Dec 19 1961
From The Space Library
NASA announced that Ira H. Abbott, Director of Advanced Research and Technology, would retire in January after 32 years service with NACA and NASA. Beginning with the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in 1929, Abbott became internationally known for his aerodynamic research, in more recent years as supervisor of X-15, supersonic transport, nuclear rocket, and advanced reentry development programs.
December 19-20: A technical conference on problems of runway slush in winter jet operations was held in Washington under joint sponsorship of the Federal Aviation Agency and NASA. The conference, open to aviation representatives, reviewed the extensive research flight tests conducted at FAA's National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center and other experimental and theoretical work done at NASA's Langley Research Center. Interest in all experiments centered on the adverse effects of runway slush on takeoff and landing characteristics of jet aircraft. Research findings were that on both takeoff and landing in heavy slush jetliners tend to act like "a sailboat without a keel," that at takeoff speeds heavy slush causes jetliners to lose the effect of nose wheel steering and most of their braking power. Recommendations included the devising of a quick and accurate means of measuring runway slush and suspension of jet operations when slush reached a depth of 1 inch.
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