ADTO # 72 - July 29, 1999

PART 1: Upcoming Chats
PART 2: Project News
PART 3: Preparing to Collect Data

UPCOMING CHATS

Tuesday, August 17, 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time:
Phillip Luan, mechanical engineer

Balances used in wind tunnel tests tell engineers how the
force of the wind affects the model. Phillip is responsible for making
sure that balances used for these tests are extremely accurate. He also
helps determine how electrical signals received during the tests are
related to the accuracy of the balances.

Register for this chat at
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/chats/#chatting

Read Phillip's profile and field journals prior to joining this chat.
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/team/luan.html

PROJECT NEWS

Follow a Wind Tunnel Test of the Airliner of the Future

Meet the people from NASA who have been planning and working this
test.
Read their compelling field journals as they surmount problems and the
test progresses.
Learn more about High Speed Research.

The model is in the tunnel, and air is about to start blowing.Make a
bookmark at
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/events/hsct.html

- - - - - - -
Summer Air Travel Contest

This a special summer contest for Aerospace Team Online. This contest is
open to all students between the grades of fourth through twelfth. The
grade categories are as follows:

      4th through 8th
      9th through 12th

For this contest, we ask students to help researchers here at NASA solve
the air travel traffic problems. For more information go to
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/events/contest

- - - - - - -

COUNTDOWN TO FLIGHT REPUBLISHED

For teachers using the Wright Flyer Lesson Plans,Countdown to Flight in
its expanded form will be available on or about September 1, and orders
can be logged in advance.

The best way to order is direct from the publishers, toExcel (spelled
thusly). Their toll-free order number is 877-823-9235, The ordering
department at toExcel is open 8:30-5:00 PST and outside of the US, the
phone number is 408-260-3056. They'll take orders starting now and the
books will be shipped as soon as they come off the press.

After the middle of August, the book will be entered into the system of
the major book distributor, Ingram. After that time, books can be ordered
through any bookstore, which will get them from Ingram. Apparently, some
school districts have direct accounts with Ingram, so they'll be able to
skip the bookstore part, but Ingram doesn't deal directly with individual
teachers.

Either way, teachers can plan on having the book for the fall semester and
thereafter, so they can make good use of the NASA study guide and start
building a lesson plan now.

PREPARING TO COLLECT DATA

By Mina Cappuccio

July 21, 1999

As the head researcher on the project, I choose the measurements that that
will be taken during the test.  So six weeks ago I submitted to the Test
Manager, Jules Gustie, the data requirements and he has assigned the
mechanics and engineers to accomplish this work.

The model is just about to come out of the prep room. While it was in the
prep room the balance was installed on the model and checkloaded. The
model was assembled and the model was plumbed to the Electronic Scanned
Pressures (ESP).

During this test we will be measuring the air pressure on the surface of
the model at over 300 locations on the wings. On one side of the plane the
pressures are being measured on the top of the wing and on the other side
of the plane we are measuring the pressures underneath the wing. At each
of the locations where pressure is measured there is pinprick-sized hole
which is attached to a tiny stainless steel tube which is attached to the
ESP modules. There are five modules, each with 64 transducers, in the
model. The ESP system takes the air pressure measurement as a voltage. The
voltage is sent to the data acquisition system and converted to an air
pressure measurement.

Some of the data I have asked for is visual data, both video and digital
still images. To collect this data we have painted the model. We do this
before putting the model in the tunnel so we don't spill any paint in the
tunnel.

The data acquisition system has been customized for this test. This means
that the constants for this particular model have been put into the
computer program.  Calibration constants for converting analog and digital
signals have also been put in the program.  These signals come from
instruments like the balance, ESP modules, and motors that drive parts
remotely like the canard.

Today the model will be moved from the model prep room to the tunnel.
This week will be spent making sure all the instruments are connected to
the data acquisition system and are working properly.  The model will also
be put in its final configuration for when we are ready to run.

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