D.E. Sommers, J.H. O'Neill

A number of aircraft propulsion and fuel system fire protection est programs were conducted. NARMCO prototype "Fibercell" Overheat etector, the Panametrics Inc. Prototype Hazardous Vapor Detector and a cGraw-Edison Co. Ultra-Violet Fire Detection System underwent limited valuation in a Jet powerplant fire test environment. The Walter Kidde and Company, Inc. pyrotechnic generated gas discharge fire extinguishing agent container, and the E. W. Bliss Co. high-expansion foam/bromotri,fluoromethane extinguishing agent combination fire extinguishing system were evaluated in a simulated aircraft powerplant nacelle. Fire resist 'ance tests in a standard 2000oF flame-test envi.\r'onment were conducted on specific stainless-steel tubing as well as various size stainless Isteel tubing assemblies with several combinations of stainless steel and luminum connectors (nuts, sleeves, and unions). Some tubing was tested hile either fluid or air under pressure was trapped (no pressure relief rovided) in the tubing. The tubing assemblies with connectors were ested while fluid either was flowing through or was static in the tube ssembly system. Pressure relief for the static fluid conditon was rovided. Evaluation of a Fenwal Explosion Suppression System for an .aircraft fuel tank was conducted. Testing envol ved the measurement of relative concentration of an extinguising agent discharged by the system onto the fuel tank cavity to determine agent distribution in the cavity. Specialized gas analyser equipment was used to measure the relative concentration of the "agent. An investigation of the vulnerability of Aircraft Fires.

E.B. Nichols

To determine the flammability characteristics of materials used in cabin and cockpit interiors of FAA aircraft for compliance with the federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25.853, "Compartment Interiors."

Gerald E. Skelton, Richard L. Sulzer

To evaulate the concept of a simple head-up display (HUD) as an aid noninstrument-rated pilots encountering reduced flight visibility conditions, two versions of such a display were flown by six pilots. The subject pilots were pretested to insure that they could not perform standard maneuvers when outside visual reference and panel attitude instruments were obsecured leaving only the altimer, airspeed indicator, gyroscopic direction indicator, gyroscopic rate-of-turn/slip skid indicator and clock. Given either of the HUD instruments and a partial panel of basic pilots showed marked improvement in preservation of aircraft control. The opinions of experts observers suggest that, with a few hours of additional training, inexperienced pilots would be able to employ a simple HUD with a further improvement of aircraft safety when penetrating adverse weather.

John Strockham and Howard Betz

The objective of this study was to relate the visibility of in-flight jet exhaust to the SAE smoke number. A method based on photographic photometry was developed for measuring the optical density of smoke plumes. This method was related to visibility and to the smoke number through transmissometer measurements and visibility theory. A portable transmissometer, capable of operating over a wide range of optical path lengths and under varying ambient light conditions was fabricated for use on this study. The mathematical expression relating the transmission measurements to the smoke number was derived. Liminal visibility requirements of smoke trials, developed from light scattering theory, correlated with actual visual observations and the transmissometer and photometry measurements. Test results, with the engines investigated, indicate that SAE smoke numbers below 23 were associated with invisible exhaust plumes. Smokes of the exhaust smoke showed the particles to be composed of lacy agglomerates. At the nozzle, the geometric median particle diameter was 0.052 um. At a distance of 10 nozzle diameters the geometric median particle diameter was 0.13 um at cruise condition.

Charles R. Grisel

Tests were conducted at three airports having different runway groove configurations. The objective of these tests was to determine if grooves change the rate of wheel spin-up and if they produce cuts in the tires of the test aircraft. Although no evidence of tire cutting was observed, it was found that the wheel spin-up rate for the test aircraft was increased by the runway grooves. The extent of the increase was influenced by the width of the grooves.