Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1955

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DIG.SI

JULY 955 VOLUME NUMBER


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ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCOMMANDANTBrigadier General Carl I. Hutton USA

ASSISTANT COMMA.NDANTColonel Jules E. Gonseth Jr.

DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONLieutenant Colonel Albert L. RobinetteDIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF COMBATDEVELOPMENT

Lieutenant Colonel David G CogswellSECRETARY

Major Arington C Thomson Jr.


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VOLUME

ARMY AVIATIONIGEST

JULY, 1955

CONTENTSNUMBER 6

THE COl\IMANDANT S COLlJMN ___ __ _____________ ______ 2Brigadier General Carl I. Hutton USA

MODIFICATION OF THE L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY______ __ __ ____________________ __ ______ ___________ 4Colonel n ~ y n e E Downing Corps of Engineers

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY _ _ __________________ ___________ ____ 3Captain John Kusewifl Artillery

ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPLY FOR ARl\IY AIRCRAFT ________ 9Captain Joseph J. ]}Iuter Transportation Corps

THE ALL INlPORTANT TOOL _____________________________ 2George W. Harrison

INSTRUMENT LIFESAVER FOR THE CONTACT PILOT__ 23Paul A. Soderlind AIR FACTS

BOOKS FOR THE ARMY AVIATOR_________________________ 28GREY HARE SAYS ______ __________ ______ __ _______ __ ___ 3

COVER: Through this gateway pass the finest aviators andaircraft lllechanics in the world. t is the newly cOlllpletedgate a t the l l lain entrance of the U. S. Arllly AviationCenter, Calllp Rucker, Alaballla.

This copy is not for sale. t is in tended for lllore than one reader.PLEASE READ IT AND PASS IT ALONG


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TH COMMANDANT S COLUMNBrigadier General Carl 1 Hutton LiS

The views expressed in this article are the author s and are nolnecessarily those of the Department of the Army.-The Editor

n ir Fighting _Army?When Alexander Grahanl Bell invented the telephone theprocess consisted of selecting existing components and tech-nology in the right combinations. He did not have to inventwire nor discover the principles of nlagnetisln, nor the vari-ations of electrical current as it passes through carbongranules under pressure. The key to Bell s success was hisselection of the proper elements from a mass of technologicalachievements.In recent months there has been a rash of aerodynamicdevelopments. Vertical take-off airplanes have been testflown; at least three types of convertiplanes are in existence;the flying platform and the ducted fan are flying in Califor-

nia; and boundary layer control has been added to the con-ventional wing. Such developnlents, in addition to what hasgone before in the way of fixed wing and helicopter knowl-edge, make it appear that the field of aerodynalnic tech-nological growth now offers the possibility of a vastly in-creased nunlber of combinations. In the jargon of the in-dustry the state of the art is developed to the point where atechnological break through may be possible.The time has therefore come for the Army to considerits aviation needs with a fresh eye. Obviously we do not haveany aircraft within the Army capable of inducing revolu-tionary tactical changes. What is needed is a new statementof our military requirements upon which the inventive skill of


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THE COMMANDANT S COLUMN 3industry can work. This type of thinking is extremely difficult since our minds are constricted by the framework ofexisting aircraft types.Heretofore the ArnlY has tended to consider aircraft as ameans of transporting the soldier to battle. There has beencomparatively little development in the area of using air-. craft as fighting vehicles. The distinction between the twois fundamental. An airplane as a piece of transportationwould logically belong to a transportation corps. An airplaneas a fighting vehicle would logically belong to the tacticalunit of which it is a part. In one case we would have an airtransported army, and in the other case we would have anair fighting army.What sort of organization would employ the fightingaircraft, or the family of fighting i r c r f t ~ Would it not befeasible to organize a division with combinations of differenttypes of fighting aircraft for various tactical roles Theremight be, for example, a light, high speed reconnaissancegroup, a fast striking force, an element to deliver a fire-powerpunch, and finally a heavy fighting unit. The comlnanderwould coordinate the employment of the various fightingelements in the same way as an infantry or armored divisioncommander.Could such a division hold ground In the sense ofholding an intrenched position, perhaps not. In the sense,however, of being so powerful and fast that it would nlakeitself felt over a tremendous area, the division might be ableto neutralize ground so that it is of no use to the enemy. Thatwas one of the ways the Fast Carrier Task Forces neutralizedlarge reaches of the Pacific Ocean in World War II The ideawould seem to have enough merit to justify experimentation.In summary and for emphasis, it must be pointed outthat no existing types of aircraft appear to be suitable for theArmy s use as fighting vehicles. Scientific knowledge, however, has been nloving at such a rapid pace that either anaircraft or a family of aircraft in which the Army could fightmay be possible.

This is th fourth in a series of coluntns written by BrigadierGeneral Carl I. Hutton Conlnlandant of th Army AviationSchool for the ARMY AVIATION DIGEST. The Editor


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MODIFIC TION OF THE L 23 FORERI L PHOTOGR PHYColonel Wayne E. Do\vning, Corps of Engineers

The views e:rpressed in this article are the author s and are not necessarily thoseof th Department of th Army or of The Army Al1iation School. The Editor

Aerial photographs of areas to be surveyed are a prerequisite to the work accolnplished Topographic Survey)by the 30th Engineer Group. Although the home station ofthe 30th Engineers is at Presidio of San Francisco, its prilllary lllission for the past five years has been to survey A1askawhere it goes each SUlllluer. During the \vinter, the outfitsurveys in the Mojave Desert, in Southern California.Photographs from which maps are finally compiled areusually taken by Air Force or Navy photo squadrons withspecially equipped aircraft flying twenty or twenty-fivethousand feet above the terrain.Points on the ground that are surveyed in, that is,points for which exact geographical coordinates and elevationshave been determined, must later be recognizable on thelllapping photos. Accordingly, surveyors pre-select the pointsto be occupied by examining aerial photos of the area which isto be surveyed. Such photos do not have to be of the forty orfifty thousand scale used in the final compilation of nlaps, butshould be of a scale at least twenty to thirty thousand.

n order to permit the 30th Engineers to take thesesmaller scale aerial photos of the occasional holidayunphotographed) areas, thus expediting ground survey,ArnlY Map Service furnished two K-17B calibrated camerasets with spare A-SA magazines, A-8 camera mount, B-3intervalometer, and an A-2 vertical vie\vfinder.


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MODIFICATION OF TH L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY >During the summer season of 1953 the camera equipment was used in an L-20 Beaver which proved unsatis

factory. With an open camera port it was impossible tokeep the aircraft warm enough for crew comfort and with nooxygen equipment the maximum operating altitude wastwelve thousand feet for three hours duration or less. Theslow speed of the L-20 also consumed too much time between the nearest operating base and the area to be photographed. As a result an insufficient number of photographswas obtained during the period in which the aircraft couldstay at operating altitude.In March of 1954 a Beechcraft L-23B Twin Bonanzawas selected as an aerial photography aircraft. The aircraftand camera equipment were sent to the Beech AircraftCorporation Wichita Kansas for the installation. Modification included a glassed-in camera port with a protectivesliding door additional side windows a defroster for thecamera lens and port glass electrical and vacuum connections a high pressure oxygen system camera viewfinderColonel Wayne E. Downing, since March 1954 has beenAviation Officer of the 30th Engineer Group which has thelargest T1 9 E aviation unit in the Army: 77 pilots, 168enlisted men, and 66 aircraft, including one L-23, six U-1 s(Otters), six L-20 s, six L-19 s,forty H- 23 s, and seven H- 19 s.Colonel.Downing is a graduate of the Engineer School and theCommand and General Staff College During World War I Ihe served on the Engineer Staff of .Headquarters, Ninth U S.Army, in Europe. In 1946 he became the first lieutenantcolonel in the Army to take Army aviation training and is nowqualified in all types of Army aircraft.. Following graduation from what was then Liaison Pilottraining, he spent three years in the Arctic as commander ofcomposite forces of the seven technical services testing winterequipment and logistical support procedures. He was the U S.Army member of a tri- partite committee composed of Canadian,

British, and U S. Army representatives that wrote the threeArctic Manuals now in use by those services.During the Korean War he served as Senior AviationAdvisor to the Korean Army and as Chief of the AviationDivision, Transportation Section, Eighth A r m y . T h ~ ditor

MODIFICATION OF THE L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY:>During the summer season of 1953 the camera equipment was used in an L 20 Beaver which proved unsatis

factory. With an open camera port it was impossible tokeep the aircraft warm enough for crew comfort and with nooxygen equipment the maximum operating altitude wastwelve thousand feet for three hours duration or less. Thes10w speed of the L 20 also consumed too much time between the nearest operating base and the area to be photographed. As a result an insufficient number of photographswas obtained during the period in which the aircraft couldstay at operating altitude.

n March of 1954 a Beechcraft L--23B Twin Bonanzawas selected as an aerial photography aircraft. The aircraftand camera equipment were sent to the Beech AircraftCorporation Wichita Kansas for the installation. Modification included a glassed-in camera port with a protectivesliding door additional side windows a defroster for thecamera lens and port glass electrical and vacuum connections a high pressure oxygen system camera viewfinderColonel Wayne E. Downing, since March 1954 has beenAviation Officer of the 30th Engineer Group which has thelargest T ~ E aviation unit in the Army: pilots, 168enlisted men, and 66 aircraft, including one -23 six V-1 s(Otters), six -20 s, six L-19 s, forty H- 23 s, and seven H- 19 s.Colonel.Downing is a graduate of the Engineer School and theCommand and General Staff College During World Warhe served on the Engineer Staff of Headquarters, Ninth V. S.Army, in Europe. In 1946 he became the first lieutenantcolonel in the Army to take Army aviation training and is nowqualified in all types of Army aircraft.Following graduation from what was then Liaison Pilottraining, he spent three years in the Arctic as commander ofcomposite forces of the seven technical services testing winterequipment and logistical support procedures. He was the U . S.Army member of a tri- partite committee composed of Canadian,

British, and U S. A rmy representatives that wrote the threeArctic Manuals now in use by those services.During the Korean War he served as Senior AviationAdvisor to the Korean A rmy and as Chief of the Av iationDivision, Transportation Section, Eighth Army T h ~ Editor


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Figure 1Above, camera mount , viewfinder, and intervalometer instal lat ion in th L 23. Below, camera operator s seat of th modifiedL-23.


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MODIFICATION OF THE L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 7intervalometer, jump seat for the camera operator, and acamera mount bracket which had to be fabricated.

Upon completion of the modification, the aircraft wasferried to Alaska, and on 1 May, initial photography wasconducted. The exceptional climbing ability of the L-23B,the glassed- in camera port and the oxygen system made itpossible to work at 16,000 feet, a safe and economical operating altitude. It was from this altitude that the majority ofthe photography for the 1954 season was taken.ircraft

The L-23, as modified, is an exceptionally high performance aircraft which affords comfort and roominess for thepilot and crew members. I t is a very stable camera platformat operating altitude considering its size, weight, and cruisingspeed. Endurance or time aloft is equal to the stamina ofthe crew members and the quantity of oxygen carried.More efficient operation at altitudes above 13,000 feet mightbe attained with a set of square tipped paddle props, although a slight decrease in operating efficiency at take-offand low altitude would result.Climb The rate of climb starts at 1450 feet per minuteat sea level and diminishes to 8 feet per minute at 16,000feet. At the most economical, efficient power settings ittakes approximately 2 minutes to attain 16,000 feet altitude.Cruising At 16,000 feet, the L-23B cruises at 135 milesper hour, indicated, which averages out to approximately156 miles per hour true air speed.Icing No trouble at all was experienced from carburetor ice due to the aircraft s excellent carburetor system.Engine Heat The ventilation system maintained theengine heat at proper operating temperature at all times.Flight Attitude The present configuration of the aircraft and weight distribution allows it to cruise at 16,000feet altitude in a level attitude. Any deviation from levelcan be compensated for by the camera mount without restricting normal fore and aft tip and tilt.Operating Bases Due to the tricycle landing gear andthe proximity of the propeller tips to the runway surface,propellers were quickly damaged when the aircraft was


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MODIFICATION OF TH L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 9operated on loose gravel and it was necessary to operatefrom paved airstrips;

CameraMount The camera (figure 1, page 6 is mounted as.low as possible without contacting the camera port glass orimpairing any movements. The mount bracket is' on quickrelease widgets and hinged at the rear so that the cameramay be raised to allow cleaning of the port glass and lens.Camera movements allow for 30 degree swing and 15 degree

tip and tilt.Viewfinder: The viewfinder (figure 6, page 10), mountedto the right and slightly forward of the camera center, isapproximately two inches above the outer skin of the aircraft with a plexiglass window to seal out the outside atmosphere. I t has a 360 degree swing and 15 degree tip and tiltmovement.Intervalometer: The intervalometer (figure 1, page 6)is mounted on the right wall on a quick detach wedge. . Allelectrical wiring is extended from a storage pocket under theintervalometer.Operator s Seat: The camera operator's seat (figure 2,page 6), fixed on the mounts of the regular rear seats andnot movable, faces rearward. I t is flush against the rightwall and center d over the viewfinder. A more flexible arrangement is desirable which would allow the seat to bemoved laterally.

Oxygen SystemThe oxygen system is the high pressure, constant flowtype with two 28 cubic feet bottles at 1800 pounds per squareinch pressure mounted on the rear bulkhead (figure 3, page8). The bottles are equipped with pressure gauges and regulator valve. The regulator is fi ounted between the two

oxygen bottles and the feed line is carried in the left ,vallunder the window sills with 3 outlets for the rear seat and3 outlets at the pilot's elbow (figure 4, page 8).A more desirable .installation would be to run the plurp.bing in the ceiling with the regulator located forward, acces-


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Above drift indicator installation in th floor of the m.odifiedlr 23. Below glassed in cam.era and viewfinder ports of them.odified lr 23.


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MODIFICATIO OF TH L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 11sible to the pilot, and the outlets clustered over the backof the front seat. This arrangement would entail about thesame amount of plumbing but would be more centrallylocated so that each crew member could connect his individual mask into an outlet without crossing the pilot s lap.The 56 cubic feet of oxygen carried lasts approximately3Y hours when used continuously by the three crew membersat 16,000 feet altitude. A total of 6 bottles is sufficient to.permit operating at a distance from a recharging depot, providing expeditious transportation is available for forwardingfull, and returning empty, bottles.I t is recommended that the present oxygen system bealtered to retain the high pressure bottles and change themasks to the demand type. The masks should have microphones installed with a canon switch to enable the crews toconverse with each other. The high pressure bottle is morecompact than the low pressure tanks, arid the demand type:n:asks will conserve oxygen and allow for longer flight misSIons.

Endurance: In consideration of the fuel load of the aircraft, quantity of oxygen, and physical stamina of the crewmembers, operations should be limited to a maximum of 5hours flying per day. If more than a five hour flight per dayis necessary, a second crew should be utilized.ccessory Systems

Vacuum Electrical and Defroster: The aircraft is thesource of power for the vacuum, electrical, and defrostersystems. Vacuum is obtained from the left engine vacuumpump. A slight upset of the vacuum operated instruments,particularly the artificial horizon, is caused by the tappingof the vacuum line for the camera. Electric power for thecamera and intervalom ter is drawn from the master switchthrough a circuit breaker, camera switch and indicatorlight mounted on the instrument console, and additionalcircuit breakers at the intervalometer. Warm air for defrosting tne por glass and camera lens is d ucted from therear defroster plenum. No icing or misting of the port glassor lens has been experienced to date.


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12 ARMY AVIATION DIGESTCamera Heater: With warm air ducted to the lens plusthe comfortable warmth of the cabin, it was unnecessary to

use the camera heater circuit. I t was disconnected, therebydecreasing the electrical load on the aircraft circuit.rew

The major portion of the photography during 1954 wascOI).ducted with a pilot, navigator, and one photographer.Extensive training was required for all three.apability

t 16,000 feet, the intervals between exposures haveranged from 28 to 42 seconds, with the average near 38_ seconds for the required 56 per cent forward overlap.Pilotage

Photography for mapping purposes requires that missions be flown over specified flight lines with very close tolerances as to variation in course, latitude, crab, tip, and tilt.On photography requiring side laps, the slightest deviationfrom course prevents proper side laps between adjacentlines. The configuration of the photographic aircraft and theposition of the pilot limits visibility downward to approximately ten miles forward on the flight line. The cameraoperator, through the viewfinder, sees about 35 per cent of apicture area . He cannot readily locate himself in relation tothe prescribed flight line and must rely on the pilot and navigator to fly on course. During the 1954 photography, nocommunication was available between the pilot, navigator,and camera operator.The extent of the area to be photographed and the limited number of days available for photography due to weatherconditions precludes second tries on flight lines missed.Each flight mission has to be a successful mission and not ahit-or-miss proposition.To aid in staying on prescribed flight lines, a drift indicator has been fabricated, installed in the floor of the cockpitfigure 5 page 10), and plans made to mount a sighting barfor the pilot and navigator. Continued on page 35)


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NIGHT PHOTOGR PHYCaptain John Kusewitt, Artillery

The views expressed in this article re the author s and are not necessarily thoseoj the Department oj the rmy or oj The rmy Aviation School.- The Editor

I was talking with a fellow Army aviator the other dayabout Army -night aerial photography." ight photography," he exclaimed, what f o r ~The enemy knows our limitations at night, I toldhim, and may be expected to surprise our people whenobservation is greatly diminished. ot only that, the enemymay be expected to use periods of darkness to cover deployment, redistribution of forces, and logistic operations as wellas for initiating offensive operations."So I pointed out that, picture for picture, night photosare much more valuable to tactical commanders than daylight photos, although both are impottant. The commanderhas many sources, in addition to photographs, to give himinformation concerning the enemy during daylight, but, atnight time, visual observation is reduced to minimum rangeand ffectiveness, thus greatly reducing the sources of information available and enhancing the value of night photo

graphy as a means of giving the commander a picture ofwhat is happening on his front."Yes," said my friend, but doesn't the Air Force donight photographyP Why should we do it tooP"Funny thing about combat photography," I explained.The value of the pictures diminishes very rapidly and, tobe of much value to lower echelon Army commanders, theymust be made a ailable almost immediately.Due to necessary processing A r Force photos cannot bedistributed to lower Army echelons until 2 to 24 hoursfollowing completion of the photo mission. Such photos areexcellent for Army G-2's w ~ are trying to evaluate enemyactivities, for Army G-3's, and for the Air Force itself in


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4 ARMY AVIATION DIGEST Julydetermining priorities for air strikes, but, as far as lowerArmy echelon commanders are concerned, it doesn't do muchgood to find out the next day what happened the nightbefore. It's too late to take any action. Lower Army echeloncommanders need J ictures within hours after they requestthem. When organIc Army aircraft fly a photo mission, thecommander can have his prints in approximately two hoursafter exposure."Obviously, there is a requirement for both Army andAir Force night photography. The Army would serve thelower echelons and the Air Force would serve the higherechelons. "I'm beginning to get the drift, said my fellow aviator,but could you explain, more specifically, how this immediatetype night aerial photography can help the lower e c h e l o n s ~First, I explained how night aerial photography can beused to assist in the conduct of artillery harassing and interdiction fires. Instead of the old system of using the S- 2'seducated guesses as a basis for an H and I program, all suspect areas are photographed at intervals throughout thenight. Immediate evaluation of this photography permitsattack of those targets that are active as of the last coverageand the changing of fITe schedules accordingly. By the use ofphotography, you at least know what was active a short timeago and avoid shooting good ammunition at empty terrain."Sounds good," he said. What e l s e ~"Well," I continued, you can use night photographyat lower echelons for general intelligence purposes such assuspect areas that may contain supply dumps, command

Captain John B. Kusewitt Jr. is a member of the CombatDevelopments group Headquarters CONARC. He receivedhis B. S. egree from the USMA in June 1945. He is also agraduate of the Army Basic and Advanced Artiller y Coursesand of the Army Aviation Tactics and Army Helicopter Avia-tion Tactics courses. During the Korean War he completed acombat tour with the Third Infantry Division as an Armyaviator then was assigned as Operations Officer Aviation StaffSection Headquarters Eighth Army in Korea. While in thisassignment he supervised experimental work involving photo-graphy from Army aircraft in combat. The Editor


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1955 NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY 15posts, and so forth.I explained that one unique use in this connection isground evaluation. When friendly ground elements areengaged in night defensive action, the lack of effective groundobservation makes it difficult for the commander to determinethe scope of such action and to reach a decision as to committing reserves. Immediate type night photography can givethe commander detailed information which will assist him inthe formulation of his estimate of the situation.I never thought of that, said my friend.I did not want him to cut me out of the pattern so Ihurried on to talk about night aerial surveillance.I t is not hard to find targets from the air at night, butit is extremely difficult to locate them or adjust on them.ight photography can be used to solve this problem to someextent. For instance, Army aircraft equipped with nightcameras can be used in visual night surveillance. When gunflashes, lights, or other indication of enemy activity is observed, an Army aircraft flys to that area and photographsare made. Restitution of the photo permits accurate locationof the target for subsequent unobserved fire. A lot of theenemy camouflage is down at night and gun positions,mortar positions, vehicles, etc., are relatively easy to spoton the photos. In case there are not any restitution pointsavailable, a countermortar radar may be used to get a fixon the photo by determining the plane's location the instantthe picture or pictures were taken.You've convinced me that there are a lot of uses forthis stuff, said my chum. Now, what is night photographylikep Is the equipment complicatedpArmy night aerial photography is vertical photographyof large scale taken at relatively low altitudes. Illuminationis provided by photoflash cartridges which look like king-sizeshotgun shells. These cartridges are fired from multi-barrelled projectors attached to the bomb racks of the aircraftso as to fire down and slightly to the rear of the aircraft,(figure 1 page 16). Cartridges are fired electrically in sequence, one for each picture. When a cartridge is fired, asmall propellant charge expels the illuminating chargewhich bursts a few seconds later below and to the rear of theaircraft with a brilliant, almost instantaneous flash. The


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6 ARMY AVIATIO DIGEST

Figure 1Above ~ t i o n of photoflash hurs t in night aerial photography. Below K 37 forlllat call1era instal led in n L-20.

Figure 2

July


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1955 NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY 17flash produced contains a large amount of infrared light sothat you cannot actually see all of the light with your eyes,although the photographic f lm can.

Flash cartridges come in several sizes. The smallerones, weighing about one pound each, can produce a pictureup to an altitude of some 4000 feet. Each projector can beloaded with 50 of the small size cartridges. The largercartridges, weighing about seven pounds each, can produce apicture from an altitude of approximately 8000 feet. Eachprojector can be loaded with 20 of the larger size cartridges.The K-24 camera mounted in the L-19 aircraft is one ofthe cameras which can be used for night photography. Thiscamera is a small format (5 x 5 ) camera that uses an openflash method, i. e., the shutter is opened manually before theflash and closed manually after the flash. Another nightcamera is the K- 37, (figure 2 page 16) a 9 x 9 inch formatcamera which mounts in the L-20. This is a synchronizedcamera and the shutter is tripped automatically at the moment of the flash. I t is done by an electric eye in the aircraft. When the flash goes off to illuminate the ground, partof the light strikes the electric eye in the aircraft and automatically trips the shutter at the proper instant.Almost all night photography is done with fairly shortfocal length lenses, usually the 7 inch lens on the K- 24 andthe 12 inch lens on the K-37. This is because of the loweraltitudes used in night photography and because these lensesare faster than longer focal length lenses and reduce imagemotion and vibration problems. )

Seems fairly simple, but what's this low altituderoutineil said my attentive friend. How does that stack upin combatilI elaborated. You can go up to 4000 feet (height aboveground) with the small cartridges and to 8000 feet with thelarge ones. If you want to go higher, you would use photoflash bombs which are heavy and generally impractical forArmy aircraft; but there is not normally any reason forgoing higher. In the first place, the enemy visually controlledantiaircraft fire is largely ineffective at night. On the otherhand, his radar controlled fire is good day or night so thelower you get, the less likely is the radar to pick you up dueto ground clutter on the radar scope.


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8 ARMY AVIATION DIGESTThe best altitudes at night for protection are the loweraltitudes, provided you lean your mixture to reduce theexhaust flame so you cannot be easily picked up visually.

f you get too low, though, you will blur your pictures because of too much relative motion between the plane andthe ground during exposure.Another interesting point is that when you discharge aflash cartridge, the flash will temporarily destroy the nightvision of any gunners that might be looking in your direction.Our bombers in Korea used these flash cartridges for thatpurpose in night bombing missions.That sounds logical, he said. If I were to go on oneof these night photo missions, are there any special -techniques that I might usepLike all photo missions you would have a photographeralong to operate the camera, and, if you were in an L-20,you would probably want a copilot along to handle communications and help you navigate. You would not normallyuse illumination or white phosphorus shells to help orientyou as on other type night missions. The shells might obscureyour photos as well as forewarn the enemy. When you donot have enough natural or artificial light from battlefieldillumination searchlights to orient visually, use radar.Other than that, night photography is pretty much like anyother type night mission.How soon can I expect to see this equipmentP, heasked.To the best of my knowledge, it will not be long beforenight aerial photo equipment will ge on the T /O&E's, Ireplied._ You know, he said, this night photography couldbe a boon to combat operations t


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ORG NIZ TION L SUPPLY FOR RMYIRCR FT

Captain Joseph J. Muter, Transportation Corps

The views expressed in this article are th authors and are not necessarily thoseof th Department of th rmy or of The rmy Aviation School.- Thp. Editor

Providing the proper part at the right time and placehas made life interesting for many supply personnel at alllevels of supply. This problem, however, is most acute atorganizational level because the availability of parts h r ~usually determines the availability of aircraft to performassigned missions. The unit maintenance officer desiring tokeep all his aircraft flying wants to have a good supply ofparts on hand in order to rea


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20 ARMY AVIATIO DIGESTrelegate the TC- 7 to a guide .for determining limits of organizational maintenance and a source for proper stocknumbers and nomenclature.Unfortunately, some commanders, inspectors, and maintenance officers consider the TC- 7 a panacea and require -strict adherence to the quantities and types of parts listed,regardless of the amount that actual x p r i n ~ shows asbeing needed. Even though the TC- 7 is an excellent guide,it cannot compensate for variance in type and frequency ofoperation, prevalent weather conditions, geographic location,and oth r factors which regulate the replacement partsneeded. The dogmatic attitude mentioned above usuallyresults in stocking parts that are not required in the immediate future and understockage of parts needed in greaterquantities. .. This attitude seems to persist even though almost everycurrent U- Series TC-7 states somewhere on the front page,The quantities of maintenance parts and supplies established herein constitute the initial requirements of materialto support a given number of aircraft. These quantities arenot to be used as permanent stock levels. Such levels shouldbe established in accordance with issue experience whendeveloped, followed with, By order of the Secretary of theArmy. This statement, with the authentication, shouldeliminate the necessity for further clarification, yet experienced pilots returning to the Army Aviation School for helicopter training continue to relate stories of their difficultieswith inspectors when they depart from the printed amountsshown in the applicable TC-7.Storing parts in quantities based on usage during previous months appears to be the best available method forhaving the proper part on hand Continued on page 34) -

Captain Joseph J Muter is a Helicopter MaintenanceInstructor, Department of Aviation Maintenance, ARMA V,Camp Rucker, Alabama. He attended the University of Maryland and is a graduqte of the Army Aviation Liaison and Helicopter Pilot courses. He is also a graduate of the AircraftMaintenance fficer Courses at the Spartan School of Aeronautics. He is qualified in L-19 LC-126, L-20 H- 13, andH- 25 type aircraft.- The Editor


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THE ALL IMPORTANT TOOLGeorge W. Harrison

The views expressed in this article are th author s and are not necessarily thosof the Department of the A rmy or of The rmy Aviation School.- The EditorFor the want of a nail, the shoe was lost,For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost,For the want of a horse, the rider was lost,For the want of a rider, the battle was lost,For the want of a battle, a kingdom was lost,nd all for the want of a horse shoe nail.Poor Richard's Almanac.

Most of us have read or heard some version of this poem,but have you heard the following Army aviation versionilFor the want of a tool, a rotor was lost,For the want of a rotor, an aircraft was lost,For the want of an aircraft, a battle was lost,For the want of a battle, a war was lost.

Just words, you say Stop a moment and think aboutthe words. The man who built that aircraft uses tools;the man who services that aircraft us s ools. Further still- the man who feeds the mechanic uses tools; the man whogrows the food uses tools, ad infinitum.We have so far decided that tools are good and necessarythings. w let's relate the role which tools play to Armyaircraft.A Tools and Equipment Branch has been establishedwithin the Maintenance Division of the TransportationCorps Army Aviation Field Service Office, 420 Locust Street,St. Louis 2, Missouri. This Branch assists in Army aviationtool problems, provisions special tools for Army aircraft,standardizes tools insofar as possible, and distributes information on tools to operating activities.


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ARMY AVIATION DIGESTSelection, efficiency, and basis of issue of such specialtools and equipment is the responsibility of the Transportation Corps Army Aviation Field Service Office.Initial selection of special tools is made at the airframeor engine contractor s plant during a provisioning conference.At the same time, Tools and Equipment personnel review thecontractor s special tool drawings for adequacy of construction, proper application, and simplicity of use. The tools arealso physically applied to determine adequacy of fit, design,and utility for the job to be accomplished.The following ideas must be kept in mind when selecting

and evaluating tools:1) Simplicity of design for low cost production.(2) Simplicity of use, with no extensive personneltraining required.Tools and equipment must be screened to determinewhether they can be used to accomplish a given job with aminimum of time and manpower. A decision must also bemade as to whether a tool may be used to accomplish morethan one job, or whether a standard tool will do the sameprescribed job.Continual evaluations are made of recommendationssubmitted from the field. Such recommendations are beneficial in determining requirements for additions and/ordeletions to Transportation Corps tool sets.In case a special tool cannot be used to perform the required job, or is in any way inadequate, an UnsatisfactoryReport DD Form 535) forwarded to this office will be thefirst step toward correction of your tool problem. The elimination of the over-all tool problem depends on informationreaching this office so that we ~ y incorporate your findings,suggestions, and recommendations into tools. These tools,developed from a joint effort of the Continued on page 35)

Mr G. W Harrison, employed in the aircraft productionand maintenance fields since 1939, is Chief of the Tools andEquipment Branch, Transportation Corps Army AviationField Service Office St. Louis, Mo. Prior to accepting hispresent assignment, he was employed by the Air MaterielCommand in the tools and equipment and production controlbranches.- The Editor


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INSTRUMENT LIFES VER FOR THECONT CT PILOTPaul A Soderlind

This article first appeared in September, 1951, in the magazine AIR FACTSDue to numerous requests, it was reprinted in the January, 1955, AIR FACTSWith the permission of the AIR FACTS editor, it is reprinted here for Armyaviators. The views expressed in this article re the author s ana re not neces-sarily those of the Department of the Army or of The Army Aviation School.The Editor

The morning paper tells of a private pilot who, with hissmall son, was fatally injured in the crash of their smallairplane. Witnesses said, He flew into the clouds and a fewminutes later dived out into the ground.What h p p e n e d ~ The pilot in question had flown forseveral years and was regarded, by fellow pilots, as beingextremely cautious. Though he had no instrument training,he had a healthy respect for bad weather and was neverknown to push the weather. The airplane he was flyingwas known for its stability; a popular lightplane, it was oneof the very easiest to fly.Two significant facts are hidden in this all- too- familiarnewspaper story:1 The non-instrument pilot cannot, without themost unlikely sort of luck, maintain control of hisairplane when encountering instrument conditions.

2 Almost every pilot, no matter how cautious or howweatherwise he may be, will someday, somewhere,stumble into instrument flight conditions.Don't underestimate the importance of point 1 above.I t is one of the most important single facts in all flying and,i fully realized, would doubtless prevent many accidents.The non-instrument pilot, no matter how sharp he mayotherwise be, or no matter how strongly he may believe hecan get through somehow, will as s u r ~ y lose control of


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24 ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ulyhis airplane on instruments as he will sittdown forcefully thefirst time he is on ice skates. You will doubtless not believethis. I didn't either some years back. One diving spiral outof an overcast (and this "suicide-spiral" invariably developsunder such circumstances) will terrify and convince you.or kill you. The conscientious contact pilot asks, What,then, can I d o ~ I can't very well afford to get an instrument rating, and, anyway, they tell me an instrument ratingis 'just a license to o out and kill yourself unless you get. plenty of regular practice to keep sharp.' Still, I'll surelyget 'oninstruments' someday, and then I'll feel that noamount of money spent on instrument training would havebeen too much. The contact pilot's dilemmaThose who advise get a few hours of instrument training, even if you can't afford the whole rating, are givingadvice of the most excellent sort. It is evident, however,that no matter how oft-repeated this advice may be, therewill still be those who, for one reason or another, will not getsuch training. What, then, to doThere is a procedure, almost ridiculously simple, thatwill save you, if caught on instruments, or above an over-, cast too low on fuel to turn back. It requires no training,at least in the dual- instruction sense of the word. Itwillwork in rough air or smooth, on Cub or Stratocruiser, andall between equally well. You need no fancy, expensiveequipment just a Turn 'and Bank indicator in reasonablygood working order. The Turn and Bank indicator neednot even be calibrated properly, just so it indicates a turnwhen you are turning and is centered when you are flyingstraight.First, let's look at the basic procedure and then we'lltailor it to fit your airplane. It consists of just four steps.

Mr. Soderlind started flying in Billings Montana at thege of 12. He earned his flying as a line boy apprentice me-chanic and doing other airport odd jobs for his employerTarrant Flying Service. When 19 he went with NorthwestA irlines and checked out as an airline captain on his 23rdbirthday having to wait until then to meet the minimum gerequirements. Now 31, he has been a Northwest Captain 8years flies a Stratocruiser. The Editor


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1955 INSTRUMENT LIFESAVER FOR THE CONTACT PILOT 25My explanation of the tailoring may seem a bit complicated;but once you try it, I'm sure you will find it extremelysimple. Here goes:1. Throttle to just above the fully closed position.2. Crank in nose- up trim until the trim indicator isalmost to the f ullscale indication.3. With rudder control, center the turn needle andkeep it centered.4. Take your hands off the wheel (or stick) and don'tthereafter touch it until able to proceed contact.

ow let's go flying, preferably in smooth air, and fitthe procedure to your particular airplane.In Step 1 the throttle should be quite near the fullyclosed position, with just enough power to keep the enginewarm. Almost any setting between fully closed and aboutone-third open will be suitable. Make a note of this settingfor future reference. Let's use 1400 rpm in our example.Step 2 should include lowering the landing gear and full

flaps if your airplane is so equipped. Next, find the elevatortrim setting that will give a hand-ofI glide at a speedjust below your normal gliding speed. (Conduct this checkwith your airplane loaded in its most rearward approvedloading condition.) If, for example, you normally makeyour landing approach at 70, then find the setting that willgive say 60- 65. You may discover that you will run outof nose-up trim before getting down to the speed desired.If this is the case, use full nose-up trim and then add throttleuntil you do get the desired speed. Let the glide stabilizefully, and then mark the position of the trim indicator that.gives this speed. Mark it well. I t may one day save yourlife This position, incidentally, if not full nose-up, willprobably lie very near the full nose-up indication. Step 3is the same for all airplanes. Ercoupe owners use aileroncontrol to keep the needle centered but take care not t pplyelevator control in either direction Step 4 requires no furthercomment except emphasis.ow let's try one and see how it works. Before westart, let me add that it is important to accomplish all stepsdecisively, nd without hesitation I t is not necessary tohurry, but don't wait, trying to perfect Step 1 before going


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26 ARMY AVIATION DIGEST ulyahead with Step 2. Reduce throttle to 1400 rpm (carburetorheat on, of course). If you hit 1500 on your fIrst try, no. matter--go right on with Step 2. Now, slowly crank nelevator trim to the posit on you have marked on the trimindicator. If you are too speedy with your cranking, youmay get a few rather steep, nose-up, nose-down oscillations.You may, momentarily, even stall the airplane by being toofast on the trim crank, but again, no matter. If the fullprocedure is accomplished, without hesitation you cannotspin and the stall will not persist. Just crank the tab rightto the mark and go on with Step 3. You will work too hardon Step 3. It is fortunately, not necessary to keep the needleexactly centered. Try to average its swings. If it swings tothe left, just swing it to the right a like amount. If you evenjust keep it near the center the procedure will work. NowStep 4: TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL A D KEEPTHEM OFF This, surprisingly enough, often proves to bethe toughest of the lot. I t is decidedly the most importantstep and must be carried out positively and without fail.

ow let s see what all this gives in terms of maneuver.You will fInd that, after a short interval, you will get asmooth straight- forward, steady descent. The nose-up,nose-down oscillations will not disappear immediately,particularly i you have cranked in the elevator trim quitefast. Just give it a few seconds and you ll see. ow, all wehave to do is wait until we re contact and proceed as usual.The above procedure assumes a weather condition withenough ceiling to allow you to proceed contact once breakingout. This condition may, of course, not exist. With a slightmodifIcation the procedure will allow you to make a controlled one-eighty until out of the clouds once more.First the procedure and then the tailoring to your particular airplane:1. Crank the elevator trim a small amount toward thenose-up position.2. Take your hands off the wheel (or stick) and don'tthereafter touch it until able to proceed contact.3. With rudder control, set the turn needle to the fIrstmark, either side of center, and hold it there for oneminute.


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1955 I STRUMENT LIFESAVER FOR THE CONTACT PILOT 274. When one minute has elapsed, move the turn needleback to the center and hold it there until able to

proceed contact.ow the tailoring. In smooth air, with cruising power,make a turn as you normally would, using aileron and rudder,until the turn needle is aligned with the first mark eitherside of center. If your turn indicator has no markingsother than the center mark, set the needle over so that oneedge of it is just even with one edge of the center mark.)Now, crank in just enough elevator trim to give you a veryslight climb. Note how many turns of the crank, or markson the indicator, are required. Should your turn indicatornot be calibrated properly (in this case you would get eit,hermore or less than 1800 in one minute), find the time intervalnecessary to complete a 1800 turn both to the right and t theleft, for a given needle position, and make a note of it. Repeatthese checks a few times in order to establish the accuracyof the settings you are looking for. Give the airplane plentyof time to settle down to a steady condition of flight on eachof these trials.Now, a pointer or two along with a word of caution:

1. Type up the basic procedure, with settings applicableto your particular airplane, and paste it on yourinstrument paneL I t will look something like this:DESCENT PROCEDURESThrottle to 1400 rpm.Set elevator trim to red mark on indicator.

Center turn needle with rudder. KEEP HANDS OFF WHEELONE-EIGHTY PROCEDURE

Crank elevator trim one turn toward nose-up.KEEP HANDS OFF WHEELHold turn needle on first mark either side of center for oneminute and then center needle with rudder.

2. Accomplish the basic steps without hesitation, goingfrom one step immediately to the next.3. Once all steps are accomplished evote your ullattention to the turn indicator. Do not attempt furtherairspeed, trim, or throttle (Continued on page 34)


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BOOKS FOR THE RMYVI TOR

HISTORY OF UNITED STATES AVAL AVIATIO -Turnbulland Lord, (Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut,1949. $6.00)It is unusual to review a book which is six years old.However, History of United States aval Aviation" is sopertinent to the Army's aviation problem that all Armyaviator,s should consider it required reading. Reading itwill not hurt other Army personnel, either.The avy, like the Army, experimented hesitantlywith airplanes and lighter- than- air craft during the yearsbefore and immediately after World War I The very limitedcapabilities of the airplanes of those days did not indicatethat revolutionary changes in warfare were about to occur.Those early airplanes were regarded principally as eyes forthe fleet-the battleship fleet. They did well enough to flyat all, and they did not have the weight-carrying ability northe range to become primary weapons. For Dany years theairplane was a minor part of the fleet.The Navy was fortunate in not having a branch systemsuch as the Army has had from its beginning. The naturalinclination of the Navy was to resist putting Naval aviationinto a separate compartment, which was not so much a resultof a farsighted attitude as it was one merely of fitting aviationinto the existing Naval pattern. Certainly the Navy did notsee that airplanes were going to revolutionize aval warfareand that the Fast Carrier Task Force of World Warwould become the most powerful aval combination theworld has ever seen.As a result of the way in which Naval aviation developed,and, when the effectiveness of dive bombers and torpedoplanes was known, the Navy found, in effect, that the Navyitself was integrated into the Naval air effort rather thanthe reverse. The Chief of Naval Operations and many ofthe key commanders were Naval aviators. A major change

Book reviews in this department re compiled y the RMY VI TIONDIGEST staff Views expressed are not necessarily those oj The rmy AviationSchool or oj the Department oj the Army.-The Editor


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BOOKS FOR THE ARMY AVIATOR 29had taken place in Naval combat, although the objectivesof Naval combat remained as before.

The proponents of a separate Air Force mainly centeredaround the Army Air Corps. They based their claims uponthe simple fact that airplanes were involved, and they maderepeated efforts to absorb Naval aviation. Fortunately,for the nation, these efforts failed. The Navy's functionremained, and aircraft to assist in the function were provided.The point from the Army's view is whether a majorchange in Army tactics will follow upon the integration ofaviation into the Army's tactical formations. If such achange should occur in the pursuit of atomic war, the Armywould also require a Chief of Staff and a General Staffqualified in aviation. On the other hand, if airplanes are tobe merely an added weapon in a field army using existingtactics, then a separate Army Aviation Branch will servethe purpose.This is a question which every Aviator must analyze.for himself and the History of the United States avalAviation will help clarify his thoughts.POCKET ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ATOMIC ENERGy-Gaynor, Frank(Philosophical Library, Inc., 5 East 40th Street, New York16, N. Y., 1950. $7.50).This book, as its name implies, is a ~ o l l e t i o n of briefdefinitions and explanations of the terms and expressionscommon to the atomic field of science. The author calls it,quite aptly, a sort of tourist's guide in the new and strangerealm of the Atom, and, as such, the encyclopedia is directedprimarily toward the layman with a good average educationand the student with a fair working knowledge of physicsand at least a nodding acquaintance with higher mathe-matics. .Mr. Gaynor disclaims that his encyclopedia is complete,but he does state that.it mentions the most importantfacts now known about the atom, its nucleus, and its energy.

In addition to definitions and explanations of terms,the book features a thumbnail biography of outstandingpersonages in the atomic energy field as well as Germanequivalents of many terms. Also included are individualentries for each element, listing pertinent data of each.


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30 ARMY AVIATION DIGESTFLIGHT HANDBOOK- Compiled by the staff of FlightMagazine (Philosophical Library, Inc., 15 East 40th Street,

ew York 16, N. Y., 1955. 6.00).The Flight Handbook provides basic information onairplanes, their engines, and a great number of associatedaviation subjects.The Handbook frrst discusses the atmosphere and theprinciples of aerodynamics, then progresses to aircraftstructures, landing gear, aircraft controls, and types ofaircraft (from gliders and balloons to jets). Closely relatedsubjects, such as auxiliary power systems, cabin equipmentand furnishings, armament, instruments, and navigation,are thoroughly discussed.This is the fifth edition of the Flight Handbook andit has been completely rewritten, greatly enlarged, andbrought up to date.JET THE STORY OF A PIONEER-Whittle, Sir Frank, K B E.,C. B., F. R. S., (Philosophical Library, Inc., 15 East 40thStreet, New York 16, N. Y., 1954. 6.00).At the Royal Air Force Station at Cranwell in Lincolnshire on the evening of the 15th of May, 1941, an airplane ofunusual type taxied to the eastern end of the runway andthen, after a run of 600 yards, rose gracefully into the airfor a flight of seventeen minutes. To observers one strangething about this beautiful little airplane was that it had avery short u n d e r c a r r i a g ~ but an even stranger thing wasthat it had no propeller. The airplane was the Gloster/Whittle E.28/ 39- the world's frrst successful jet airplane-making its first flight.This book is primarily the story behind that historic .event. Frank Whittle, who eleven years earlier, at the ageof 22, had applied for his patent for a turbo- jet engine, heresets on record his own pioneer work.In non-technical language the author describes his hardand often bitter struggle with engineering problems, withfinancial difficulties, and with the frustrations arising outof official policy. He also reveals the epic story of PowerJet's successful battle against severe engineering difficulties,in spite of serious handicaps and of its losing battle against acombination of powerful forces in Government and industry.


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alfN alfAir shows have a reputation for generating accidents.recent Army air show was no exception.During the show an Army aviator dressed as a civilianappeared from the crowd of 60 000. Acting as a non- flyerhe climbed into an H- 3 and pretended to get it airborneinadvertently. He abruptly pulled the aircraft to a heightapproximately eight feet above the ground let it settle andtwice repeated the maneuver. On the third pull- up the aircraft rose to approximately eight feet and moved downwardand backward until the tail rotor and the tail rotor guardstruck the ground. One rotor blade broke off and the guardwas bent. Torque spun the aircraft approximately 270degrees to the right. The helicopter then tipped to the leftThe Grey Hare Department is prepared monthly by theCamp Rucker, Alabama, Post Safety Director, Mr. William

R Gaines, with information obtained from the files of the worldwide aircraft accident safety review board. The views expressedin this department are the author s and are not necessarilythose of th Department of. the Army or of The Army AviationSchool.- The ditor


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32 ARMY AVIATION DIGESTand the main rotor bladesstruck the ground. The bladesshattered as the aircraft cameto rest on its left side. Thetotal flight was less than 6seconds in duration.This aviator was performing maneuvers which requirethe utmost proficiency on thepart of a pilot, yet his totaltime in helicopters was 118hours, of which' 94 hours wasstudent time. Supervisoryerror is glaring in this acci-

uly

dent. Why was this aviator 1 ---selected to perform the j o ~ With an audience of 60,000people, it can be assumed that the pilot tried to exert himself to the utrp.ost limits of his ability and, in this case,definitely went beyond the limits of ability and experience.

The accident investigation board listed as one contributing factor: Failure to execute an autorotative landingafter antitorque rotor failure. Had an autorotative landingbeen immediately executed, damage would have been greatlyreduced. But, according to the pilot, he had never had actualinstruction, while at the Army Aviation School, on proceduresto be used after a loss of antitorque control while hoveringor landing; he had received verbal instructions only.Flight records at the school were checked, and it wasfound that reference had been made on several of his dailygrade slips to the effect that autorotation from a hover andanti- torque procedures were covered during the instructionalperiods. The flight records further contain a list of maneuverswhich are demonstrated and a list of maneuvers for which astudent must be cleared prior to doing them while flying solo.Additionally, the student is required to initial a list of allmaneuvers demonstrated to him and all maneuvers which heis cleared to perform while flying solo. The pilot initialedappropriate spaces indicating that he received a demonstration of the proper procedures to follow in case of antitorque failure, and he also initialed the space indicating thathe had been cleared for solo hovering autorotations.


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955 GREY HARE SAYS 33The 25,000 damage in this case may be attributed about

~ l f to the pilot and about half to the supervisor. I t i showever, fortunate that none of the spectators was injuredby pieces of the disintegrating main rotor.

Low loudsTwo fundamental rules about marginal weather flyinghave been learned at a cost of many lives, as well as muchproperty damage. The first: there is no compromise betweeninstrument flying and non- instrument flying. A flight is

either on instrUItlents, and in accordance with InstrumentFlight Rules, or it is contact, and in accordance with VisualFlight Rules. Attempts to mix the two conditions will leadinevitably to an accident. The second rule: a non- instrument pilot will surely get into trouble if he enters instrumentconditions.pilot elected to take off in marginal weather, althoughhe had been informed one hour previously that his destination was below VFR minimums. The pilot was familiarwith the terrain between the two points and was aware ofthe fact that the elevation of theterrain enroute was considerably higher than either the departure point or his destination. Fifteen minutes after take-off he was seen flying ata very low altitude in extremely heavy haze and fog. Theceiling and visibility at this point were 300 feet and 1/ 8mile. Shortly thereafter two loud explosions were heard.The aircraft was found 75 feet from the crest of a ridge, atan elevation of 1800 feet.The accident investigation board found that the primaryunsafe act was pilot error, since the pilot tried to maintainvisual contact when instrument conditions prevailed. Thefirst error was committed when a non-instrument ratedpilot took off with below VFR weather minimums existing.

High MountainsFour L-19 s were being flown from Qne airstrip to anotherin Korea in marginal weather. During the flight a heavysnow shower was encountered for a brief period; however,all the aircraft emerged from the shower into VFR conditionsand continued flying along a river toward their destination.


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34 ARMY AVIATION DIGEST JulyLater, as they approached a mountain pass, they flew intoanother snow shower and visibility dropped below minimums.One pilot became confused upon entering instrument conditions, made a 90 0 turn over a side road, and began climbing.The other three pilots continued on course, following themain supply route, and arrived at their destination whereVFR conditions existed.The confused pilot thought that he was on the rightroad and still with the flight. As he ascended, visibilitydecreased rapidly and he lost contact with the ground. Hethen applied 30 0 flaps and full power, intending to climbup above the overcast. Seconds later he crashed into the sideof a mountain. The aircraft struck a tree which sheared its- right wing. It then fell to the ,ground on its left wing andburst i:qto flames. ot long after the crash ROK soldiersfound the pilot wandering in a state of shock some distancefrom the aircraft.Remember the two fundamental rules tINSTRUMENT LIFESA VER OR THE CONTACTPILOT continued from page 27) adjustment.

4 Practice the procedure at least once a month, underthe hood (and with an observer pilot) if possible.5 Do not deliberately fly into instrument conditions,or over an overcast, once you have the procedureunder your belt. I t is designed to save your skin ifyou are a non-instrument pilot caught oninstruments. " I t will not cope with icing conditions,

ATe clearances, nor help you avoid that hungryairliner full of passengers that may be boring rightat you.Reverse or mix up the order of steps, be quick and roughon the controls, or do what you may- -if you accomplishall the steps, without hesitation, the procedure will see youthrough. Try it and seeORGANIZATIONAL SUPPLY OR ARMY AIRCRAFTcontinued from page 20 when needed by the mechanic. Itcompensates for differences in the environment mentionedpreviously, so that stock levels are tailored to the needs ofthe unit that has established these levels. It insures that


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1955 ORGA IZATIONAL SUPPLY FOR ARMY AIRCRAFT 35only parts .having frequent and regular use are stocked, resulting in maximum mobility with adequate support by thesupply section of the unit. I t insures frequent, regular rer q u i s i t i o n i ~ g to replenish .used stocks, resulting in a steadyinflux of parts which, in turn reduces waiting time for otherparts.Using units are generally authorized a IS- day supplylevel which allows a stock for one week plus a week's allowance for turn- over or time loss waiting for replenishmentfrom the supporting supply ul l:it. If the supplying field, maintenance activity usually requires more than a week toreplenish unit stocks, the level authorized the using unitshould be increased to allow for this extended waiting time,thereby assuring adequate parts on hand while replacementsare in pipeline.In order to keep stock levels current, the using unitshould compute monthly, for each part stocked, the quantities used during the previous three months and divide bysix. The result will show the average consumption for two-weeks and will be the authorized level for a two-week stockperiod.If this system is properly utilized by all levels of supply,AOCP requisitions will become more and more infrequent.The majority of requisitions will be the routine replacementtype, and this regular weekly replacement requisitioning willresult in a steady flow of parts from manufacturer to usingorganizations.THE ALL IMPORTANT TOOL continued from page 22personnel in the field, the contractor's plants, and Department of the Army development agencies, will be a step toward better, more efficient, and more economical tool supportof Army aircraft.MODIFICATION OF THE L-23 FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY continued from page 12The drift indicator consists of a rotatable plate markedwith fore and aft grids mounted on a fixed plexiglass win9.owwith degree markings. The grid plate is rotated to a positionwhere ground objects pass parallel to the grid lines and thedegree of drift is read from the degree markings on the fixed


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36 ARMY AVIATION DIGESTwindow. This instrument has proven its value in recentphotographic missions by eliminating many abortive flights.

he sighting bar consists of a rear perpendicular sightand forward sighting bar mounted horizontally. on the noseof the aircraft and marked in degrees. he pilot and navigator sight from the rear sight over the forward bar to apre- selected check point on the ground. hey then add theamount and direction of drift angle indicated by the driftindicator to the forward sight bar to fly a straight line course.he sighting bar, which is marked in two- degree increments,and rear sight will be fabricated locally and mounted sothat they can be detached when not needed.o .provide a still better means of navigation, an at-tempt is being made to secure an aerial photographic navigation viewfinder, model A-17VF, modified and adapted forinstallation in the L-23B, which is manufactured by theChicago Aerial Industries, Inc. he viewfinder is intendedto furnish the copilot with a clear unobstructed view of theterrain below and ahead of the aircraft for flight line navigation and the location of photographic targets. Itwil lshow the field of view of the camera. he viewing system isconnected to a binocular viewing device and covers a wide85 degree included angle at a small scale, thus fm nishing theobserver with an extended view from near the forwardhorizon to a point 5 degrees behind the vertical. Thissystem is fitted with a movable grid which contains the trackline and a drift angle scale for the solution of drift problems.he image viewed by the observer is direct and unreversed.

he viewfinder may be installed in the nose of the L-23Baircraft with the viewing lens mounted on the right side ofthe instrument panel. he copilot can easily observe theviewfinder lens and operate the controls. Installation willbe of a permanent nature and does not interfere with otheruses of the aircraft.he L-23B, as modified, was equal to the task for whichintended in 1954, and will be essential to the 1955 AlaskaSurvey Operation where, it is realized, considerable photography must be obtained before the ground surveyors canget started.


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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCaptain Weyman S. Carver

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCaptain Richard W. Kohlhrand

The printing of this publication has been approved by theDirector of .the Bureau of the Budget, 13 August 1954.

The RMY VI TION DIGEST is an official publication of the Department of the rmy published monthly underthe supervision of the Commandant rmy Aviation School.The mission of the RMY VI TION DIGEST s to provideinformation of an operational or functional nature concerningsafety and aircraft accident prevention training maintenanceoperations research and development aviation medicine andother related data.Manuscripts photographs and other illustrations pertaining to the above subjects of interest to personnel concernedwith rmy aviation are invited. Direct communication isauthorized to: Editor-in-Chief RMY VI TION DIGESTrmy Aviation School Camp Rucker Alabama.Unless otherwise indicated material in the RMYVI TION DIGEST may be reprinted provided credit isgiven to the RMY VI TION DIGEST and to the author.

DISTRIBUTION :ACTIVE ARMY :l 5)

G2 (3)G3 ATTN : Army Avn Div 5)DEP LOG 5)Tee Sve, DA 5)~ g ~ ~ ~ 1:J 5)S Maj Comd 50)NG: State AG 2)USAR: None

OS Billie Comd 10)Armies CONUS) 1)t o m ~ e s d ~ ~ )Div 10)Bri8 OS) 5)

t Cp CONUS) (1)Ft Cp CONUS) M F Librarian (1)For explanation of abbreviationa _ SR 320-50-1.


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RMY VI TION SCHOOL CRESTWhen reproduced in full color, the colors Ted blue, and yelloware used in the crest to indicate representation of all branches ofthe rmy in The rmy Aviation School. The school s aviationtraining mission is symbolized by the perched falcon denotingthe art of falconry with its patient training 0 swift, keen birdsfor hunting. The mailed fist depicts the military ground armwhich exercises the control, training, and direction of the flight.

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Army Aviation Digest - Jul 1955

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