Stability and control of the Gossamer human powered aircraft by analysis and flight test

The slow flight speed, very light wing loading, and neutral stability of the Gossamer Condor and the Gossamer Albatross emphasized apparent-mass aerodynamic effects and unusual modes of motion response. These are analyzed, approximated, and discussed, and the resulting transfer functions and dynamic properties are summarized and compared. To verify these analytical models, flight tests were conducted with and electrically powered Gossamer Albatross II. Sensors were installed and their outputs were telemetered to records on the ground. Frequency sweeps of the various controls were made and the data were reduced to frequency domain measures. Results are given for the response of: pitch rate, airspeed and normal acceleration from canard-elevator deflection; roll rate and yaw rate from canard-rudder tilt; and roll rate and yaw rate from wing warp. The reliable data are compared with the analytical predictions

Research into fundamental phenomena associated with spacecraft electrochemical devices - Calorimetry of nickel-cadmium cells Progress report, 1 Jul. - 30 Sep. 1968

Training of electrochemist in battery research and collecting electrochemical and thermodynamic dat

Detection of structural deterioration and associated airline maintenance problems

Airline operations involving the detection of structural deterioration and associated maintenance problems are discussed. The standard approach to the maintenance and inspection of aircraft components and systems is described. The frequency of inspections and the application of preventive maintenance practices are examined. The types of failure which airline transport aircraft encounter and the steps taken to prevent catastrophic failure are reported

"Interaction-Free" Imaging

Using the complementary wave- and particle-like natures of photons, it is possible to make ``interaction-free'' measurements where the presence of an object can be determined with no photons being absorbed. We investigated several ``interaction-free'' imaging systems, i.e. systems that allow optical imaging of photosensitive objects with less than the classically expected amount of light being absorbed or scattered by the object. With the most promising system, we obtained high-resolution (10 \mu m), one-dimensional profiles of a variety of objects (human hair, glass and metal wires, cloth fibers), by raster scanning each object through the system. We discuss possible applications and the present and future limits for interaction-free imaging.Comment: 10 pages, 6 encapsulated Postscript figure files, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Alternative Adaptive Filter Structures for Improved Radio Frequency Interference Cancellation in Radio Astronomy

In radio astronomy, reference signals from auxiliary antennas that receive only the radio frequency interference (RFI) can be modified to model the RFI environment at the astronomy receivers. The RFI can then be canceled from the astronomy signal paths. However, astronomers typically only require signal statistics. If the RFI statistics are changing slowly, the cancellation can be applied to the signal correlations at a much lower rate than is required for standard adaptive filters. In this paper we describe five canceler setups; precorrelation and postcorrelation cancelers that use one or two reference signals in different ways. The theoretical residual RFI and added noise levels are examined and are demonstrated using microwave television RFI at the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The RFI is attenuated to below the system noise, a reduction of at least 20 dB. While dual-reference cancelers add more reference noise than single-reference cancelers, this noise is zero-mean and only adds to the system noise, decreasing the sensitivity. The residual RFI that remains in the output of single-reference cancelers (but not dual-reference cancelers) sets a nonzero noise floor that does not act like random system noise and may limit the achievable sensitivity. Thus, dual-reference cancelers often result in superior cancellation. Dual-reference precorrelation cancelers require a double-canceler setup to be useful and to give equivalent results to dual-reference postcorrelation cancelers.Comment: 11 pages created using emulateap

Research into fundamental phenomena associated with spacecraft electrochemical devices, calorimetry of nickel-cadmium cells Progress report, 1 Oct. - 31 Dec. 1967

Calorimetry of nickel cadmium cells for spacecraft electrochemical system

Throat stability-by pass systems to increase the stable airflow range of a Mach 2.5 inlet with 60-percent internal contraction

The results of an experimental investigation to increase the stable airflow range (without unstart) of a supersonic mixed-compression inlet are presented. Various stability bypass entrances were located on the cowl side of the inlet throat. The types of entrance were distributed porous (normal holes), forward-slanted slot, and distributed educated slots. A large stable airflow range was obtained for each entrance type if a constant pressure was maintained in the stability bypass plenum. The distributed porous entrance provided the largest stable airflow range. Inlet unstart angle of attack was unaffected by the entrances

Semiclassical decay of strings with maximum angular momentum

We study the classical breaking of a highly excited (closed or open) string state on the leading Regge trajectory, represented by a rotating soliton solution, and we find the resulting solutions for the outgoing two pieces, describing two specific excited string states. This classical picture reproduces very accurately the precise analytical relation of the masses $M_1$ and $M_2$ of the decay products found in a previous quantum computation. The decay rate is naturally described in terms of a semiclassical formula. We also point out some interesting features of the evolution after the splitting process.Comment: 18 pages, latex, 7 figure

Microstructure and mechanical properties of bulk yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia

A commercially available bulk 4.5 mole percent yttria-(Y2O3) partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) was studied by light microscopy, X-ray analysis, microhardness measurement, and fracture toughness testing. The growth of the precipitates and the phase transformations were studied as a function of aging in air at 1500 C. Aging curves were constructed for both the as received and the solution annealed and quenched materials; the curves showed hardness peaks at 1397 and 1517 Kg/sq mm respectively. The rectangular plate shaped tetragonal precipitates were found to have a 110 habit plane. A total of twelve different types of tetragonal precipitates were found. Grinding of the Y2O3 PSZ into powder did not cause a significant amount of metastable tetragonal precipitates to transform into the monoclinc phase, thus indicating that transformation toughening is not a significant mechanism for the material