Arnold Engineering Development Center, Project Able Part 4

Description

Summary: Coverage of tests conducted by the Arnold Engineering Development Center during 1958 for the Air Research and Development Command, which include Project Able I Lunar Probe, GAM-72 Quail missile, ICBM nose cone reentry shapes, WS 202A (F-108), Sergeant missile, advanced Bomarc, aerodynamic tests on scale models of the T-38, Snark, F-108, Super Hustler, X-15, Polaris, Dynasoar shapes, Canadian Orenda Iroquois engine, and ballistic nose cone recovery package. SECRET. TO BE SHOWN TO AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. 3' AEDC FILM REPORT NO. 2. PRODUCED BY ARO INC, OPERATING CONTRACTOR FOR THE ARNOLD ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT CENTER, AIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. 14' PROJECT ABLE. 18' Animation depicting the flight path of Project ABLE I Lunar Probe from the earth around the moon. 34' Artwork of the Project ABLE research vehicle showing the spin rocket, probe, retrorocket, and third-stage motors. 65' Several MS's of a third-stage motor mounted on a thrust stand outside the test cell. 74' CU man fastening exhaust nozzle onto the third-stage motor. 75' MLS man walks up steps into the rear of the test cell which contains the third-stage rocket motor. 79' Several CU's of instruments which record total impulse, fuel consumption, etc., being attached to the third-stage motors. 92' Artwork of the test cell being pumped down to simulate an altitude of 70,000 feet to test the rocket motor. 112' CU into the diffuser ejector as the test engine is fired. 119' Graphs plotting the "good" and "bad" thrusts of the test rocket motor. 143' CU SV exhaust nozzle of the rocket motor during the firing -- as the motor nears cutoff it flares out and re-ignites several times. 166' Several MS's of steel reinforced plastic rocket motor exhaust nozzle inside the test cell. 175' MCU of a plastic test nozzle burning up during the running of the rocket motor. 183' MS & CU's of the damaged nozzles after high altitude runs in the test cell. (B&W) 190' Artwork depicting the trajectory of the Project ABLE I Lunar Probe denoting the positions of the lunar probe at the firings of the first, second, third and retrorocket motors. 199' QUAIL (full-scale). 201' MS & CU pan right, B-52 taking off at Edwards AFB. 204' AMCU SV Quail being released from bomb bay of B-52 -- camera pans down with the missile as it drops. 211' MS sign outside AEDC gate No. II -- a large truck enters and travels toward gate. 216' MS high angle, truck being backed up in front of the propulsion wind tunnel. 219' MCU GAM-72 on dolly in the build-up shop. 225' Several CU's of ARO Inc. employees preparing a J-85 engine for installation in the GAM-72. 234' Several MCU's of the J-85 being rolled into position beneath the GAM-72. 241' MS GAM-72 mounted in a test stand outside the Installations Building. 245' CU sign: DANGER, ETHYLENE OXIDE. 247' LS & MS GAM-72 during a test firing outside the Installations Building. 256' MS GAM-72 burning (mechanical failure in the fuel system caused fire under the missile) -- several men enter with fire extinguishers and put out the flame. 267' Several MS's of Quail on a dolly being moved into one of the wind tunnel's removable test sections. 271' Sequence of shots of Quail in the removable test section which is being moved to the wind tunnel. 279' Several MCU's of the GAM-72 being readied for a test run in the wind tunnel section. 286' MCU FV GAM-72 missile during a run in the wind tunnel -- the nozzle of the model is raised and the scavenging scoop at the rear follows the nozzle of the engine down. 299' Sequence of shots of a J-85 engine being replaced in missile inside the test section. 309' MCU of the GAM-72 being readied in the 16-foot wind tunnel. 314' AMS right SV GAM-72 in flight above clouds. 318' ICBM SUPPORT. 320' Several MCU's pan up with the launching of an Atlas missile. 337' Animation showing the trajectory of an ICBM launched from North American and landing in Asia. 340' ECU high-speed footage, an exhaust nozzle of the Atlas "A" missile as it rises from the launching platform. 343' Series of shots of a 1/20th scale model Atlas with a elastic skirt and a three-nozzle base. 356' CU ultra-violet run photography of the 1/20th scale model Atlas "A" in wind tunnel, showing the recirculation of smoke around tail of model. 367' Sequence of shots of an earlier 1/20th scale model Atlas with a two-nozzle base. 373' CU & MCU of 1/20th scale model Atlas "A" missile -- shows smoke probe being extended and retracted, then slowly extended. (B&W) 383' Sequence of shots of technicians assembling a 1/10th scale model Atlas base and installing it in the engine test facility. 395' CU of 1/10th scale model Atlas in wind tunnel during test. 402' Sequence showing installation of a 1/30th scale model Atlas "A" missile base in the Gas Dynamics Facility wind tunnel A. 411' Several CU's of the 1/30th scale model during two test runs in the tunnel. 429' MS to CU camera dollies in on a still photo to show the vernier engines of the Atlas missile. 437' Several MCU's of an Atlas vernier engine in the wind tunnel during a test run -- flame from the engine balloons behind the motor. 451' Chart showing the trajectory of an ICBM. 461' CU Atlas nose cone during a run in the Hotshot tunnel. 467' Series of shots of a scale model Titan nose cone with probe in the 16-foot propulsion wind tunnel. 479' Several shots of technicians checking the probes on a General Electric RVX-1 research vehicle nose cone in the 16-foot wind tunnel. 502' Sequence of shots of man checking out a scale model of RVX-1 which is attached to side wall of wind tunnel containing the nose cone. 511' MS to CU man removes an AEDC re-entry shape with a flared skirt, which he replaces with the non-flared skirt in the 12-inch transonic wind tunnel. 523' Several shots of a large model AEDC re-entry shape mounted inside the 16-foot transonic wind tunnel test section. 537' Series of shots of control room of Gas Dynamics Facility's 12-inch wind tunnel -- a small re-entry shape is placed in test section which is then closed, and the controls are actuated to start the tunnel. 548' Schlieren photography of the RVX nose cone during a run in the wind tunnel. 555' SERGEANT (full scale). 558' Sequence showing a Sergeant missile in a 16-foot transonic wind tunnel, men enter and look at the missile, drag brakes pop open and one of the men inspects a drag brake blade. 582' Series of CU's or a small button microphone being removed from a turbulence gauge and placed on the base of one of the brake blades. 592' CU of a vertical tape recorder. 595' MS button microphone being placed on the face of the T-shaped blade brake. 598' CU "filler" section being placed in the opening of a brake blade. 600' Several MS's of men preparing drag brakes in the build-up shop -- blades are opened and closed manually. 609' MS & CU of a technician checking a Sergeant missile in the wind tunnel -- the blade brakes are held by cables in open position. 617' Several CU's of fluorescent oil, caused by the aerodynamic turbulence of the brakes during a run in the wind tunnel, on surface of guidance compartment. 628' MS Sergeant missile in the 16-foot wind tunnel test section. 632' LS pan up with the launch of a Sergeant missile -- "A" frame tower in bg. 641' ADVANCED BOMARC. 643' Several CU's of a Bomarc missile in the 16-foot transonic wind tunnel. 648' Sequence of shots of vibrational testing of a single wing-aileron of the Bomarc. 676' High-speed photography of flutter of wing-aileron and then fin-rudder during a run in the wind tunnel. (B&W) 689' CU or a steel model Bomarc in wind tunnel during a flutter test run. 693' Series of MCU's of a scale model Bomarc in the wind tunnel test section. 707' AERODYNAMIC PROGRAM. 709' PROPULSION PROGRAMS. 711' MS pan right with technicians at controls of propulsion wind tunnel. 717' MCU scale model T-38 in the 16-foot propulsion wind tunnel. 722' MCU (F-108) WS-202A configuration in the wind tunnel. (S.T. in error -- calls this WS 125A) 727' MCU wingless Snark model in the 16-foot wind tunnel. 732' CU scale model F-108 during wing flutter test in the 16-foot wind tunnel -- the wing finally shears off. 741' Sequence of shots of man setting up the advanced configuration of the Convair Super Hustler in the Gas Dynamics Facility wind tunnel A. 755' CU Schlieren photography of the flow separation "pop" at the base of the flared tail of a WADC hypersonic shape in the Gas Dynamics Facility E-1 wind tunnel. 765' MS scale model of the X-15 in wind tunnel B-2. 769' CU FV Polaris missile, with cooling shoes open, in the B-2 wind tunnel. 773' MS man places a Martin-Bell Dynasoar model in the Hotshot I tunnel. 781' CU's of two Boeing Dynasoar shapes during runs in the Hotshot tunnel. 789' MS man removes the Martin-Bell Dynasoar model from the Hotshot I wind tunnel test section. 795' AMS of the Arnold Engineering Development Center. 802' Series of shots of a J-75 engine with twin ducting, being placed in the test cell of the propulsion wind tunnel. 814' Chart showing the altitude versus the Mach. No. envelope of the J-75 engine. 832' Series of shots of the Canadian Orenda Iroquois engine mounted in a frame outside the wind tunnel. 843' CU General Electric RVX-1 research nose cone suspended by cables in the 16-foot wind tunnel. 845' MS two men installing a recovery package in the nose cone. 862' Footage from several cameras of failure of first parachute used in recovery package, during a test run in the wind tunnel. 870' Scenes of the successful opening of a parachute used in a recovery package during a wind tunnel run. (B&W) 885' Series of scenes of two technicians repacking a chute into the recovery package and adjusting the package in the nose cone. 895' MS & CU's two men checking one of the ribbon chutes for damage after it had been tested in the recovery package in the wind tunnel. 903' MS pan down with the RVX nose cone as it descends on the recovery package parachute -- unit drops into a river where it is held afloat by balloon attached to parachute. 911' AMS of Arnold Engineering Development Center. 922' THE END. SECRET. TO BE SHOWED TO AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. 928' Total footage in reel. Good (Basic: Mas koda)

Collection

Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities