Project 5.6 - In-Flight Participation of an F-lO01A Aircraft ~ Capt M. H. Lewin OBJECTIVE The objective of Project 5.6 is to determine the responses of an in-flight F-101A aircraft to the thermal, blast and gust effects of a nuclear detonation. A correlation of the responses, combined with known characteristics of any weapon, will be used to define the maximum safe delivery capability of the aircraft. INSTRUMENTATION The aircraft was instrumented with radiometers, calorimeters and q pressure transducers to measure the thermal and blast inputs and with strain gages, thermocouples and various other instruments to measure the aircraft responses to the inputs. rorRE coc) the aircraft was positioned to theoretically receive sufficient thermal input to produce a AT of 260°F on the .0C20 skin covered honeycomb surfaces of the aircraft based on the positioning yield and an on time position. With the pre-shot announced timing errors possible, the aircraft could have had a AT of 400°F. AIRCRAFT POSITION IN SPACE The aircraft was to fly at 25,C00 feet absolute altitude on an inbound heading of 111°T at a ground speed of 800 fps. It was planned that the aircraft would pass 5,000 feet abeam of ground zero and be at a hori- zontal range of 54,500 feet at Ty plus or minus 8,000 feet. €Op,,. bay LA hp” On shot day, the aircraft was aborted at H-& minutes due to a malfunction of the Raydist Positioning system, on RESULTS ~ 61-" uf