continued
from page 2,
Second example. A heating and air conditioning
system was designed for the CF-100. A specification
was raised for the manufacture of a unit delivering
a specified amount of air per minute at a specified
temperature and engine speed. The aircraft was
instrumented to check this system and flight tests
were carried out according to the design office
programme. Their technical observer was very happy:
the system delivered everything as designed, and
in spite of my objections the results were considered
as satisfactory.
From my own experience I was sure that the system
was poor. The cockpit heating and air conditioning
system was designed for maximum cruising power
(very close to maximum power) at the highest altitude,
but at the most economical cruising speed engine
power was so low that the temperature in the cockpit
was around the freezing point.
I managed to squeeze in one more test. Before
the flight, however, I secretly put on two sweaters
and two pairs of thermal underwear, without saying
anything to my satisfied observer. After a one-hour
cruise, my observer was so stiff from cold that
upon landing he had to be pulled out of the cockpit.
After a half-hour defrosting he agreed that the
system required considerable improvement.
Third example. One
of my last flights at Gloster was for canopy jettison
on the two-seater Meteor Mk. 7. During jettison
a canopy, weighing about 160 lbs and more than
six feet long, had to be lifted by the airstream,
pivoting at the rear hinge and, after reaching
about 30deg, be disengaged automatically to then
pass clear over the tailplane. The test was recorded
from another aircraft by cine camera.
The CF-100 had a similar size and shape canopy,
but to my surprise the hinge pin at the back of
the canopy was a bolt of 1/8" or 3/16" thickness,
whilst on the Meteor it was half an inch. Because
the cabin of the CF-100 was pressurized I
expected loads to be much higher, so I suspected
that something was wrong. I was assured that ground
tests were satisfactory, but when a test report
could not be produced I requested a test.
More than twenty ground jettison tests were carried
out, but results were none too satisfactory. Somebody
arrived at the conclusion that ground simulations
of the air loads are not representative enough,
so the only answer was to test the system in flight.
I was sure that if something doesn't work on the
ground it was unlikely to work in the air, but
we started jettison tests. I jettisoned more than
ten canopies over Camp Borden. The system was modified
step by step, but results were not satisfactory
and it was considered too risky to try at higher
speeds.
One day I was sent to Los Angeles for a three-day
course about new missiles. I was surprised that
the course was about storing and maintenance of
Falcon rockets. On my return to Malton I was informed
that in the meantime a meeting had been held between
representatives of the design office and the air
force. Canopy jettison was presented as satisfactory;
the air force was convinced and agreement was reached
that no more work was needed. I had lost a battle.
My own opinion was that Canada, being a rich country,
could afford a higher safety for flying crew.
Maybe these battles were useful. On the new design,
the Arrow, crew emergency escape system was developed
to a very high standard for a much wider range
of speed. For cockpit air conditioning, a ground
testing rig was built to develop and prove the
system and I had no serious problems in flight.
I would like to stress here that although I am
making critical remarks about some design features,
or some persons, I was fully aware of the
problems facing the design office and as
a whole I was very impressed by the work
done.
An experimental
test pilot is not a popular person in the design
department. Most of the designers are highly optimistic
about their own design, and it is not a pleasant
task after a flight to explain or to prove that
optimism is just not justified. Quite often the
reaction of the designer is to say that everything
is excellent, that the pilots are simply too fussy,
that they want to have their own way, or that they
have the prima donna complex.
