Hi Chris,
Thanks for looking. AEDC was the brainchild of Gen. Hap Arnold as WWII
ended and the allies got a good look at the advances that the Germans
had made in aircraft, engines and rockets. Vast quantities of machinery
from the German test facilities were packed up and shipped to the US and
new facilities were designed from the ground up. German scientists were
hurried out of the reach of the Russians and moved westward. Many made
their way through England, others were provided passage directly, but
all were part of Operation Paperclip which got them into the US.
I first encountered these scientists when I was assigned to the Wind
Tunnel Branch at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, in 1951. They were
living, with their families, in an enclave near the field, and were
assigned to various labs where their talents best fitted the needs of
the research being conducted.
I was assigned to the 20-ft Massie Memorial Wind Tunnel, a subsonic
facility that was the largest such facility that the Air Force owned.
There was also a 10-ft transonic tunnel, and a vertical spin tunnel.
The management structure of this facility was military, but the
technical expertise was provided by Civil Service professionals and
selected German scientists. Dr. Bernard Goethert was the senior advisor
to the Colonel in charge, and Dr. Hans Doetsch was my supervisor.
The Air Force selected the former Camp Forrest area at Tullahoma, TN as
the site on which to build a new group of facilities, using the captured
engine test facilities as a starting point, and with the foresight of
Dr. Theodore von Karman, new subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and
hypersonic facilities. Rocket test cells and a large space chamber were
also built.
About the time my USAF tour ended, in 1953, Dr. Goerthert moved to AEDC
to take charge of the new transonic and supersonic facilities. He
interviewed me and hired me, and that's how my history at AEDC began.
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
On 2/1/2017 6:15 AM, ChrisB wrote:
It’s great to have your history, Jim. I do love to feel a connection with the
past.
I had to look up AEDC but I see that it is to do with simulation facilities. I’m in the process
of bidding for a little money (£5.5m) to upgrade our disorientation trainers – 6 DoF
simulators with visuals. The visual displays in our current simulators are OK for the moment, but they
will not persuade young pilots in a few years time and I’m angling for displays that are almost as
good as Hollywood-standard CGI with which to provide realistic situations with visual illusions to train
our pilots to stay safe.
But it’s going to be an uphill struggle in the current pecuniary climate . . .
Chris
On 31 Jan 17, at 23:12, Jim Nichols <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In June 1964, we welcomed a new Cooperative Engineering Student to our office
at AEDC. I was 34 at the time. Today, I attended his retirement, at the top
of his game, as a high level member of the Civil Service Senior Executive
Service. It was with pleasure I shook his hand and wished him well in his next
endeavor.
At one time, one of my sons worked for him, and he passed on compliments today
for my son's accomplishments.
He is on the right in this photo, wearing his newly-awarded medal.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Distinguished+Retiree.jpg.html
<http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Distinguished+Retiree.jpg.html>
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