Sep 1 1978
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Johnson Space Center reported that 11 of 35 current astronaut candidates had undergone parasail training Aug. 28 at Vance AFB, Enid, Okla., learning how to land by parachute in the event of an emergency ejection from the T-38 aircraft over land. Other astronaut candidates had taken the course before entering the NASA program. The six female astronaut candidates along with five male counterparts had taken the I -day training exercise. (JSC Roundup, Sept 1/78, 1)
The latest in a family of small-diameter 8-bladed propellers had completed wind tunnel testing at Lewis Research Center, the Lewis News reported. Third in aeries tested and designed for new high-speed fuel conservative aircraft, these propellers had unique extreme curve to the blades designed to improve performance and minimize cabin noise during flight. At simulated cruise conditions of 855km/hr (530mph) and 9145m altitude (30 000ft), the propellers proved less noisy and more efficient than previous models tested. NASA estimated that, at those cruise conditions, an advanced turboprop engine using the propellers could save 20 to 40% in fuel over current turbofan engines and 10 to 20% in fuel over advanced turbofan engines.
LeRC work on the propellers was part of a NASA-wide effort toward 50% fuel savings in future U.S. aircraft, with testing expected to be completed in later 1980. Hamilton Standard Division of United Technologies Corp. had been contractor for design and fabrication of the advanced propellers. (Lewis News, Sept 1/78, 1)
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