February 9, 1959

February 9, 1959

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SAFETY

Engine Fire Contributes to Miami Crash

AVIONICS

Adaptive Autopilots Have Space Future

By Philip J. Klass12 min

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

20 Million Lb. Thrust Engine Foreseen

By Michael Yaffee9 min

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102103
SAFETY

Engine Fire Contributes to Miami Crash

Braniff Airways Flight 971, a Douglas DC-7C, crashed approximately three miles west-northwest of the Miami, Fla., International Airport, Mar. 25, 1958, at 0006.1 The accident occurred at night under VFR conditions less than two minutes after takeoff from runway 27R.
8889
AVIONICS

Adaptive Autopilots Have Space Future

Dayton—Many different techniques for designing self-adapting flight control systems that continuously monitor their own performance under changing flight environment and automatically adjust for optimum performance already have been developed despite the newness of the entire concept.

By Philip J. Klass12 min

5051
SPACE TECHNOLOGY

20 Million Lb. Thrust Engine Foreseen

New York—First 1.5-million lb. thrust liquid propellant booster, which will be a cluster of existing rocket engine components, is expected to be ready for testing within a year and to be launched before 1962. After this, following a normal course of development, will come the singlechamber liquid booster in the 1-1.5million lb. thrust class.

By Michael Yaffee9 min

4041
AIR TRANSPORT

Northwest Cuts Overhead, Boosts Profits

Minneapolis—Hard hitting sales tactics and a tight grip on the purse strings have been blended by Northwest Orient Airlines into a profit formula that has propelled the carrier from the status of a $3 million subsidy collector only four years ago to a $5.5 million profit in 1958.

By Robert H. Cook8 min

7677
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Soviets Design Adjustable Landing Gear

Washington—Pilots of certain Russian high-performance aircraft apparently control the angle of attack during takeoff ground roll by varying the length of the landing gear struts since the horizontal tail is ineffective. This arrangement is used to overcome the ground roll longitudinal control problem on some thin-winged aircraft that must use quadricycle landing gear and house the main wheels in the fuselage with small outrigger wheels under the wings.

By J. S. Butz7 min

2627
SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Defense Officials Concede Missile Lag

Administration witnesses admit to Soviet space, missile lead; defend hold-the-line budget plan.

By Ford Eastman7 min

3233
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

McDonnell Rolls Out Model 119 Turbojet Utility Plane

St. Louis—McDonnell Aircraft moved directly into competition for utility jet aircraft business last week as it readied its Model 119 transport-trainer for flight tests and a program of demonstrations to potential Air Force and commercial customers.

By Craig Lewis6 min

6465
MISSILE ENGINEERING

Azusa Is Precise Aid for Range Safety

San Diego—An electronic watcher which tells the range safety officer exactly where a ballistic missile would land if its power failed completely, and predicts where the nose cone will fall after a normal flight, is contributing to development proving at Air Force Missile Test Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.

By Richard Sweeney6 min

4243
AIR TRANSPORT

Supplemental Ruling Spurs New Debate

Washington—Controversy over the status of supplemental air transportation is expected to continue in a rash of court appeals and petitions despite the recent Civil Aeronautics Board decision to award operating certificates to 23 supplemental carriers.

By L. L. Doty5 min

3839
AIR TRANSPORT

Crash Mars Beginning of U. S. Jet Age

American Airlines Electra crashes in East River on instrument letdown at LaGuardia Airport.

By Robert I. Stanfield5 min

February 21959 February 161959