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2018 Marks Golden Anniversary of AEDC 4-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel

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2018 Marks Golden Anniversary of AEDC 4-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TULLAHOMA TN Vol. 65, No. 22 Arnold AFB, Tenn. PERMIT NO. 29 November 19, 2018 2018 marks golden anniversary of AEDC 4-foot transonic wind tunnel By Bradley Hicks AEDC Public Affairs Thanks to advancements made in the wake of then U.S. Air Force captain and test pilot Chuck Yeager shattering the sound barrier in 1947, a new generation of aircraft was pushing the speed enve- lope like never before by the mid-1960s. The benefits of such progress were obvious but also gave rise to new con- cerns. Engineers were working with never-before-seen speeds and configura- tions. The question of whether munitions could be safely released from faster-than- ever aircraft needed to be answered, es- pecially with America in the midst of the Vietnam War. The weapons themselves were also changing. The use of gravity-guided “dumb bombs” was giving way to guided bombs, allowing increased accuracy. To aid in the development of new weapons and to ensure stores could be released safely from high-speed aircraft, a new wind tunnel was constructed at Arnold Air Force Base. That addition to the Flight Systems Combined Test Force reached a major milestone earlier this year. Engineer David Anderson inspects the 1/20-scale model of an F-15E Strike Eagle Aircraft and a sting-mounted Small Di- 2018 marks 50 years of service for the ameter Bomb during a break in an ongoing store separation test for the weapon’s development phase trials in the 4-foot wind tunnel that has come to be known transonic wind tunnel at Arnold Air Force Base in 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Rick Goodfriend) as 4T. ate Executive Director of Research. “So 4-foot wind tunnel would provide an then-current and projected requirements. The idea for a 4-foot transonic wind they engaged AEDC [leadership] about economical capability for conventional At the time AEDC had at its disposal tunnel dates back to the early 1960s. Of- whether AEDC could put together a wind weapons development: only two tunnels in those speed ranges – ficials at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, tunnel to look at these configurations of “Addition of a 4ft x 4ft test section a 1-foot transonic wind tunnel and a 16- where store separation is managed, rec- interest and give them better insight into utilizing the existing Propulsion Wind foot transonic wind tunnel. West pointed ognized that with the advent of the jet the safety and the ability to hit a target. Tunnel Plenum Evacuation System com- out issues existed with both. age, the development of new weapons That was the genesis of it.” pressors and operating over the Mach West wrote the 16-foot tunnel, known that could be safely separated from air- 1st Lt. Roland H.A. West, with the Number range of 0.3 to 1.5 has been de- as 16T, was designed for testing large- or craft and accurately strike the intended help of others in the U.S. Air Force De- termined to best satisfy the requirement full-scale articles. A tunnel of this size targets was critical. velopment Division and AEDC person- for conventional war armament develop- was not needed for the testing West had “That was the motivation for Eglin nel, prepared and submitted in 1965 a ment testing.” defined. There was also the issue of cost. Air Force Base wanting to get more in- brochure which detailed the need for According to West, weapons of the In the mid-1960s, the operating cost of sight, more information,” said Dr. Ed- a new wind tunnel and the plans for its time would need to be redesigned and 16T was approximately $4,000 per hour. ward Kraft, AEDC Fellow and Univer- construction at Arnold AFB. In the docu- new ones developed for use in subsonic sity of Tennessee Space Institute Associ- ment, West wrote the development of a and transonic speed regimes to meet See TUNNEL, page 3 Students, team members learn how to ‘Be a Bat Hero’ By Deidre Ortiz AEDC Public Affairs As part of an educational outreach effort during Inter- national Bat Week held Oct. 24-31, U.S. Fish and Wild- life Service and Arnold Air Force Base biologists held presentations at the Hands-On Science Center in Tullaho- ma and on base to provide information on bats and how they play a vital role in the environment. The 2018 theme for International Bat Week asked ev- eryone to “Be a Bat Hero.” Many federal agencies, uni- versities and nonprofit organizations celebrated around the nation and internationally to share the plight of imper- iled bats and explain how everyone can “be a bat hero” and help bats locally and globally. Leslie Hay, a USFWS biologist at Arnold, along with Sarah Harrison, USFWS Tennessee Field Office biolo- gist, and Shannon Allen, chief of National Environmental Policy Act, Natural and Cultural Resources, worked with Arnold Science, Technology, Engineering and Math- ematics (STEM) director Olga Oakley to provide a “Cel- ebration of Bats” to a group of homeschooled students recently visiting the HOSC. “The students learned about bat ecology, bat conser- vation, threats to bats such as White-Nose Syndrome, and activities that families can do to help bats, like construct- ing bat houses and planting bat gardens,” Hay said. “Ten- nessee Wildlife Resources Agency, another partner in Leslie Hay, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service liaison at Arnold Air Force Base, shares information with Arnold the fight for bat conservation, provided a ‘Bat Education team members during International Bat Week by setting up a display at Café 100 in the Administration and Engineering Building on Oct. 31. Pictured is Hay, left, speaking with Troy Smiddy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trunk’ with various bat education materials.” Rick Goodfriend) The students were also provided “Bat Conservation” folders to share with other students, friends, and family conservation in Café 100 at the Administration and Engi- wide and regional bat conservation efforts. about the importance of bats and how they can help bat neering Building. Lamb has been working with bats for Although bats are often feared by people, Hay advised conservation in the Southeast region. nearly 20 years at Arnold and has documented a steady these nocturnal mammals are nothing to be afraid of. Then on Halloween Day, Hay and Arnold biologist and significant decline in three bat species listed under John Lamb set up a display on bat ecology and AEDC bat the Endangered Species Act. He also participates in state- See BAT HERO, page 2 Arnold Medical Aid Station Power Control team hosts Arnold Community Council provides TRICARE Medical and chili sale to raise elects new leadership Dental updates money for area foster children …Page 2 …Page 4 …Page 5 2 • November 19, 2018 Arnold Arnold Medical Aid Station provides Air Force Base TRICARE Medical and Dental updates By Tech. Sgt. Beverly Spademan Arnold AFB Medical Aid Station There are significant changes to TRI- CARE® for active duty, family members and retirees that will affect your access to care. Col. Scott Cain The Arnold Air Force Base Medical Aid Commander Station is providing a condensed version of Jason Austin these changes to assist you. Chief, The Federal Benefits open season is Public Affairs scheduled for Nov. 12 through Dec. 10. TRICARE CHANGES This chart lists cost for several types of medication. (TRICARE graphic) TRICARE Select replaced TRICARE seek urgent care from a non-network provid- drugs. Richard Tighe Standard and Extra er outside of a TRICARE authorized urgent TRICARE Enrollment General Manager, care center, you will have to pay point-of- TRICARE Select is a fee-for-service plan All current TRICARE beneficiaries will National Aerospace service option cost shares. available in the United States. be automatically enrolled into plans on Jan. 1, Solutions You can get urgent care from any Medi- Health plan costs are different based on 2019 as long as they are eligible. TRICARE High Mach Staff: care provider just like you do any other type who you are and your health plan option. In Prime enrolled members will remain in TRI- Kathy Gattis, of care. After Medicare pays its portion, the some cases you may have to pay a portion of CARE Prime. TRICARE Standard and TRI- NAS Executive Editor remaining amount is sent to TRICARE for the cost for a health service or prescription CARE Extra beneficiaries will be enrolled in Raquel March, reimbursement. in the form of a cost-share or co-payment. TRICARE Select. During 2018, beneficiaries NAS Editor Please be aware that this may affect your can continue to choose to enroll in or change High Mach is published by Nurse Advice Line Lakeway Publishers, Inc. a pri- budget. Each plan has different costs. Please coverage plans. vate firm in no way connected review your plan to see how the costs affect If it's after hours or you're not sure if you You don't have to enroll to use TRICARE with the U.S. Air Force, Arnold you. need to see a doctor, call TRICARE's Nurse for Life – coverage is automatic as long as Air Force Base, Arnold Engi- TRICARE Prime includes a point-of-ser- Advice Line 24/7. Call 1-800-TRICARE you are registered in the Defense Enrollment neering Development Complex (AEDC) or National Aerospace vice option with higher costs when referral (874-2273) – Option 1 to talk to a registered Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and Solutions (NAS), under exclu- requirements are not followed or non-net- nurse who can: Answer your urgent care have Medicare Part A & B.
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