the event of any uncommanded control input orother problem with the experimental system, the pilot had sufficient altitudeto recover or eject.I normally climbed to a specific altitude and airspeed before engaging thesystem.Once engaged, I flew the aircraft through a series of maneuvers toevaluate the system.It required an intense effort to complete them smoothlyand efficiently.I climbed to high altitude for a margin of safety.This providedthe opportunity to evaluate extremely poor handling characteristics to the pointof loss of control while still having enough altitude left to recover.Once theaircraft s control characteristics became marginal or divergent, the pilotdisconnected the system and the aircraft reverted to the basic F-100 controls.The JF-100C provided an airborne simulation to evaluate and plot envelopesof controllability.This helped aircraft designers find the minimum level ofcontrollability that a pilot could stand and still fly the aircraft safely andcomplete his mission.Minimum aircraft stability, control power and dampinglevels could be determined from the data.106High Desert Flight ResearchThe JF-100C came to Edwards from Ames Research Center where it wasconverted for three-axis variable stability simulation in October 1959.BillDana and several other pilots had used the JF-100C for variable stabilityresearch between March 1961 and May 1963.Toward the end, however, theaircraft had been frequently used for X-15 support missions [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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