Thomas Rust, Jr., Paul N. Boris

Tests were conducted to investigate fire test criteria as applied to flight data and cockpit voice recorder systems and material. Studies were made to determine the effect of elevated temperature on various types of recording tapes and highly conspicuous exterior coatings which could be applied to recorder covers. Open flaming and enclosed furnace tests were performed on complete recording units in suitable for evaluating survivability of flight data and cockpit voice recorders in a crash-fire environment.

American National Standards Institute

Thus method describes a procedure for determining the relative flammability of plastics by measuring the minimum concentration of oxygen in a slowly rising mixture of oxygen and nitrogen that will just support combustion. This method is presently limited to the use of physically self-supporting plastic test specimens.

Donald M. Millar

To determine their effectiveness as anti-itching agents, 23 hydrophobic materials were evaluated in a dynamic icing environment. Each substance was examined in a manner that would determine its ice accretion characteristics and ice release properties. No attempt was made to stimulate ice release by either thermal or mechanical means during individual test runs. Ice formed on all the materials, which were investigated at the same rate as on untreated aluminum wing section, which was utilized as a test bed. There was no observed release of ice due to aerodynamic forces associated with the test velocities (110 to 150 knots). The minimum ice adhesion force of any product evaluated was 1.8 pounds per square inch, with maximum values in excess of 40 pounds per square inch.

Robert F. Salmon

Three types of gelled Jet A-1 fuels were tested to determine the capability of the thickened fuels with typical turbojet engines. The three fuels were: (1) Gel A, a 2 percent concentration of a styrene polymer additive in Jet A-1, (2) Gel B, a 2 percent concentration of a sodium free styrene polymer in Jet A-1, and (3) Gel C, an aluminum octoate gel in Jet A-1, concentration ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 percent. The two polymer gels had a 13,000 centiposie reading on the Brookfield Viscometer, RVT model, and the aluminum octoate ranged from 2,800 to 13,000 centipoises. Spray pattern tests were run with the fuels and a 1-hour engine test was conducted on a J47 engine. Comparison of engine performance when using regular Jp-4 and polymer gelled Jet A-1 fuels indicated that the gel did not markedly affect the engine performance in the power range from 70 to 95 percent of rated engine. The polymer gels, however, could not be used from engine light-off to idle power in the J47 engine since they required higher fuel manifold pressures for vaporization than the engine could produce during the starting sequence. A 15-minute test using Gel A was conducted on a J57 engine. When operating the J57 engine, the Gel A was used from light-off to maximum power, and no difficulty was experienced in running the unmodified engine with this fuel. Gel C would not be used successfully in the J47 engine even when providing fuel manifold pressures of 250 psi, corresponding with 82 percent of rated rotor speed. Combustion could not be maintained and a relight could not be effected when switching back to JP-4 fuel. Preliminary chemical analysis of a combustion can, after 1 hour of engine operation using the sodium free polymer, Gel B, indicated no corrosive effects or excessive carbon buildup in the combustion chamber.

Warren K. Smith, James B. King

Surface temperatures of nine organic combustible materials heated to flaming ignition by quartz lamp radiant heating equipment were measured without interference from reflected energy by means of a long wavelength infrared pyrometer. Temperature vs. time curves for irradiances from 0.125 to 2.5 cal/cm2-sec are presented along with summary plots of surface temperatures at ignition for piloted and unpiloted ignition conditions. The factors influencing the shape of the curves and the initiation of ignition are discussed.