Agricultural Airplane Mission Time Structure Characteristics

The time structure characteristics of agricultural airplane missions were studied by using records from NASA VGH flight recorders. Flight times varied from less than 3 minutes to more than 103 minutes. There was a significant reduction in turning time between spreading runs as pilot experience in the airplane type increased. Spreading runs accounted for only 25 to 29 percent of the flight time of an agricultural airplane. Lowering the longitudinal stick force appeared to reduce both the turning time between spreading runs and pilot fatigue at the end of a working day

Operating experiences of retardant bombers during firefighting operations

Data are presented on operational practices and maneuver accelerations experienced by two Douglas DC-6B airplanes converted to retardant bombers and used in firefighting operations. The data cover two fire seasons in the mountainous regions of the northwestern United States

Comparison of VGH data from wide-body and narrow-body long-haul turbine-powered transports

Data are presented on incremental normal accelerations due to gusts, operational maneuvers, and check flight maneuvers, derived gust velocities, and the airspeed and altitude operating practices of one type of wide body, long haul transport airplane flown by five airlines on international routes. These data are compared with VGH data obtained from long haul, narrow body transport airplanes also flown over international routes

NACA Technical Notes

From Summary: "A preliminary investigation has been made at the Langley helicopter test tower to determine the bending moments excited on typical helicopter blades in quiet and gusty air. The results obtained from the limited range of this investigation indicate that the effects of gusts on rotor-blade bending moments appear to be secondary when compared with the vibratory moments attributed to the unsymmetrical rotor downwash for the 26-mph wind-velocity condition tested and analyzed.