faces, paint, etc.
ft
Thermal effects studies relative to the design of aircra
should be continued.
red in
(3) Nuclear Radiation ~ The results of Program 8,0 when conside
operations
connection with Program 2.0 point to the conclusion that aireraft
ed from heat
up to safe limits of blast and gust with crews and aircraft protect
may bo Limited by the lethal radius of prompt radiation,
In addition, flight
through the atomie cloud up to within 30 minutes of detonation is extremely hazardous due to radiation,
(4) The MSQ-l. redar used for the remote control. system for drones gave
very good results; however, it was expensive, highly complex and required 2
high degrce
A simpler system with oa
m
—
large number of personnel to maintain and operate.
of reliability and requiring fewer personnel should be developed,
Investigation of automatic Shoran. techiriques is sugeested,
3.
EFFECTS ON THE GROUND
Another portion of this program was the determination of the effects of the
blast, thermal and nuclear radiation on aircraft structural members.
These struc—
tural components consisted of conventional aircraft parta euch as an F-80 fuselage,
F-L7 wing, vented and unvented airfoils, and specially designed rigid and swept wing
airfoils.
They were exposed at distances varying from 4,000 fect to 14,000 feet from
ground zero,
The results of this test under static conditions will be correlated
with the effects on airborne aireraft under dynamic conditions to ascertain whether
ground tests my be utilized in.the future to obtain much of the needed informtion
pertaining to blast cffeets on aircraft structures,
tions were made on four isiands of the atoll,
Four (4) identical test installa-
Results from all test sites appear
satisfactory eand data are now buing analyzed at the Air Materiel Comming. From visual inspection it appeared that the models reacted to the louds and pressures as pre-
dicted by the theoretical studics. No definite conclusions or recommendations can
be made at this time.
4.
INTERFEROMETER GAUGES
The object of this portion of the program was to obtain preseure versus
time data at test site locations, and to test a now type of pressure gauge commonly
eferred toas the "BUCK" gauge.
This gauge utilices the principle of the interfer~
enec bands of light produced on the mirrored surfaces of a quartz diaphragm.
As the
pressure on the diaphragm varics the thickness of the film of ade wolch separates the
plates, the interference fringes are displaced giving a direct measuremont of the
pressure,
This gauge is simple to operate, inexpensive and requires a minimum of