Sep 20 1973
From The Space Library
President Nixon presented Harmon International Aviation Trophies to chief test pilots Brian Trubshaw and Andre Turcat of the Anglo-French Concorde supersonic transport aircraft during White House ceremonies that coincided with the Concorde's first U.S. visit. Trubshaw of Great Britain and Turcat of France received the 1971 Aviator's Trophy for their Concorde flights. The 1972 Aviatrix Trophy went to Geraldine Cobb for humanitarian flights in the Amazon River Basin area of South America in 1971. Air Force pilots L/C Thomas B. Estes and L/C Dewain Bick received the 1972 Aviator's Trophy for their April 26, 1972, SR-71 reconnaissance jet aircraft flight that set a record for sustained speed after a 24 100-km (15 000-mi) flight from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., at mach 3-plus speeds. In the first visit of a supersonic transport aircraft to the U.S., the Concorde arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport at Grapevine, Tex., to participate in Sept. 21 dedication ceremonies for the world's largest jet airport. The Concorde carrying 32 aviation officials, press representatives, and a 10-man crew-was flown from Caracas, Vene- zuela, to Texas by Concorde test pilot Jean Franchi in two and one half hours. The passengers had flown from Texas to Caracas the previous day in a conventional jet aircraft in four and one half hours. (PD, 9/24/73, 1170; NYT, 9/21/73, 1, 43; A&A 1972)
Flight Research Center was evaluating a side-stick flight controller for the Air Force YF-16 lightweight fighter aircraft on the FRC digital fly-by-wire aircraft, a modified F-8 fighter with an electronic control system. The new side-stick controller was stationary and used pilot-applied force to maneuver the aircraft. The inflight studies were to aid fighter pilots to control highly maneuverable aircraft, provide information for the Air Force lightweight fighter program, and provide a base for future research. The side-stick control replaced conventional sticks between the pilot's legs, impractical in future high-performance aircraft where the pilot would fly in supine position. (FRC Release 27-73)
Lewis Research Center received two Industrial Research Magazine IR-100 Awards for 1973 at ceremonies in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. The Center also was presented a special award acknowledging that NASA had accumulated 10 or more IR-100 awards-prizes given by the magazine for what it deemed the 100 most significant new products developed during the year. LeRC had won 9 out of the 12 awards presented to NASA and had earned at least one IR-100 Award every year except one since first entering the competition in 1966. Lem 1973 awards were for an x-ray photographic system with potential applica-tion for industry and basic research and for a shaft seal for very-high-speed turbines and compressors. (LeRC Release 73-39)
Rep. Don Fuqua (D-Fla.) introduced for himself and cosponsors H. Con. Res. 305 and 306 designating the week Oct. 1-7 as National Space Week. (CR, 9/20/73)
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