army aviation digest - mar 1965

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Mar 1965

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TILL MI W I I T I I Y P A I I i


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UNITE

DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION, ACSFORDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

Col. George P. Seneff, Jr.

COMMANDANT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLBrig Gen John J. Tolson, III

ASST COMDT U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCol Robert F. Cassidy

EDITORIAL STAFF

Capt Richard C. AnglinFred M. MontgomeryRichard K. TierneyWilliam H. SmithDiana G. Williams

GRAPHIC ART SUPPORT

H. G. LinnH A. PickelD. L CrowleyA. Lofe

USABAAR EDUCATION AND LITERATURE DIV

Pierce L. WigginWilliam E. CarterTed KontosCharles Mabius

RMY VI TION

1GESJMARCH 1965 VOLUME II

CONTENTS

A Wild Ride

Tell Me a War Story, Capt G. E. Kinback, Jr.

Now It s Air-Conditioned Face Masks

A N e w Look in Commo, Capt John A. Fambrough

Twilight Zone, Lt David G. Hendricks

LUG

NUMBER

1

2

8

9

12

16

Mid-Air Recovery System, Capt Roland T. Zapata 18

Murphy Strikes Again 22

Today s Supplies Today, Capt John E Murphy

Safety Is a Weak Word, Maj Samuel S. Walker

You Bet Your Life Capt Hubert F. McKenney, Jr.

Galoomph, Pierce Wiggin

Meet To Learn, Gerard Bruggink

Zero Defects, Philip B. Crosby

Crash Sense

23

27

31

32

34

36

41

Fasten Your Seat Belts Inside Back

The mission of the U. S . ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information ofoperational or functional nature concerning safety and a i rcraf t accident prevention. trainima i ntenance. operations. research and development. aviation medicine. and other related d

The DIGEST is an offic ial Department of t h e Army periodical published montunder the supervision of the Commandant, U. S . Army Aviation School. Views expressherein a re not necessarily those of Department of the Army or the U. S . Army AviatiSchool. Photos are U . S. Army un less otherwise spe cified. Ma t e rial ma y be reprinprovided credit is given to the DIGEST and to the author. unless otherwise in d icated.

Articles. photos, and items of interest on Army Aviation a r e invited. Dir ect commcation is authorized to: Editor-in -Chief U. S. rmy viation Digest Fort Rucker Alabama.

Use of funds for pr in t ing this publication has been approved by Headquarters,par tment of the Army, 29 December 1964.

Active Army units receive distribution under the pinpoint di str ibution sy stemoutlined in AR 310-1. 20 March 62, and DA Circular 310 - 57 . 14 March 63. CompleteForm 12-4 and send directly to CO. AG Publications Ce n ter. 2800 Eastern BoulevaBaltimore. Md. For any change in distr ibution requirements. me r el y init iate a revised

Form 12-4.National Guard and Army Reserve units submit requirements through their statadjutants general and U. S. Army Corps commanders respectively.


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Tell e a War tory

W HENEVER a group ofArmy Aviators get together their conversation inevitably evolves into the aviators'favorite pastime - hangar flying. As they begin to tell theirtales of heroic deeds, performedwhile piloting Army aircraft,these stories eventually take ona can-you-top-this aspect.

f the story teller runs t rue

to form he will garnish the talewith colorful though slightly unt rue anecdotes.

I too have such a story. However, it lacks one aspect of the

real war story: it has beenassembled, ungarnished, from adaily log I kept of a two-weekassignment in mountainous jungles of northwestern Panama.During this period I was as -

2

Captain G E Kinback Jr.

signed to the 937th EngineerCompany (Aviation), a supporting element of the Inter-American Geodetic Survey (lAGS) .Another element, the 551st Survey Platoon, had been compiling survey data in ChiriqueProvince for approximately 15months.

The Chirique Province is di

vided by the Cordillera (mountain range) de Talamanca. TheTalamancas, with peaks up to12 000 feet traverse the approximate center of the isthmus,forming the Continental Divide.The Talamancas also form thedividing line between the developed and undeveloped halvesof the country.

The current mission of the

551st Survey Platoon was to establish second order survey control from the Continental Divide north to the Caribbean Sea.The survey plan had boggeddown because of adverse weather, impassable terrain, and theunwillingness of indigenous labor to serve as equipment bearers and guides. Work was 8weeks behind schedule.

Helicopter support had beennonexistent because the command had placed a density altitude limitation of 7 000 feet on

Capt Kinback is Assistant ChiefTraining and Evaluation BranchContract Instrument DivisionDept o Rotary Wing TrainingUSAA VNS Ft Rucker Ala.

U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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the OH-13. The surveyors of the551st were on survey points atpressure altitudes between 8,000and 10,000 feet. On hot days thedensity altitude could easilyexceed 11,000 feet.

During the 1ast week in May1960 I was summoned by theoperations officer and informedI was to take an OH-13 toDavid (pronounced Dah-veed,capital of the province) tosee i I could get the surveymoving again. I was told I couldoverlook the density altitudelimitation because of the emer-

igh density ltitude m de m nd toryex ct weight nd balance comput tions

MARCH 1965

gency nature of the situation.Resupply of the survey platoonhad become critical.

I was selected for the missionbecause I had some mountainflying experience in Colorado

and because of my small stature.At 130 pounds I had a 65-poundsafety margin over the averageArmy Aviator.

At daybreak the followingmorning I departed the CanalZone for the 4-hour trip toDavid. I was accompanied byCaptain Tryjankowski (hereafterreferred to as Ski ) and hiscrew chief, Specialist-5 Cunningham, in an 0-1, an d ' the OH-13crewchief, Sergeant Hurley, withme in the Sioux. t was commonpractice to use a light fixed wingairplane to escort helicoptersover thick jungle terrain. Bothaircraft were heavily loaded withextra gasoline, mechanic tools,and personal gear.

The base of operations for the551st Survey Platoon was located on the airfield at David.Ski and I searched for someonewho could brief us on the situa

tion.The radio operator, Private

Windfrey, said his last radio contact with the 551st platoon sergeant, Master Sergeant Asselin,and the survey party in themountains last week indicatedthat the men had just reachedtheir positions on Cerro Echandiand were clearing lines of sight.

A few mental gymnastics involving time and distance re

vealed that it had taken Sergeant Asselin and his men 47days to walk a horizontal distance of slightly less than 2nautical miles - less than 1/2mile a day During the trek intothe mountains i t was necessaryto cut trails through virgin rainforests with very dense undergrowth.

Despite the fact that the sur-

vey party followed the ridgelines, it was impossible for thecover aircraft to keep track ofthem. The men sometimes went3 or 4 days without food becausethe 0-1 could not find them to

make food drops. Clouds wouldsettle on the higher elevationsbetween 0900 and 1000 hoursevery day. f the pilot could notfind the survey party in theearly morning hours, he had towait until the following day tomake his supply drop. Even then,it was difficult to find them inthe dense jungle, unless theyclimbed the highest trees andmarked their position with abrightly colored panel.

f the pilot misjudged the topof the ridge by just a foot ortwo, the package would travelas much as 300 or 400 yardsdown the side of the ridge. Thepackage had only to fall outsidea radius of 100 yards to be completely lost in the dense undergrowth. f the pilot missed thefirst drop, i t might be severaldays before he could makeanother.

The weather in the mountainsprecluded a supply drop for theremainder of the day, so I decided to devote the time on alocal area checkout for Ski andon planning for tomorrow. WithSki as pilot and me in the backseat of the 0-1 we proceeded totour as much of the ChiriqueProvince as weather would permit. Heavy thunderstorms werehanging over the Continental Divide and the mountains held a

shroud of clouds down to the5,000-foot level. By the time wehad covered the coastal plainsand turned toward the mountains, the base of the clouds wasalready down to 3,000 feet. Themost important part of Ski'scheckout had to be postponeduntil the following day. So wereturned to David to plan thenext day's missions and give

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the crew chiefs time to performtheir postflight maintenance.

To take advantage of whatlittle flying weather we couldget between dawn and the latemorning poor weather, we planned a predawn takeoff. This wasto become standard procedurein the days that followed.

The next morning with Ski inthe 0-1 and me in the OH-13we climbed through thin fog andbroke out on top about 150 feetabove the ground. Even thoughthe patch of fog was fairly largearound David, only a few smallpatches were in the valleys alongour flight route. We could seeCerro Echandi, 43 nautical miles

northwest of David. plannedto accomplish the remainder ofSki s checkout over the radiowhile he acted as my escort.

We flew past EI Hato Volcanopointed out the small airstrip

to Ski as we went by. We continued climbing and proceededto Cerro Echandi. pointed outthe prominent landmarks as wep s s ~ dthem. As we approachedthe peak on Cerro Echandicould see three men and thetheodolite set up over the triangulation station.

I flew low over the peak anddropped a message to SergeantAsselin, advising him that wewould drop food, radio batteries,sand and cement that day andthat I would return the following day and land on Echandi. Ialso advised him to prepare ahelicopter landing pad, establishradio contact with David as soon

as possible, and be prepared forme to pick him up and returnhim to David.

I then circled well above thepeak so I could watch Ski beginhis run for the food drop. Thebundles were packed with excelsior to absorb the impactforces and were attached tobomb shackles under the wings.,A strong steady wind was blow-

ing across the peak. Ski appliedlanding flaps. With that strongwind this should have been aneasy drop. As he turned into thewind the resulting drop ingroundspeed made it appear thatthe 0-1 was floating slowlyacross the peak. saw the bundles d ~ o p from beneath thewings, hit the ground and cometo rest in some small bushes -a successful drop.

then told Ski to circle thepeak while made another lowpass. Sergeant Asselin raised hishand to indicate he understoodthe message. Ski and thenturned toward El Hato V olcan.

landed the helicopter near

the south end of the strip andshut down the engine. After theOH-13 was refueled and the sandand cement attached to theshackles of the 0-1, Ski tookoff to make the second drop onEchandi while headed forCerro Punta in the Sioux.

Cerro Punta is a small villagein a valley formed by anextinct volcano. The village isat an altitude of 6,500 feet butseveral cultivated fields andcleared pastures are in the vicinity at altitudes as high as9,500 feet. planned to land inthese areas, gradually increasingmy landing altitude. f I couldland at 9,500 feet with a fullfuel load and 150 pounds ofcargo (rocks in the cargo slings)I should have no trouble landingon Echandi tomorrow with a reduced fuel load. As I made landings at progressively higher altitudes I noticed very little difference in the handling of thehelicopter.

After landing at David wewere informed by the radio operator that Sergeant Asselin hadjust called in. Both of the supplydrops had been successful. Although the package burst, theyhad salvaged enough cement tobuild three survey markers.

We planned the next day sflights while the crew chiefs performed necessary maintenanceon the two aircraft. The futureof our helicopter operations inthe Chirique Province woulddepend on the success or failureof tomorrow s missions. For thisreason the planning was accomplished in minute detail. Weightand balance computations wereaccurate to the nearest inchpound.

The following day the airfieldwas again shrouded in the typical early-morning fog. Precioustime would be wasted waitingfor the sun to burn off the fog.We used this time to be sure

each member of our closely-knitteam knew what was expectedof him. Ski was to fly an airdrop


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to Picture Point North withSpecialist - 5 Cunningham, the0-1 crewchief, assisting in theobserver's seat. Ski would escortthe helicopter to El Hato, thebase camp, and continue to Pic

ture Point North.I was carrying another airdropin the helicopter, which I planned to unload at EI Hato. I wasalso carrying extra gasoline forthe helicopter. I would remainat EI Hato until Ski made thefirst drop and returned to pickup the second airdrop. Wewould then proceed to CerroEchandi together, where Ski wasto fly cover until the helicopterwas safely on the hilltop. 'He

was then to continue to PicturePoint South and make the second drop.

I would wait on Echandi withthe engine running until Skireturned to escort the helicopterback to EI Hato. This would giveme time to discuss the surveysituation with Sergeant Asselin

while making an on-the-spot inspection. We would then fly backto EI Hato, refuel and return toDavid. With luck and reasonablydecent weather we would complete this morning's mission ina little over 3 hours.

The fog began to break upabout 0550 and we were off theground at 0610 - 30 minuteslater than we had originallyplanned. We climbed up througha large hole in the fog.

I landed the helicopter at EIHato V olcan as Ski continued toPicture Point North. He returned

ressure altitudes may range from 8 000-10 000 feet but density altitudecould easily exceed 11 000 feet.

at 0720 and we hooked the second pair of drop bundles on theshackles. As we climbed outtoward Cerro Echandi, anydoubts I had concerning myability to land this machine at

10,400 feet were partially obscured by the beauty of thiscrystal-clear, cool m 0 r n i n gWhen we topped the lowerpeaks of the Continental DivideI could look to the north andsee the Caribbean coast; byglancing to my left I could seethe Pacific coast.

We leveled off at 10,500 feet.I could see a white panel marking the helicopter pad cut outby Sergeant Asselin and hismen. As we drew near the peakI saw three figures running toward the pad. They had pickeda nice level spot for the padon the north side. I made a lowpass to the north planning tomake a complete circle and landto the north. As I swept over thepeak I seemed to have an excessively high groundspeed. Aquick check of my airspeed indicator revealed I had only 30knots of airspeed. I estimatedmy groundspeed on the low passand it must have been at least60 or 70 knots. This meant therewas a strong wind blowingacross that peak from the south.The wind had been dead calmat the lower elevations A quickglance at the white flag atopthe survey marker confirmedmy estimate.

One of the figures on the peakwas signaling for me to land

to the north. These men hadbeen without helicopter support for so long they had forgotten a helicopter must landinto the wind. The pad wouldhave been perfect i the windwere out of the north but wasimpossible with that strongsoutherly wind. In addition itwas about 60 feet lower than thetop of the peak and there would

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When survey teams have t ime they make helipads like this one in twodays The author landed his ioux on one less sophisticated

be strong downdrafts at the padas the wind came whipping overthe peak from the south.

I continued circling the peaklooking for another place toland; at the same time I was

feeling out the convective cur-

rents. I found a level spot in asmall saddle and turned forlanding to the south. As I ap -proached the spot I saw that i twas covered with small scrub

bushes. But I felt I would beable to set the helicopter downsafely, so I continued the ap -proach.

The helicopter handled beauti-fully all the way to touchdown.I had a little trouble finding a

place where the helicopterwould set without rockingamong those tough, 2 - foot

trees. After assuring myselfthat the helicopter was firmly

seated I reduced the rpm to idle,locked down the cyclic, and tookmy first look at the three figuresstanding outside the radius ofthe turning rotor blades.

Sergeant Asselin, whom I hadknown and worked with for

months, was barely recognizable. He appeared to have aged1 years since I last saw him,less than three months ago. Allthree men had not shaved in atleast a month. Their uniformswere so dirty I could not distinguish the chevrons on Asselin's sleeve. Their toes were ex -posed through the front of theirboots and the soles of the bootsflapped as they walked. SergeantAsselin, whom I remembered asa soldier of the old school,ramrod straight in stature, wasbent over like an old man.

As they approached the cockpit there was no mistaking thewelcoming smiles beneath theheavy beards. We shook handsas we walked away from thenoise of the helicopter. After thesergeant briefed me the men un-leashed a barrage of questions:

Would the helicopter stay in

the area long enough to finishthe job? When are they goingto send some new boots? How'sthe weather in David? Will wefly out by helicopter or will we

Wings At The Treetops,'; anew film depicting the -latestdevelopments in Army Aviation,is now available to Army unitsthrough their respective audio-

visual aids communications centers.

The 28-minute film (TV 629)is among 4 being released by

The Big Picture to over 320television stations this year. temphasizes today's versatile air-craft and their capabilities insupport of the Army's overallmission.



9/52

have to walk back out? How'rethe steaks in David? I answeredmost questions as best as I couldbut I was very adamant on twoanswers: Yes, the helicopterwould stay until the job was

completed, and yes, they wouldbe flown out by helicopter.

While we talked I was ableto see first-hand the conditionsunder which these men hadexisted during the past 2months. They said nothing oftheir hardships except when Iasked specific questions. Eventhen, their answers were theepitome of modesty, indicatingthat they had simply done theirjob as best they could.

I asked why they had not requested new boots. Sergeant Asselin told me each man hadstarted out with two pairs ofnew boots, which were worn outafter the first 2 weeks. They hadrequested new boots by radioand one pair for each man wasair-dropped. When that pairwore out and they requestedmore, the request was turneddown. They could not get new

boots without first turning in theold ones. The quartermaster inPanama could not understandhow a man could wear out threepairs of boots in less than amonth. I guess he suspected theywere selling them to the natives.They had thrown away their oldboots as excess weight aftertheir bearers had deserted them.

Instead of living in the traditional army field tent, they hadconstructed a shack of small logsand tarpaper. t seems the tentscould not withstand the constant high winds and were tornto shreds after 2 or 3 days offlapping in the stiff breeze. Thetarpaper had been air-droppedby request, and the shack appeared to be holding up verywell.

Sergeant Asselin loaded hispersonal gear and we climbed

MARCH 1965

aboard the helicopter. We strapped ourselves in; I performedthe pretakeoff check and pickedup the helicopter to a hover. TheOH-13 held a 3-foot hover verynicely. The airspeed indicator

fluctuated between 25 and 30knots, so we had flying speedeven before we started movingforward.

The Bird Dog approachedfrom the north and began tocircle the peak. I made a routine pinnacle takeoff and turnedtoward EI Hato V olcan, refueledand returned to David.

During the days that followed,many of the missions performedby the two aircraft were not as

routine as that first and mostimportant, confidence - buildingmission on Cerro Echandi. Rapidly changing weather, criticalhigh altitude aircraft performance, and unpredictable mountain winds resulted in manymarginally safe aircraft operations.

The survey was completed andthe last of the surveyors returned to David, exactly 14 days

from the time Ski and I departedthe Canal Zone. We flew backto unit headquarters that sameafternoon.

The men of the 551st surveyplatoon were packing theirequipment to move to anotherprovince of Panama, the Darien.The mountains there are notquite as high, but the junglesare heavier and the natives arenot quite as friendly. The Darien Indians still display theheads of their late enemies atthe entrance of the bohios.The men of lAGS will continueto perform their missions uncomplainingly as they have inthe past. And every mISSIOnflown in those jungle coveredmountains will be a separate .

war story. f I'm not too busydwelling on my next one Imight listen to yours.

T ESTS OF A newflash cartridge toan enemy battlefie

mar. ther adva: in theArm urveillance program tofind the means of keeping a 24-hour watch on the enemy'smovements.

Developed to aid itt l o w 7 1 ~ v e laerial n i g h ~photography; theflashlight ery size cartridgeI}rOIQu )es

en gh light on 16 city

to get a usable pictureth Tri-X film.The new cartridge is 1 4 as

light in weight and 1 4 the sizeof previous cartrid es. All cart-

of this t ave several: the dangerous

y. Whenthey se ~ pieces of

hurling to earth, creatingdanger for friendly troops. Theymust be ejected fro special

machine which ha , workprope for the cartrlClge to ex-plod the right time. .

In 1 s search for the bestanswer to night battlefield illumination for low altitude aerial photography, the n n ~ h a salso tested super size electronicflash equipment. These units aresafe, fire accurately, and pro-

unlimited numbers of t l ~ l h t ~during flight, but to datethey are much heavier than thenew cartridge.

Designed an d at Picatinny A ~ n i l the cart

will be u ~ a .with n airsurveillance system conof a panoramiC camera,

processor; and an image .nner. The ' .. scanner

radips the pictureback t o a .... . . . r l

i t s ) l e J ) ~ o ( i u c ~ e d .

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Now It s

Air Conditioned

Face Masks

8

A LIGHTWEIGHT, nonwoventextile fiber weather maskthat the manufacturer claims

not only keeps the nose andmouth warm but also helpswarm and humidify inhaled airduring colder winter monthshas recently appeared on themarket.

Such a mask has long beenneeded by aviators, aviationmechanics and other military

personnel who work outdoorsin extreme cold under conditionswhere the more bulky typemasks are impractical. It wouldbe particularly valuable in survival situations to protect thenose and mouth from frostbiteand help eliminate prematureexhaustion caused by breathingcold air. [FSN 4240-738-6245]

The Minnesota Mining andManufacturing Company, whodeveloped the mask, says theporous material used allows exhaled air to pass through butstops warmth and moisture. Thewarmth and moisture is held ina small chamber formed by themask in front of the nose andmouth. Inhaled air must passthrough this chamber and is thusconditioned for more comfortable breathing.

In tests made by the companyit was found that inhaled air

from temperatures as low as-70 0 F was brought to a levelof +65 F.

The lightweight molded maskis held in place by an elasticband. t can be used numeroustimes and cleaned by rinsing inclear water. It does not interferewith glasses and goggles andwill not hinder voice communi-cations.

U S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


11/52

FOR SEVERAL years now wehave been talking about anew family" of aircraft for the

Army. Chiefs and indians alikehave been anxiously awaitingthe day that the Army wouldreduce its aircraft inventory toa highly compatible family ofonly six or seven aircraft. Thatday is fast approaching.

Some of the aircraft, specifically the light observation helicopters and the medium cargohelicopter (CH-47A), are in theservice and logistical test stage,but will soon be joining moreunits in the field. Others havebeen in the field for some timenow and are performing ad-mirably.

Capt Fambrough is a senior in-structor Command and StaffD i v s i on Dept o TacticsUSAAVNS Ft Rucker Ala.

MARCH 1965

New Lookn OI l l I l lO

Captain John A Fambrough

While the new family of air-craft was being developed, quiet-ly, behind the scenes, anothernew family was being created.This new family provides thenew aircraft with the finest communications and navigationalequipment Army Aviation hasever known.

Some aviation units have already begun to receive the newequipment, and production andprocurement are hard pressed tomeet the demand. But the gapwill eventually be closed, andwe will be using the new equip-ment in the near future.

So what We have good radioequipment now. Why all the fussover a new family of avionicsequipment? What does it haveover present equipment? We canget from point A to point Bwithout getting lost, and we cantalk to the guy on the groundwhen we want to, so why thebig flap? Who needs new radioequipment?

You do, friend And yourcommander does, and the Armydoes

To the average aviator, avionics is as forbidding as a thickproperty book; he doesn't want

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anything to do with it. You put'em in and keep 'em workingand I'll use 'em, is his cry. Butwe should know something aboutthe equipment we use, whetherit is an aircraft, a weapon, avehicle, a first-aid kit, or aradio. To be effective, we mustbe able to plan for and realizegood communications.

One of the biggest problemsassociated with tactical radiocommunication has been frequency allocation. Present radioequipment simply does not permit us to use enough of thefrequency spectrum.

We all know that our UHFand FM sets are tuneable n

increments of one-tenth of amegacycle; that is, 235.1, 235.2,and so on. The critical area hasbeen in FM communicationsthough, where all ground tactical radios are operating in a relatively narrow frequency range.Simply not enough frequenciesare available to provide eachcommander with his needs anddesires, especially when it isnecessary to tune our radios insuch large increments (.1 mC or100 kc).

To help alleviate this problem,our new family of tactical radiosare tuneable to every 50 kc instead of every 100 kc; i.e., 235 .1235.15, 235.2, etc. In other words,we now have twice the selectivity in a given band that wehave with present radios. Toprovide even more latitude, theportion of the VHF (FM) bandwe will use has been increased.

Those who are familiar withground tactical radios know thatthe old armor, artillery, and infantry frequency range extendedfrom 20 mc to about 55 mc. Withthe new airborne and groundFM radios, we will operate from30 to 76 mc, a spread of 46megacycles, compared with a 35megacycle span with the oldsets. This increase in frequency

10

range and frequency selectionprovides us with a tremendousincrease in frequency availability.

How about the new airbornecommunications sets? How dothey compare in weight, frequency, power output, and maintenance with our present sets?What new set replaces what oldset? Since operation of any ofthe new (or old) communications sets is very simple, ourprimary areas of interest as aviators and advisors on aviationmatters are weight, number offrequencies, power output, com-

patibility with ground sets, andmaintenance. Based on this,let's compare the old family withthe new.

First, let's look at VHF communications. While rarely usedby the military in CONUS, VHFis the primary means of communications in many overseasareas. The ARC type 12 VHFradio set is being or has beenreplaced with the ARC-73radio set.

The ARC type 12 provides 10crystal controlled channels andhas a power output of 1 to 2watts. Installed weight varies

;



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with the configuration in whichthe set is installed, but this setis no featherweight.

The AN ARC-73 radio setprovides 680 transmitting channels and 720 receiving channels

with a power of 20 to 25 wattsand a weight of only 32 pounds.So we realize a tremendous increase in capability while reducing weight and maintenance. TheAN / ARC-73 is partially transistorized, is of modular construction, and is digitally tuned.

Army Aviators are most familiar with the AN/ARC-55radio set UHF). This is the

MARCH 1965

communications set installed inmost fixed and rotary wingedaircraft. The ARC-55 provides1750 channels, has a power output of 9 to 12 watts, weighs 63pounds, and is by no means easy

to maintain. It is to be replacedby the AN/ARC-SIX, whichalso provides 1750 channels, butweighs only 31 pounds. Poweroutput is 20 watts and the setis partially transistorized. Likeall the new sets, the ARC-SIXis of modular construction. TheARC-51X has twice the poweroutput at half the weight of theARC-55.

What is modular construction?Briefly, it is nothing more thanconstruction in which circuitsand components are mounted oncards which plug into the radiohousing, thus forming a complete set consisting of severalcards which may be tested andreplaced individually. The resultis much simpler, faster, and moreeconomical maintenance.

Next, let s compare our present FM set, the AN/ARC-44,with its r e p a c e m e n t, the

AN/ARC-54. i r b o r n e FMradios are used to net with theground tactical radio sets FM) ,and they provide homing capability as well as communic ations.The AN / ARC-44 operates in afrequency range of 24 to 51.9 mcfor communications, and provides the operator with 280 preset channels. It has a power output of about 8 watts and weighs49 pounds in an 0 - lA installation. Weight varies with the type

of installation. FM homing onany signal within the range of24.0 to 49.0 mc is possible whenthe AN / ARA-31 antenna groupis installed in conjunction withthe ARC-44.

The new AN/ARC-54 has afrequency range of 30 to 69.9 mcand provides 800 channels . Power output is 10 watts minimum)and the set weighs 25.5 pounds.

The ARC-54 also has a homingcapability, and direction rightor left) to the station l presented on a visual indicator similar to an omni deviation indicator.

The AN / ARC-54 can be modified to provide a retransmissioncapability for increasing therange of ground or other airborne FM equipment. Basically,the retransmission unit consistsof two ARC-54 radio sets operating on different frequencies.The unit receives a signal froma ground or airborne set and retransmits it on a different frequency to another ground orairborne set. The characteristicsof the retransmission unit arethe same as for the single ARC-54 except that the weight is 51pounds.

All of the sets mentioned arelimited in range by line-of-sightrestrictions and power output.To provide a long-range communications c a p a b i i i t y, theArmy is procuring a number ofAN / ARC-I02 high frequency,single side-band radio sets. This

set provides 28,000 channels forvoice, CW, or data communications in a frequency range of 2to 30 megacycles. With this set,we can expect reliable communications to at least 100 miles, evenwhen operating at treetop altitudes. The set weighs 50 poundsand is digitally tuned.

That, very briefly, is a lookat our new communications sets,a small portion of the basic information that every aviator

should be familiar with. Each ofus has a responsibility to knowour equipment and to be ableto advise our commanders onits capabilities and limitations.He expects us to know whataviation can do for him. Whenhe asks you a question onairborne communications, willyou be able to give him ananswer?

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14/52

T HE TIME IS 2100Z on a grayovercast afternoon in Nvember.

Lieutenant Weatherall has justarrived at Thompson Field, J ackson, Miss., on an 0 - l A ferrymission. His flight had been conducted under marginal VFR conditions with ceilings rangingfrom 1,300 feet to 1,500 feet over

cast. He hoped to be able to fileout as soon as possible and makeit on in to Fort Rucker, Ala., thatday. It had been a long, frustrating trip due to a slow moving cold front that seemed determined to stay just ahead toblock his route of flight. In fact,it had been due only to afternoon lifting that he had beenable to get this far.

2

Lieutenant avid G Hendricks

After arranging for serVICIngthe Bird Dog and checking theweather, Lieutenant Weatherallfoun d that his fears had m t e ~rialized. Not only was the ceiling forecast to drop below 1,000feet in about an hour, but alsothe fron was expected to become stationary on a NE-SWline cu ting across Evergreen,

Ala. Somewhat downhearted, hedecided to eat and then keep arunning check on the weatherfor a few hours before decidingto RON.

Lieutenant Weatherall hadfinished his meal and was staring blankly into his second cupof coffee when a thought beganto enter his mind. It occurredto him, Say, what about those

'elsewhere area' minimums theymentioned back in flight school?Lieutenant Weatherall didn'trealize it at the time, but he wasabout to enter the twilight zone

Another check on the weatherrevealed that prevailing localcondi ions, as well as those forMeridian, Miss., would be 700-800 feet overcast with 3-4 miles

visibility, with conditions lowering occasionally to 200 feetovercast 1/2 mile in light rain andshowers. Only slight improvement was expected throughoutthe next day. Montgomery andFort Rucker were reporting

Lt Hendricks is with the Deptof Fixed Wing T r a i n i n gUSA A VNS Ft Rucker Ala



15/52

clear and 10 with excellent VFRconditions forecast for the following day.

Say, could you tell me if Icould make a VFR flight using'elsewhere area' minimums withthis weather? he asked theforecaster.

That's a little out of my de

partment, but we have a directline to the tower. Those guysstay pretty well up on stuff likethat.

The tower was helpful, butnot overly so. We can give youa VFR controlled departure outof here. Then, if you can stay outof controlled airspace, you'll beo.k. i f you have 1 mile and stayclear of clouds. Give us a call

MARCH 1965

when you're ready to go."This terminated the conversa

tion, leaving many unansweredquestions to be pondered overanother cup of coffee. Lieutenant Weatherall hadn't carried

his Jepp or any regs with himon this trip, but he figured hecould look for some elsewhereareas on his sectionals.

Entering the coffee shop again,Lieutenant Weatherall noticedanother Army Aviator sittingoff in a corner, gazing out thewindow. What appeared to bea well-stuffed J epp case was onthe floor next to him. At leasthere was the bright prospect ofsome company and the loan of aJepp Vol I

Am I glad to see anotherArmy Aviator around here I 'mLieutenant Weatherall, out ofFort Rucker.

The aviator didn't rise or offera handshake, but merely gavea half salute to the greeting. Thename tag on his flight suit offeredthe only introduction - CaptainFilango.

That your 0-1 parked on the

ramp? he asked.I'm afraid so. No instruments; it looks like I may behere for a few days. I had beenthinking about these 'elsewherearea' minimums, and thought Imight borrow your J epp to lookup a few things."

Sure, have a seat. I used touse special VFR quite a bit andcan probably help you out. Whatdo you need to know?

Lieutenant Weatherall looked

a little embarrassed and said,Just about everything, actually.

I've never checked into thisthing very deeply."

"O.K., let's just start from thetop then. AR 95-2 states in Section III that the rules of thatsection and visual flight rulespromulgated by the FAA willgovern the operation of aircraftunder visual flight conditions. t

also states that VFR flights maybe cleared when the weather isforecast to permit VFR flightsen route. Destination weathermust be VFR at the time of departure and forecast to remain

VFR or forecast to become VFRat least one hour before arrivaland to remain VFR until onehour after arrival. The prevailing weather condition may beused to clear flights VFR whenintermittent or occasional belowVFR conditions are forecast.

Lieutenant Weatherall settledback in his chair with a look offinal resignation. Guess thatwashes me out right there. Thebest they'll give me tonight is800 feet with not much improvement tomorrow. That won't evenget me out under prev ilingVFR conditions."

Now that's where you'rewrong. You're still thinking ofVFR as strictly 1,000 feet and3 miles or better. Actually, thereare three types of VFR: withinthe continental control area;within a control zone, controlarea, or transition area; and out

side controlled airspace. The latter is probably what you referred to as an 'elsewhere area.'

To plan a VFR flight withless than 1,000 feet and 3 miles,you are concerned with this uncontrolled airspace. Here, VFRat or below 1,200 feet absoluteis clear of clouds and 1 milevisibility. A helicopter may operate with less than 1 mile whenflown at a speed that allows thepilot adequate opportunity tosee any air traffic or other obstruction in time to avoid a collision. Above 1,200 feet you musthave cloud separation of 500 feetbelow, 2,000 feet horizontally,and 1,000 feet above with 1 milevisibility. This is found in FAR91.105, Basic VFR Weather Minimums.

To stay out of control andtransition areas, you'll have to

3


16/52

observe the color coding on yoursectional maps. The blue andmagenta colors indicate the baseof the controlled airspace abovethe surface.

Ah, sooooo that's what allthose colors on the map are forI've noticed those, but neverpaid much attention to them.

Yeah; well you know. Takeyour Mobile sectional for instance. The controlled airspacelegend is located in the centerof the bottom border. Magentaindicates floor 700 feet abovethe surface, blue indicates floor1,200 feet above surface, andfloors other than 700 feet or1,200 feet above the surface areindicated by a thin, blue linewith the MSL altitude indicated.An example of the latter is alarge area based at 3,000 MSLjust east of Dothan, Ala. Onlythe borders of the control areasare colored, with the sharp,smooth side representing theoutside edge.

Airport control zones extendupward from the surface, whichprecludes penetration without aspecial VFR clearance. They areindicated on the sectional by

4

dotted lines. Other than restricted areas, this leaves onlyuncontrolled airspace with nooverlying control area. These areindicated by uncolored areasbordered on all sides by thesmooth edges of adjacent controlareas.

So you can see that it's not

really too difficult to go VFRi

you stay low enough and planon bypassing airport controlzones and restricted areas. Eveni your destination has a controlzone and is IFR for controlledairspace, you might file to somenearby airport that is outsidecontrolled airspace. Then all youwould need for a VFR destination would be the same old'clear of clouds and 1 mile.' Fromthere you might be able to get

a special VFR clearance intoyour desired . airport's controlzone. This would also involve achange of destination on yourflight plan, of course.

The last and simplest problem is getting a VFR controlleddeparture. Make the request onyour flight plan and then picki t up in the same manner as anIFR clearance It will be phrased

somewhat like this: 'ATC clearsR out of the control zone

miles SE of Thompson Airport. Maintain special VFR con-di ions a t or below feetwhile in control zone.' SpecialVFR weather minimums in acontrol zone are described inFAR 91.107. The requirements

are 1 mile visibility and clearof clouds, except that a helicopte r may operate with less than 1mile. The required special VFRclearance will normally begranted unless a traffic conflictexists.

The Army Aviator may, however, experience some difficultyin obtaining a clearance fromthe base operations officer at AirForce and Navy bases. Whileboth services will honor Army

criteria for Army Aviators operating at their fields, the clearing officer may not be aware ofthis due to limited contact withthese criteria. This clearing authority for the Air Force may befound in AFR 60-16, para 44c,and for the Navy in OPNA VINSTP3710.7B, Feb 1964, para 530C.

Remembering or recordingthese references could save a



17/52


18/52

LULightUtility

lider

VALUATION OF y a nAeronautical C o m p a n y , s

Flex Wing LUG - a light utilityglider cargo and logistics system - will be conducted as partof a 280,000 contract awardedby the Army for the Departmentof Defense s Advanced ResearchProjects Agency (ARPA).

Evaluation is designed as afurther step in development ofthis unique method of unmanned delivery of high prioritycargoes into combat areas. TheArmy will conduct tests to determine the feasibility of theLUG concept under an air assault type operation.

The tow glider concept multi-

6

plies several times the carryingcapacity of Army helicopters, assuccessfully demonstrated inprevious tests for Army andARPA in which heavy loadswere towed by such aircraft.Ryan s Flex Wing is made offlexible, plastic-coated materialattached to an aluminum alloytubular keel and leading edgemembers to form an arrow-orV-shaped, kite-like surface.

Suspended beneath the FlexWing as it is towed is the cargo,which can comprise all types ofsupplies, weapons and fuel --and even vehicles such as jeepsand other small wheeled carriers. According to the manufacturer, payloads of several thou-

sand pounds can be delivered byth e -Flex Wing, following release,in a glide to a prescribed areaunder radio control from theaircraft or the ground.

With the LUG system, theevaluation would be applied topayloads ranging from 1,000 to1,500 pounds, using either prepackaged or random, odd-shapedcargoes.

A Ryan news release describesLUG as an extremely versatilecargo delivery vehicle of simpledesign and low cost for use ina highly mobile and dispersedcombat environment.

In previous testing programsfor the Army, Ryan Flex Wing



19/52

ACG air cargo glider) systemsoperated from rough terrain forboth towed takeoff and landing,and with both wheel and skidsupported vehicles. Included inthese testing programs was successful demonstration of an automatic flare system to reducelanding velocity to preservecargo, and to minimize landingrollout. Numerous missions wereflown with the same glider, witha minimum turn-around time.

Outstanding features of theACG system included simplicityof construction, ease of mainten a n c e, interchangeability ofcomponents, and extensive useof off-the-shelf items. The opera-

MARCH 1965

LU systems can deliverlarge p ylo ds into

forward b ses o

operations where conventionallanding strips are

nonexistent

tional light utility glider, orLUG, will be even more structurally simple than its predecessors.

The LUG control platform isa rectangular structure built ofaluminum alloy extrusions cutto length and bolted at the corner joints to form the main boxassembly. Damaged sections canbe repaired quickly by unbolting these portions and insertingand refastening new sections.Attached to the cargo tie-downfittings are standard off-the-shelfnylon webbing belts with quick

release couplings, and hook-endsto support various shaped cargoes.

The tow bridle consists of fourlengths of standard aircraft 3/16-inch diameter steel cable. Thissystem g e n e r a t e s correctivemoments around the aircraftyaw and pitch axes to dampenout tow cable oscillations, and toreduce differential a I t i t u d echanges between the towed andtowing vehicles. Tow cablelength is approximately 400 feet.

A roll control rotary actuator,relay control assembly, interconnecting lines and harnesses arecontained within the forwardplatform s t r u c t u r e and arereached by removing a sectionof the floor planking.

The battery box is attached tothe platform by four standardquick-disconnect pins. Control

R y a n News Release

actuating devices receive theiroperating power from two 12-volt lead-acid type storage batteries.

An automatic flare switchhangs suspended under theglider by a 30-foot lanyard assembly. When the switch contacts the ground, the automaticflare circuit is actuated, permitting the wing to rotate in thepitch plane to the flare position.

In tests of earlier air cargoglider systems, satisfac tory takeoff and landing performanceswere demonstrated at gross

weights up to 1,800 pounds, withtakeoff runs by CH-34 helicopters of approximately 700 feet.

Ryan officials state that theFlex Wing LUG systems nowbeing built will be capable ofbeing towed without control inputs, other than wing tr im andthe vectored forces induced bythe tow cable from takeoffthrough landings by the UH-1helicopter. LUG gliders will alsobe capable of remote controlduring towed and free flight,and will have an automatic programmed flare maneuver forfree flight landings.

The LUG contract is beingmonitored by the U. S. ArmyTransportation Research Command, Fort Eustis, Va., an element of the U. S. Army Aviation Materiel Command, St.Louis, Mo.

7


20/52

Captain Roland T Zapata

Figure 1 1) Initial catch, 2) disconnect and payout

3) towing and/or winding into aircraft.

18

T HE MID-AIR recovery system is not a new idea butthe use of helicopters for midair pickup is certainly new. TheAll American Engineering Company first tried it in 1958 using

a single pole hookup, and theAir Force completed a short program in the fall of 1961 by catching 800-pound packages. TheArmy has successfully caught2 500-pound packages with theCH-37 helicopter.

The need for the mid-air recovery system was generated atWhite Sands Missile Range byproject personnel who wished tohave this type of soft recovery

preventing the item from strik

ing the ground).After completing the first

phase of the MARS test program, it became evident thatmid-air recovery of parachuteborne objects by helicopter hadmany possibilities. These usesare not only in the space program for missile booster andcapsule recovery but also in tac-



21/52

--.........::;;_--.J_--------- FOUR 4) HOOKS

D R O G U E CHUTE

~ ~ ; : : TOW LINE

--o:..-=--..::::=:::;IIIIl---- QUICK DISCONNECT

Figure 2

tical situations for pinpoint resupply. t can also put the Armyon an equal basis with the Navyand Air Force for recovery services required of the space agencies.

THE MID-AIRRECOVERY SYSTEM

To make a mid-air pickup, asystem must be used to reducethe force of the sudden impactcreated when the catch is made.There must also obviously be ameans of reeling in the loadafter it is caught . (Airspeed atcatch varies from 50-60 knots.)

To accomplish these two primary functions of the mid-airpickup, an energy absorbingwinch which allows for a gradual deceleration of the pickupcable is used. This absorbs theshock and appreciably reducesthe g loading on the package

and aircraft.The winch is mounted on apallet (or platform) which allows for load distribution overthe floor of the CH-37 and alsofurnishes a stable platform onwhich to attach the rollers, cable

Capt Zapata is Special ProjectsOfficer Aviation Branch RangeServices Division White SandsMissile Range N. M

MARCH 1965

L J ~ P Y LO D

cutter, control panel, hydraulicsystem and the pole actuationmechanism.

The rollers allow the tow-incable to change directions andtherefore place the loading atthe c.g . of the helicopter. Thepoles, which are 25 feet long,are used primarily to establisha rigid object to hold the catchloop and hooks in position. Theloop is suspended between the

poles see fig. 1 and 2)._Now let s talk about parachutes. Parachute-borne objectsmust have a drogue (or target)parachute deployed above themain canopy, and the packagemust have a rate of descent notto exceed 24 feet per second.Mid-air pickup is not made byhooking into the main canopybut by hooking or catching thedrogue parachute. The drogueis attached directly to the package by a drogue line which mayrun through the apex of themain canopy, or it may be merely tacked at the apex and skirtof the main parachute.

The drogue is attached to thepackage rather than to the apexof the main canopy to allow themain parachute to either collapse or break away when thecatch is made. In phase II, after

1,200 pounds, a system was developed between the drogue andmain parachute that allowed aquick disconnect of the mainchute as soon as a load wasplaced on the package. This en

abled us to use parachutes upto 82 feet in size.f the drogue is attached to

the apex of the main canopy,the main parachute will paraplane while being reeled in andcould possibly fly up into thetail rotor. In the smaller weights,up to 1,200 pounds, the collapsedparachute can be pulled into thethe helicopter, leaving only theweight suspended below. Normally the only modification required on the main canopy isthe reinforcing of the apex witha cotton material to help reducethe friction burning of the nylondrogue line.

The winch system was designed by All American Engineering Company of Wilmington,Del. The equipment is portableand can be easily installed andremoved, using the existing tiedown rings of any CH-37. Thecomplete assembly - fore andaft pallets - is fastened to thefloor. The pole attaching armsand the main roller fit into thecargo hatch. After the equipment is installed, the crew prepares for takeoff. Each memberhas an individual responsibilitythroughout the operation.

As Soon as the helicopter isready to go, the crew installsthe hooks and loop onto thepoles. One hook is attached tothe end of each pole while theloop assembly has one hook eachin the center. As the helicoptertakes off, the flight engineer lowers the poles into the catch position.

An Air Force C-123 was usedas the drop aircraft and theCH-37 was vectored into position by radar. This same systemhas been employed in recoveries

19


22/52

igure

of actual paraborne packageswhether missile or aircraftdropped (fig. 3).

The key man at the beginning

of the pickup run is the radaroperator. He must vector theCH-37 to a point 3 run from thepackage when the package is2,000 feet above the helicopter.At this point the helicopter setsup its approach and moves infor the catch. Either the pilotor copilot can make the catch.

f the pilot is making the catchhis attention is on the target ordrogue parachute and it is upto the copilot to call off airspeed,

rate of descent, and power settings.

When contact is made withthe drogue chute, the winchcable pays out, accelerates thepackage to the aircraft speed,and then stops paying out. Assoon as the package stops, itdives and swings forward of thehelicopter. This is not critical asthe package pull on the aircraft

20

constant. (The cable payoutis controlled by a time delaysetting on the winch.) A t thepreset moment, the winchbrakes are applied, therebystopping cable payout.

As mentioned earlier, as soonas a load is applied to the package (as the cable is paying out)the main parachute is released,having only the package attached to the drogue, which isthen reeled into the belly of thehelicopter.

During our tests the crewmembers perform the followingoperations:

The crewchief loads thecable cutter so it will be readyfor use should an emergency

arise.(This cuts the tow line or

cable and can be triggered bythe pilot, copilot or crewchief.)

The data recording instruments (deleted when not in testphase) and camera are calibrated and turned on before thecatch. Normally calibration ismade while climbing to altitude.They are turned on when thehelicopter is on its final approachto the drogue.

To wrap things up let s go

through an actual mission andsee what it is like.

Old 997 lumbered across theairfield with the awkward caution of a lady wrestler at a teaparty - a little old, a littleslow, but her muscles bulging.

This was 0630 of a hot Julymorning. Twice before thatweek she had waddled forth,

rising with surprising grace toward the distant mountainsnorth and east of Holloman AirForce Base, and glided slowlyover the white sands - only tobe frustrated, through no faultof her own, both times. This wasanother day.

Old 997 is a U. S. Army CH-37and her climates of duty haveranged from extreme cold toextreme heat, with all temperatures in between. In August1962, she had been outfitted withwinch, cables, poles, instrumentsand hooks. She had taken to theair time after time wi h thisstrange package, had ridden theair route north and south in

front of the mountains, and hadmaneuvered her bulk over parachuted packages which grew insize and weight.

The hooks she carried caughtthe drogue parachute. The linestreaked from the winch, haltedabruptly, dived towards thesands below, stopped and thereslowly coiled again over thepower driven reel. Instrumentsmeasured the effect on winchand cable. Pilots measured theeffect on the helicopter. Armymen, caught by the challenge oftheir experiment, measured theeffect on other men.

During this testing, changeswere made in equipment andtechnique. Pilots learned theart (and it is an art) of slowing,descending on the drogue chute,maneuvering hooks into silk atthe right place and at the righttime, then absorbing the shock

of contact to fly a level courseas the weight is reeled in.

It sounds - and is - like agame of mid-air angling, but itgoes beyond that, both in performance and intent, for angling is a lonely sport; and 997 stask needed the combined effortsof a number of people, and hergoal was far beyond the immediate task of catching weights



23/52

of impromptu design.Money and time were running

out. Her flight on this Julymorning, nearly a year after herparachute hunts began, was ostensibly the last for old 99 asthe leading lady in this particular spectacle.

In the wake of this old ladyskipped an 0- lA and a U -6Awith photographers on board.

Out of the jumble that filledthe earphones, voices emerged.King I Radar guided the C-123carrying the chuted weight soit would drop the target 3 milesahead of 997, now establishedon its north-south route.

Mojave 97, answered King I

in clipped monosyllables. The0- lA and U -6A flanked theMojave, both finding i t hard tokeep pace with her slow, ntentflight.

Package dropped, the C-123announced suddenly. The Mojave, now committed, hunted thesky ahead for signs of thedrogue and main parachutes.Twice earlier that week thechutes had failed to open.

Old 99 started its stalk, thepilot hoping the drogue wouldn'twhip sideways in the air at thelast minute. (This had happenedusing round chutes, but wascorrected by using a square 14-foot chute.) The hooks caught.

Beautiful, beautiful, the U-6pilot was heard to say. Old 997,her m s s o n accomplished,headed for Holloman.

The CH-37 crew was happy.Pickup had been made at 6,700

feet, lower than the usual zoneof 9,000 feet. The CH-37 hadmade the catch with only aslight jar and nose down, marking the sudden addition of 2,500pounds.

A good snatch, said the project chief.

This then was what a typicalmission went like. Many morewill come.

MARCH 1965 2


24/52

Murphy Strikes Again

THE COLLECTIVE pitch control on an OH-13G froze inthe up position during the over-ride check prior to a mainte-nance test flight. The aircraft

had been test flown the day be-fore and not released for flightdue to numerous discrepancies.

Subsequent teard6wn and in -spection revealed that the collective yoke assembly was n

This discrepancy came to light during maintenance being performed by the Aircraft Division Fort Worth Army Depot. It isan excellent example of how hard an individual must work toinstall a part wrong and certainly is proof of Murphy s Law.

stalled upside down. Additionally retaining nuts PIN 47-150-119-1 and PIN 47-150-123-1 wereinstalled on the same side of theyoke bearing. The installation of

both retainmg nuts did not allow enough room to install thetang washer PIN 47-150-241-3and it was left completely outof the assembly. Since the second nut PIN 47-150-123-1 was

installed incorrectly and turnedin the same direction as mastrotation it continued to tightenuntil it froze the collective yoke.

It was impossible to determinewhen Murphy s Law was applied and there is no way todetermine the number of hoursthe aircraft was flown in this

o n d i t i o n ~

Left: Murphy at work. Right Murphy foiled.RET INING NUT PIN 47 150 123 1

RET INING NUT PIN 47 150 119 1

RET INING NUT PIN 47-150--119--1

T NG W SHER P N 47--150 -241-3

T NG W SHER PIN 47-150--241-3 IS MISSING

22 _ S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


25/52

Today sSuppliesToday

T HE DEAFENING roar ofaircraft engines churning inthe predawn darkness signalsreveille for the officers and menof the 187th Transport AircraftCompany. This music is provided by aircraft crew chiefs asthey go about the daily aircraftinspection.

As dawn slowly breaks andthe surrounding area becomes

MARCH 1965

aptain John E Murphy

visible one notices that thisArmy unit's home is a gentlyrolling grassy area encompassedby thick trees. Sixteen aircraftare irregularly positioned underthe canopies of large camouflagenets which blend into the adjacent forested area. The grasslanding strip measures 1 500 feetin length and is marked withsimple ground panels and lan-

terns. It is characterized withgradual dips and rises.

Aviators of this unit fly theCV-2B Caribou. The unit mission is to provide logistical support to the combat soldier.

A buzz of activity in operations indicates that . missionshave already arrived from high

er headquarters and planning

3


26/52

Red Cap service, Army Aviation style

is underway. Captain Tomlinson walks into the tent, havingjust arrived from the forwarddivision areas. He is commanderof the Pathfinder Detachment.

Their job is to provide terminalguidance for Army aircraft, butin this instance they support the

Capt Murphy developed theLOLEX delivery technique withSFC Everett Travis, AirborneDept, U S. Army QuartermasterSchool. He is now serving as anadvisor in Vietnam.

24

Caribou company. Closely behind the pathfinder officer aretwo flight platoon leaders, Captains Dahn and Franklin, whohave just finished their C ration breakfast. Two other officers in attendance are CaptainPaxman, the company maintenance officer, and a p t a i nEvans, the liaison officer fromthe Quartermaster Air DeliveryCompany supporting the Caribou. The operations officer, Captain Holloway, turns from thecharts to begin his briefing:

Our initial missions today are

cargo deliveries to the 12th Division. Captain Paxman informsme that 15 of our aircraft areflyable and the remaining onewill be ready for missions bynoon.

As Holloway finishes outliningthe mission specifics, he asks thePathfinder officer to furnish anypertinent details of the deliverysites. In concise terms, CaptainTomlinson begins:

Site W h i s k e y - This area is900 feet long, clear and level,but because of heavy rains twodays ago it has many deep drainage ditches which makes airlanding impractical. I recommend delivery by the low levelextraction technique (LOLEX).

Site X r a y You can landhere. We had Mohawks in yesterday. You have a 1,000-footstrip, with no obstacles on the090 0 approach. The 270 0 endhas trees 30- feet high.

Site Y a n k e e - A platoon ofHueys (UH-ls) is here. Thearea is a patchwork of trees andclearings. The largest open areais about 75 meters square. Airdrop is the solution here, if Captain Evans can have his riggerstake care of it.

Site u l u I have not beenin this area yet. f the Air Delivery Company dropmastershave the cargo rigged for airdrop or LOLEX, we'll have apositive delivery backup in caseyou can't airland.

My team will be operationalat all sites mentioned, to pro

vide you the necessary navigational assistance.

As the briefing concludes,Captain Evans, the 109th Air

*LOLEX, or the low-level extractiontechnique, is air delivery of cargofrom a rear loading type aircraftflying in proximity to the ground(1-10 feet), using an extraction parachute or parachute system to releasefinal restraint on the cargo, extractit from the airplane, and deceleratethe cargo's horizontal momentum.



27/52

Delivery Company liaison officer, is on the phone contactinghis unit to verify receipt of themission and to pass on specificswhich will assist his company inrigging supplies.

Ten minutes after departinghome, the Caribou touch down

at LOGBASE and taxi into theirloading areas. A group of soldiers wearing red caps, whichidentify them as parachute riggers, are soon bustling about thecargo compartments, directingthe waiting forklifts and 2%-tontrucks into position behind theaircraft, so the essentials of warcan be placed into the waitingairplanes. As the red-capped

dropmasters lash and load thecargo, the flight platoon leaderscomplete final coordination withCaptain Wilmot, the 109th airdeli very officer.

All supplies for Whiskey Xray and Zulu are rigged forLOLEX. Payloads for aircraftgoing to Whiskey and Zulu are6,100 pounds. Each aircraft hasa 500-gallon collapsible fuel container of JP-4 and a pallet ofammunition. X ray airplanes areloaded with three 2,000-poundpallets for a 6,000-pound payload. These are 'company type'pallets containing essentials ofall supply classes to sustain arifle company for one da y .Yankee airplanes are rigged forairdrop. Payload for all these

aircraft is 6,000 pounds in six1,000-pound pallets. These loadswill be dropped from 400 feetabove the ground.

While you were en routehere, an emergency requestcame in for POL resupply tofour choppers at Site November.Aircraft number 406 is alreadyloaded and will have to make amultiple delivery. The first load,a 500-gallon collapsible fuel container of JP-4 goes to the choppers at November using theLOLEX technique. The seconddelivery is an airdrop of two1,000-pound pallets from 400feet at Site Yankee.

There are two points to re

member: (1) LOLEX and airdrop deliveries will be initiatedby the copilot s activation ofthe extraction parachute system. (2) Give your dropmasterthe 20-minute, 10-minute, 6-minute red light, and 1-minute warning so he can complete his dutiesaccording to our planned sequence.

Later, as the Caribou headhome after delivering their cargoes, a call from Captain Holloway diverts them to LOGBASE.Captain Wilmot meets the airplanes as they land and hasparachutes ready to go aboard.The roller conveyors used forthe cargo mission are removedfrom the floor and stored beneath the troop seats. A few

Quarter-ton vehicle delivered by LOLEX system is ready for immediate use

quick words to Captains Dahnand Franklin b y Wilmot supplement Flolloway s message untilthe Caribou arrive at the SiteOscar marshalling area for amore thorough briefing.

Headquarters has ordered aparachute assault by a twocompany task force from the 1stBrigade. This maneuver is par tof a larger effort by the brigadeto cut the aggressor salient andrelieve pressure on the 3rdBrigade. The assault will takeplace at Site January Parachuteassault was selected because theJanuary area is beyond therange of the division s helicopters and will offer a stealthy

and surprising diversion priorto the attack of the 1st Brigade.Captain Tomlinson is at Site

Oscar with the task force commander and will give you specifics on the drop zone. Theactual assault will be a tailgatedrop of 6 jumpers from eachaircraft. Drop altitude will be750 feet above the ground. Tomlinson's reconnaissance of thesize of the drop zones will determine your drop speed, which

may be as slow as 90 knots ithe dz is restricted. Dropmasters will fly as static jumpmasters and can assist you and thetask force commander in expediting the marshalling phase.

The foregoing discussion hasou lined a few missions now


28/52

Properly Used the Caribou is a commissary in the sky

routine in Caribou employment.This rugged airplane was purchased for its STOL performance to move troops and equipment about the battle area. Useof its full spectrum of performance enhances the ground com-mander's tactical operations. Capable of airdrop and the recently developed low level ex -

26

traction (LOLEX), the Caribounow has a choice in deliverytechnique which minimizes ef-fects of weather and the condi-tion of terrain, and allows delivery in what would otherwisebe marginal conditions.

Selecting the method of delivery before takeoff, the Caribou may depart the LOGBASE

rigged for airdrop or low levelextraction and can use eithermethod i f air anding is impractical. Dependence on airstripsfor delivery is minimized. Thecombat commander aware of thecapabilities of this airplane canenjoy an increase in tacticalfreedom by selecting any openarea en route to his objectivefor receipt of incoming supplies.As with airlanding, the airdropand low level extraction methods allow for multiple deliveriesto several units on a singlesortie.

The Bou, as this aircraft isaffectionately known, is characterized by economy of operation and is especially suited forretail delivery of daily consumabIes to company and battalionsized units. This has the advantage of shortening and minimiz-ing the age old problem of tactical commanders, the logisticaltail.

Where is the battalion com-mander who would not prefer tohave 6,000 pounds of suppliesdelivered by the Caribou to a

point of his choosing, rather thanhave 10 ,000 or 27,000 pounds ofsupplies delivered at an airfieldto which he must divert a portion of his unit? The latter situation impedes the tactical freedom of this commander andcreates a problem of redistribution. In short the commander's

logistical tail is lengthened.f used properly, the Caribou

is your commissary in the sky.Providing retail delivery to yourcommand post by airlanding, airdrop, and LOLEX, this planecan respond to your needs anddeliver to your unit today's sup-plies today. . . . , .

[For additional information onaerial delivery see ((C.O.D. -Cargo on Demand, Nov '64DIGEST and (eSpecial Air Delivery, June '64 DIGEST.]



29/52

Safety

Is AWeak Word

ajor Samuel S Walker

THE COMPANY commanderlooked at his bulletin boardwith contempt. Here I am,he said, trying to teach thesetroops to kill with cold steelwhile some silly so-and-so fromPost Safety tacks signs all overthe barracks warning them notto slip on the soap in the shower. How can you condition troopsfor combat while a bunch of oldmaid males wring their handsin apprehension about them trip-ping over their laundry bags?

Some of our officers use such

7


30/52

Psychological conflict exists in teaching Army Aviators to becautious while training them in dangerous low-level flight

statements as these to investtheir personalities with dash andverve. There is dramatic flairand a touch of the renegade insuch pronouncements. h e ythink this is the thing to do.However this does not mark oUrcompany commander as an extremist or professional dissenter.Many observant and sober minded officers are finding subtleconflicts in many of our mostv i g 0 r 0 u s l y championed programs.

Certainly there is a measureof conflict in the psychologicalconditioning of troops to be atonce efficient killers and as safety conscious as Boy Scouts. So,

too, is there conflict in teachingArmy Aviators to be cautiouspilots while training them in thedangerous tactics of low-levelflight. These contradictions are

Maj Walker is with the Advanced Studies Division U S.Army Combat DevelopmentsCommand Aviation Agency FortRucker Ala.

8

facts that a civilized nation mustcontinually face and resolve.Officers in our Armed Forcesmust take a realistic view ofsafety and expediency.

But have those officers withthe cavalier a t t i t u d e reallythought through the subject ofsafety? Have they weighed theirattitudes against the ethical,moral and human values involved?

I think many have not. Andthey must. The professional officer must have a comprehensionof the delicate interrelationshipsof our society. His abilities mustgo beyond just producing effective soldiers. The officer who

sees this as his only job is acutely out of tune with the realitiesof our social order. He has thetail wagging the dog. This country does not exist so we canhave an Army. The Army existsso we can have a country. Anoccasional restatement of thisessential truth is never out oforder.

So long as our government is

responsive to the will of thepeople we have the moral responsibility to accomplish ourmission with minimum hazardto the lives and well being of ourt r p s ~Excesses and arrogantdisregard of this dictum have attimes roused public 0 p i n i o nagainst the military to feverpi ch. f we do not accept ourresponsibility solely for its moral overtones, an aroused public opinion will eventually forceus to comply with its will. Thisis one of our better argumentsfor support of programs whichhelp us do our tasks more safely.We simply have no choice.

But this is only a small part

of the argument. The fantasticmaterial waste caused by carelessness, inadequate training,and intemperate decision chafesthe taxpayer. National magazines and newspapers carryunder banner headlines accounts of military aviation accidents. Recent feature storiestake note of aircraft worth morethan their weight in gold andcite accident costs that rangeinto ever higher figures.

Editors are questioning thewisdom of investment in suchexpensive hardware. They wonder editorially i the management of this money is in competent hands. t is our businessto prove that it is. Where we arenot competent we must becomecompetent. With almost $50 billion going into defense, it becomes increasingly incumbentupon all military officers to de

velop the management skills toadequately discharge their responsibilities for efficient utilization of this money.

One of the marks of goodmanagement in major industrialoperations is a strong safetyprogram. Stripped of sentimentalities, it has simply proved tobe good business to conserve thepeople and machines which pro-



31/52

duce. A beneficial side effect isalways improved employee-management relations. Employeeslike to work for organizationsthat care what happens tothem. There is no reason to sup

pose that the soldiering man isany different.Another consideration is the

tragic waste of talent. We reallyare not a nation of inexhaustibletalent resources. The aviationfield is a classic case in point.The dollars and cents worth ofan aviator has soared astronomically in recent years. As thecomplexity of our equipment increases a progressively smallerpercentage of our young peoplewill be able to meet the physicaland intellectual standards necessary to operate it. Selection ofaircrew trainees becomes moredifficult training more expensive and time consuming.

When a student pilot becomesa finished product he can be as-signed to operate a machine cost-ing hundreds of times the worthof a W orId War II artillery spot-ter aircraft. The citizens who

pay our bills and expect protection from us also expect us touse this pilot and his machinewith prudence and profit. Thisis no place for a swashbucklingand cavalier attitude towardsafety. The basic requirement toget the job done demands theconservation of our means to dothe job.

Often the argument is advanced that a particular safetyprecaution would not be ob-served in combat. This neverconstitutes a valid excuse forunnecessarily risking valuablelives and equipment when thereis time and the wherewithal toavoid it. Further, the potentialworth of equipment and crewsin actual combat is so great asto warrant more, rather thanless stringent attention to pre-

MARCH 1965

cautions necessary to preservethem. The high unit cost ofArmy aircraft is only one example.

The concept of a nuclear battlefield has increased the de

structive potential of a man-machine combination to a level beyond the comprehension of theWorld War II soldier. The pos-sibility of short, violent and extensively destructive wars, to befought with forces in being further accentuates the worth of theindividual soldier and machine.

t is more likely today than everb efore in history that a soldierand his machine could becomethe proverbial horseshoe nail

which cost a kingdom.Some officers often offer the

trite rebuttal that we are sellingsafety for safety's sake. This isnot an appropriate observationfrom a mature and reasonablemind. The officer who attemptsto carry out a mission assign-ment which involves exceptionalrisk of equipment and personnelwithout first advising the com-mander accurately and honestly

of his estimate of the situationis derelict in his responsibilityto his commander. He is usurping the prerogatives and responsibilities of the commander.

Commanders rarely want the

mission performed at any cost.They want the mission performed at a cost they can affordto pay. They depend upon staffofficers schooled in the employment of our complicated equipment, to accurately appraisethem of the risks and probabilities involved. The bullish concept of the mission at anycost ignores our tremendousinvestment in schools of tacticsand grand strategy.

To belly up to an obstacle andovercome it by brute force aloneis only occasionally necessary inmodern war. Finding and usingthe easiest and least expensiveway is the prime task of commanders. The officer who is constantly stampeded by the immediate requirements of the mission is extravagant and wasteful. The refusal to reason is unfortunately, often regarded as a

ommanders rarely want the mission performed at any ost

9


32/52

measure of courage and drive.In final analysis it is the leastcourageous and least effectivepa h to follow.

Injuries to personnel in combat due to careless and negligent disregard of fundamentalsafety considerations needlesslyaggravate the logistic problem ofa command. In the case of anArmy Aviation mission it mightmean the loss of the only available tool for accomplishing thejob. An injured man requiresseveral to care for him; a damaged machine requires manymanhours spent in repair whichcould better be used in maintenance. The probable arrange

ment of the battle areas intoislands of resistance separatedby no man s land will probablymean the abandonment of anyvehicle or machine damaged ineven a most superficial way. Replacement in remote battleareas will often be impossible.These are losses we can effectively reduce with a strong safetyprogram.

Safety is a weak word. It

smacks of the luxuries and comforts of peace but we must takeit to war with us. The officer whosees safety as being in conflictwith mission has missed thepoint. Almost any task involvesrisk and this s especially truein fighting wars. Commanderswho support a strong safety program are certainly as aware ofthis as those who do not. The solution must always be a compromise. This is in the realm ofjudgment. The requirement forjudgment in the conduct of mili tary operations n war or peaceis our primary reason for havingofficers. And the judgment of acommander who does not support an adequate safety program is seriously subject toquestion.

3

Army TestingKaman UH-2

SPORTING A YJ-85 General Electric jet engine the Army sUH-2 compound research helicopter hit over 200 mph ona test flight conducted by Kaman Aircraft Corporation,Bloomfield Conn. for the U. S. Army Transportation ResearchCommand.

The UH-2 is involved in one of four separate high performance research helicopter test programs aimed at providingrata for the design of fast maneuverable, vertical takeoffaircraft for the Army s future needs. Specific data on performance, stability and stresses on rotors at high speedsis sought.

Based on results of early tests Kaman and Army engineersbelieve the augmented UH-2 is capable of hitting over 250mph. To date its fastest level flight has been over 216 mph.



33/52

Capt McKenney is with the CommunicationsBranch, Special Subjects Division, Dept of Tac-tics, USAAVNS, F t Rucker, Ala.

MARCH 1965

A rmy Aviators may look as much alike as threepeas in a pod, but each has his limitations asa pilot. On every flight as a passenger you relyon the pilot's ability, and on his judgment

You BetYour Life

Captain ubert F McKenney Jr.

I DON'T THINK we had better try it, sir. I 'mgoing to head back. (The speaker is a younglieutenant. We will leave him unnamed, and sayonly that he has been out of flight school for afew months, is of average ability, and is awareof his own capabilities and limitations.)

Now what the devil is the matter, Lieuten-ant? I've been in there on days just like thiswith Lieutenant Blank. Can he fly one of thesethings better than you can? (We will leavethis speaker completely anonymous. It could beanyone of the more influential officers of thelmit. At any rate, his word is not taken lightly.)

No, sir; I don't think so. Perhaps i t was notquite as bad as it is today though. I really don'tthink we ought to try it.

All right, you've said enough. Let's go back.

You can be certain that I'll make sure that I amnot stuck with you as a pilot again. When Ischedule a flight .and spend half a day away frommy office I expect to get results. I am going totalk to your boss and make certain I get some-one I can depend on next time.

We can stop right here because this is just astory. But put yourself in the shoes of this youngaviator, who is not stopped in midair like thisstory. He still has a handful of airplane to contend

Continued on page 48

3


34/52

some s fety spe kers remember when they

were p r t of the udienceierce Wiggin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

3 U. S. ARMY AVIATION IGEST


35/52

INE PRESENTATION, sir Couldn't have

been better " These or words like them oftengreet speakers from those who share the headtable or platform. How flowery and emphaticdepends in large measure on the variance in rankbetween speaker and greeter. Given with a firmhandclasp and admiring smile, such words caninflate egos faster than a millpond bullfrog canswell up and croak, "Galoomph "

Sometimes the words of praise are earned.There is a law of averages. But all too often thepraise heard from the front of the hall is 180 0out of phase with what is said in the exits atthe rear. "Gad I thought he'd never finish Howmonotonous can you get?"

The same theatre seats, hardly noticed by avolunteer audience which pays to sit through atwo-hour movie, become unbearably hard to acaptive audience forced to squirm and shift itsway through a dull one-hour presentation. Somecall this psychology. Others call it murder Nowhere is this phenomenon more in evidence thanduring strictly enforced all aviators will attendmonthly safety meetings.

Though no one has been able to trace the originof monthly safety meetings, a few graybeards

whose grandsons recently finished flight schoolswear an hour's delay in the first flight at KittyHawk was called so that Wilbur and Orvillecould attend a regularly scheduled monthly aviatjon safety meeting. Where that speaker dug uphis accident statistics is anybody's guess . But it'sa sure bet the Wrights were glad to escape to thedunes and get on with their flying.

Many aviators believe, with some justification,that safety meetings originated during the sameperiod as the Chinese water torture. There isoften a great deal of similarity to support thisbelief.

Theatre-going, TV watching audiences are protected from the droning statistical monotony thatinfects the average safety meeting. They are protected by critics. Let a Broadway production layan egg and it's soon lampooned out of existence.They're protected by economy. Hollywood epicsgo back in the cans when they can't make it atthe box office. And TV audiences are protectedby multiple channel television sets. No such protection is afforded aviation personnel in safetymeetings. Few dare criticize, the admission is

MARCH 1965

free, and there is only one channel.

Some safety speakers remember when theywere a part of the audience. Among these, a fewhave developed a revolutionary new techniquefor making presentations. Not only do they havesomething to say, they take the trouble to makewhat they say ENTERTAINING.

How can safety presentations be made entertaining? Here's how one successful speaker putsit -

"Sex them up This doesn't mean women ntheir altogether. It means using a little imagination - pictures, jokes, skits - anything thatwill keep your audience alert and receptive.

"Keep them short Too many speakers talkby the clock instead of by what they have to say.They try to stretch 10 minutes into an hour. It 'smuch better to cram 60 minutes of material intoa 10-minute talk.

"Be specific Stick to the point You may thinkyou're covering a lot of ground when you wanderfrom subject to subject, but all you're reallydoing is confusing your listeners. No one can.effectively cover more than one or two points ina talk and expect the audience to rememberwhat he's said.

"Use aids as aids - not as crutches Far toomany speakers rely on an overabundance ofslides to avoid the research and work necessaryto produce an interesting talk. I saw one speakerwho had so many slides he couldn't recognizesome of them when they were flashed on thescreen. t may seem impressive to have graphswith many colored lines and mountains of statistics, but it 's humanly impossible for anyone toremember what they're supposed to show,especially in a darkened, monotonous, sleepy atmosphere. f you have to use graphs, use simplebar graphs. Better yet, use cartoons

"Speak their language f you want your listeners to know . what you're talking about, this isself-explanatory. But it means that you must takethe trouble to know your audience and gear yourtalk to a common level of understanding. Simplelanguage is the hallmark of all effective speakers.They use it to communicate - not to impress "

These are some of the ways you can pep upyour safety meetings. There are many others.One is described by Gerard Bruggink in "Meetto Learn." You'll find it in this issue. =


36/52

4

the purpose of s fety

meeting is to developdesire for fl wless

t sk perform nce

W HAT'S THE BEST way to conduct a safetymeeting in my unit? This stereotypedquestion always gets a stereotyped answer whena brand-new safety officer visits us for advice:

Don't talk about safety - enforce it "For a man who expects to leave us with a

briefcase full of canned presentations, this answeris a shock. Of course, we make safety promotionmaterial available, but we try to avoid the impression that accident prevention and the successof safety meetings depend only on handouts andgimmicks.

The true purpose of a safety meeting is to develop or to stimulate a desire for flawless taskperformance. This can't be done by begging anaudience to be safe or by negative appeals to aman's aversion to dying. For those who want to

Meet To earnGerard Bruggink



37/52

try the latter method we have a retired bunny,trained to move freely among the audience whiledistributing posters that show an emotionallyundernourished woman gasping, "I 'm waitingfor your safe return."

f this kind of stuff had any effect, we would be

the first to suggest an extra hole in the instrument panel where a pilot could frame a pictureof his favorite woman. We could even go furtherand devise a voice warning system that uses thevoice of the pilot's own wife to inform him aboutcurrent catastrophies: "Dear John, your numbertwo inverter just conked out

The men who attend our safety meetings arethe same as those who fly and maintain our aircraft. They are not paid for being safe but according to their capabilities and the job they aredoing. Rather than bore them with wishy-washygeneralizations about safety and its blessings,we should show them that our main and legitimate interest is the quality of their work. Jobquality starts with job knowledge, and safetymeetings are ideally suited to check and increasethis knowledge. The following is a suggestedmethod to use safety meetings for this purpose:

The basic idea is to pick at random a personfrom the audience and have him answer onejob-related question in front of the group. Sincethis program, initially, may reveal an embarrassing lack of knowledge in the selected person, itmight be advisable to start with two or three

"volunteers" during the first few meetings.Sadistic as i t may sound, the success of thisprogram is guaranteed by man's fear of publicexposure Who likes to admit in front of hiscolleagues that he does not know what he ' issupposed to know? When properly handled, thissystem may even provide some entertainment.Who doesn't enjoy, deep down in the caverns ofhis ego, the self-inflicted embarrassment of afellow man?

t speaks for itself that the questions must bepractical and pertain to the man's everydayduties. Example: When you question a UH-lBpilot, don't ask him in what direction the N-landN-2 turbine wheels turn. Rather, ask himto list the limitations of the L-9 engine and therequired writeups in the aircraft book when thelimits are exceeded. When you have two or three"contestants" on the podium, let them commenton the first man's answer. And when they arethrough, let the audience have a go at it. Withproper control, the audience should never havea dull moment.

To avoid arguments and filibusters, the emcee

MARCH 1965

should carefully prepare all ques

army aviation digest - mar 1965

Documents