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Daily Photo Album
Monday, March 1
Pick a photo or just scroll down! Click on the photo
to see a larger version. (Remember: the larger versions take a while to
load!!)
Everyone gets into the business of sewing the tufts
on the wing.
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Fred Culick,
First Pilot and Project Engineer, demonstrates his domestic skills.
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Marilyn Ramsey,
demonstrates proper tufting technique - a new and novel use for embroidery
thread!
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Not to be outdone, Pete
Zell, the Facility Manager tries a left-handed technique.
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Mike
Simundich, Instrumentation Engineer, uses a unique protractor to measure
the angle of the rudder. The protractor
has markings which represent degrees. As the rudder tilts, a degree
marking on the protractor aligns with the center guide wire which
stretches vertically between the wings and identifies the true center
of the model. The degree marking gives the angle of the rudder.
During calibration, the angle measured by Mike is
compared to the measurement given by the instrumentation. The difference
in the two measurements, if any, is used to bias the angle sensor so it
reports the correct angle to the control room.
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Fred Culick,
covers the tip of the propeller with bright yellow tape so that it can
be seen while it is rotating.
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Mike Simundich
checks out the movement of the control surfaces (rudder, canard and wingtips)
by jogging the control switches. These switches are only used during checkout.
When the tunnel is running, the movement of these surfaces is commanded
from the control room.
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Rich Grimm
uses tape to mend the tip of the wing where the fabric was cut to allow
the wingtip angle sensor to be installed.
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The sensing device that Mike is adjusting is an "LVDT".
An LVDT is a Linear Variable Displacement Transducer which measures the
position of the canard, rudder and wings. Remember that the Wright Brothers
used a technique called wing warping which increased the curvature of
the wings to control roll. Today's airplanes have ailerons which are based
on the same principles used by the Wrights in their design, but are smaller
and easier to control.
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A photographer from the Dayton
Daily News catches Jack Cherne
and Pete Zell attaching the
RPM sensor.
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A flashlight is needed in an attempt to identify a
problem with the balance. In this photo, the balance taper pin junction
box (with it's cover off) is the suspect. A meter (on the right) is used
to measure the voltages on the signals going into and coming out of the
box.
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Jack Cherne and Bud Chamberlain pay rapt attention
as Mike provides a lengthy pandect covering the intricacies of instrumentation.
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The clamshell doors of the 40x80 foot wind tunnel
start to open.
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A great shot of one of the fully open clamshell doors.
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High power lights illuminate the open doors of the
tunnel after dark.
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After the clamshell doors are open, the crane lowers
a lifting device into the tunnel. Four cables hang from the corners of
the rectangular frame which attach to four lift points on the Flyer. The
rectangular frame allows the weight of the Flyer to be distributed to
four points instead of just one.
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As the Flyer is slowly lifted off the ground, Pete
gently holds onto one of the vertical struts. By holding onto one of the
struts, he can react immediately if the Flyer starts to move in any ill-advised
direction.
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As the Flyer gets farther off the ground, Pete and
the rest of the crew hold leashes to ensure that the Flyer doesn't begin
to swing.
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Mike Lopez operates the crane from inside the tunnel.
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A close-up view of the attachment of the model to
the sting. This is the only point of contact between the sting and the
Flyer - or between anything else and the Flyer!
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