Harnessing the Sky by Frederick M. Trapnell Jr

Author:Frederick M. Trapnell Jr. [Trapnell Jr., Frederick M.; Tibbitts, Dana Trapnell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612518558
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: 2015-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

THE CHALLENGE, 1946

Trap’s ideas about full-spectrum testing of each airplane within its operating environment had taken hold since his time at Anacostia early in the decade, when the lack of advanced testing had often led to surprises in the field: airplanes proved difficult to keep operational, weapons delivery systems failed, or—worse—young pilots got killed. Far better to have seasoned experts probing these aspects of flight by exploring problems, testing alternatives, and developing solutions in planned experiments under conditions that provided for safety and survival.

In June 1943 the Flight Test Section moved out of Anacostia to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, followed shortly thereafter by the Aircraft Armament Unit’s moving from Norfolk to this new air station, where it became Armament Test. Electronic Test and Service Test were formed there soon after, and finally in August the Aircraft Experimental and Development Squadron came down from Anacostia to become Tactical Test, completing the transfer of test activities to their new central location. The Naval Air Test Center (NATC) at Patuxent was established in June 1945 as a unified command over the five test units, which became divisions of the center.1

Flight Test’s mission was to measure the flying qualities and performance of an airplane—its speed, climb rate, ceiling, inherent stability, control forces, control effectiveness, takeoff distance, and landing run—to ensure its ultimate safety and compliance with contract specifications. Flight Test also identified and documented the envelope of safe, controllable flight. These include the limits of speed, altitude, G forces, and roll rates, as well as combinations of these with control inputs that lead to losing control of the airplane. They conducted Navy Preliminary Evaluation (NPE) tests of new prototypes, followed by a detailed evaluation to establish that the design merited production, and finally trials of production models to verify readiness for service. They also determined the airplane’s suitability for carrier operations: low-speed arrested landings, short-deck takeoffs, and catapult launches.2

Armament Test was concerned with how well the airplane and its weapons operated together. Tests were performed to detect any flaws in the release mechanisms and to validate safe separation and accurate delivery of ordnance. They examined gun housings to ensure proper disposal of spent shells and belt links, as well as satisfactory dissipation of gun gases and heat. Armament Test established which attachment points on the wings and fuselage could carry which bombs and rockets, and it explored how each weapon behaved upon release under allowed conditions of speed, altitude, attitude, roll rate, and G force. They considered conditions under which a departing weapon might collide with and damage the releasing aircraft. Armament Test also checked out weapon-safety mechanisms for effectiveness and reliability, and determined which weapons could be safely retained on the airplane during landings on the ground or on board ship.

Electronics Test examined the effectiveness of the airplane’s electronic systems and its electromagnetic signature. How did vibration, electromagnetic interference, and stratospheric conditions affect the airplane’s radio, radar, and other electronic equipment? Were there weaknesses in directional radio and radar signal strength,

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