ADTO # 83 - October 22, 1999

PART 1: Upcoming Chats
PART 2: Special Event
PART 3: The Test is Finished!

UPCOMING CHATS

QuestChats require pre-registration. Unless otherwise noted, registration
is at:  http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/chats/#chatting

Join us for a special series of chats focusing on the HSCT!

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 10:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time:
Charles Stangeland, intern machinist

Charles Stangeland is an intern in the machine shop. He is
currently working with his mentors to prepare for the
High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) wind tunnel test. They are
making parts that the tunnel mechanics, facility,
or model may need for a test.

Read Charles Stangeland's profile and prior to joining this chat.
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/team/stangeland.html

Monday November 1, 1999 10 AM Pacific Daylight Time:
Grant Palmer, Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

Grant Palmer writes computer programs that predict how hot the surface
of the space shuttle will get when it returns to Earth from space.

And a heads up we'll be chatting with Orville and Wilbur Wright in
November!

SPECIAL EVENT

A Webcast of the test of the Right Flyer Gliders!

Filmed at the United States Air Force Academy Aeronautics Laboratory Wind
Tunnel This real media file will debut during the week of November
11,1999. We will have a chat room featuring Richard Yanni the teacher
whose class put the gliders into the tunnels.

Right now I am planning the event for Tuesday, November 12th at 1O AM
Pacific Standard Time. All the east coast schools wrote in and voted for
this time!

MEASURING FOR A GOOD FIT

By Charles Stangeland

October 19, 1999

I have been working on building a light source that shoots through the
tunnel making it possible to see the shock waves on the other side of the
tunnel. I am making up a little stand right now to hold the light source.
It will be built out of mostly aluminum and some stainless steel. Some of
the parts have already been pre-manufactured and I am changing them a
little to make them work for this application. I am going over to the
11' wind tunnel right now to take measurements on the different parts in
particular the screw locations. Then I will add that information to the
redesign. This whole project will be done by hand. There will be a lot of
lathe work and a lot of milling work.

Last week was just one of the worst weeks. Nothing went right. I kept
making everything the wrong size. Luckily I was able to modify it to make
things work. I measured a thread and it looked good. Then I made the other
piece to go into the first piece and it wouldn't fit.

I had to figure out why it wouldn't fit. I turned out that I had left too
much material. I had to go and cut the second piece down. Since we are
designing this piece on the spot I am learning how to manufacture it on
the spot. This was a part for the light source stand I mentioned before. I
am making a swivel base and I miscalculated the measurement on the thread.

This will be installed in the 9 by 7 wind tunnel part of the unitary
system. It is a supersonic tunnel. So with the light source installed
they will be able to measure the subsonic shock waves and then the super
sonic shock waves when the speed exceeds the sound barrier. I have never
actually seen this live but I have seen a picture of it.