Relay-Version: B 2.11 6/12/87; site scorn Path: uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!boulder!uswat!eatdust!ron From: ron@eatdust.uswest.COM Newsgroups: rec.aviation Subject: SR-71 Personal Experiences - Inst. 3, launch prep (LONG) Message-ID: <7043@uswat.UUCP> Date: Wed, 04 Apr 90 06:31:18 PDT Sender: news@uswat.UUCP Reply-To: ron@eatdust.uswest.COM () Organization: U S WEST Advanced Technologies Lines: 188 Hello! As promised, here is installment 3 of (?) regarding my personal experiences with almost 6 years of hands-on with the SR-71. Thanks to those who have responded by mail with encouragement. I'm glad you are enjoying them. So far I've only had one question posed to me to answer, so I'll do it here. All the postings I've made (or plan to make) regarding the SR-71 are completely declassified. There is nothing that I've posted so far that couldn't have been seen by anyone taking the normal flight-line tour at Beale, had they been there at the right time. Additionally, some of the detailed information I have regarding the inlet operation, ECM stuff etc. has come directly from Aviation Leak and Space Technology, as well as Air Progress! People liked to put the airplane's secrecy right up there with the Los Alamos project :-) but actually most is completely declassified. People just liked to keep it mysterious. I'm sure there are many in net-land who know MORE than I do about it in some specific areas. My postings are made primarily to 'personalize' the aircraft. It was a great experience from an aviation freak's point of view, but I wouldn't risk jail for it! :-) ------- Installment 3 -- Launch Preparation The launching of the plane was definately the most interesting and enjoyable aspect of working on it. If you were on day shift and the plane was scheduled for an early launch, ie: 0830, you had it made. The swings and midshift crew had the responsibility for pre-flight and servicing. You come from roll-call with your cup of coffee, get your briefing from the mid-shift, and mostly just wait for the aircrew to arrive. Power and air conditioning to the equipment bays is being provided by *noisy* equipment between the hangers. There probably are a few specialists still wrapping up the loose ends of their paperwork, but for the most part things are quiet. Typically about now one or two carloads of spectators have arrived and are milling about. Sometimes they'll come up to us and ask questions, but usually are guided by someone who hasn't got a clue as to what's going on! When they would ask questions, or if they were hanging around looking like they were hoping you'd come up to them (and if you indeed had the time) it was fun to talk to them and give them a very close up look (yes, touch the plane, it's not hot...yet!). Launches on swings and mid-shift were more laid back. Usually there weren't any spectators. Preparations included accounting for all tools (through a 'chit' system of checking out each tool), making sure the intercom from the crew chief to the aircrew worked, making sure engine heaters hadn't run out of gas (for spring, fall and 'winter' launches) and making sure the launch truck was properly positioned behind the neighboring hanger. When the aircrew arrived their support personnel (PSG) would take care of them. It was kinda fun. They come out in the little yellow trucks (sort of like a mini rv) that you see on shows like 'The Right Stuff'. They were modified Gemini space suits so 'launch' really does seem an appropriate term. They don't hand-carry air conditioning as they're plugged in in the van. If there's a delay getting hooked up to the air in the plane though, watch out...el grumpos. :-) The PSG personnel will assist the pilot and RSO into their seats, attach shoulder and foot straps, air vents etc. BTW, they wear little foot attachments where inertial reel cables attach to the heels (as well as their shoulders). In the case of an ejection, the first order of business would be a FAST rewind of both, bringing in their legs, tucked in tight against the seat (would be a bummer to have their legs still extended under the instrument panel). Their shoulders are also brought in tight so they'll be in proper position for ejection. They use a Martin-Baker ejection seat which is rated for 0/0 (0 speed, 0 altitude). In other words, if they had to, they could (more or less safely) eject while on the ground (hopefully not while still in the hanger..). After being strapped in, I would make contact with the pilot to ensure ground comm is working, ..."Ground's with you sir"..."Roger". He then has about 10 minutes of pre-flight checklists himself. When he's ready for you he'll say he's ready for engine start and will have turned on the red rotating beacons (anti-coll. lights). We again check for FOD (foreign objects) in front of the appropriate inlet, inlet and exhaust covers removed and spectators to the front of the hanger. By this time the start carts ('buicks') have been rolled into position and connected. We had two methods of starts, the buicks and air starts. Buicks were the main method while I was there, but about 1980 started phasing in air starts which I HATED. They were more automated and much more scary from my personal point of view, as I've seen the hoses blow off and whip around (before the cut-off had full effect). Very scary as well as difficult to hold the connector. More about that later. The buicks were two Buick 440 wildcat engines, unmuffled with headers. The engines connected to a common shaft which we would extend via hydraulics up to the engine, where a male gear would connect to the engine's female socket. When the pilot was ready, I'd tap the person running the buick on the shoulder. (Forget any kind of conversation from here on out, except between myself and the aircrew). The operator would slowly rev up the buicks. As the engine speed reached about 1500 rpm, the pilot would move the throttles from the detent. This would inject 50cc of TEB (liquid ignition system) into the #3 burner can. A ball of flame would fly out the tail pipe, and then disappear. Hopefully the fuel would stay lit. We would continue to hold the buicks now at full rpm. The noise was tremendous! Not only the whine of the jet engine, but the two buick's going full tilt. As the rpm reached idle speed, the pilot would say "disconnect ground" or something to that effect. I'd slap the operator on the shoulder and he'd simultaneously hit the cut-off switch (to hydraulically disconnect the start arm) and slam the throttle to idle. There would be the commensurate 'blat blat blat' of backfiring from the cart. It would be pushed out of the way, and the operator would put the start panel cover on, ensuring he stayed out of the way of the fuel manifold dump about 24 inches behind him. If there was an overspeed, overheat etc. the pilot would cut the engine (without warning) and the HOT fuel in the manifold would come out under pressure. By now I would have walked to the back of the plane. We would do a flight control check, checking full travel of the elevons and rudders. I would also check the hydraulic pressure (from accumulators located in the wheel wells). If all was ok, we'd proceed to start the next engine n the same fashion. We would alternate which engines started each launch. BTW, if there was an excess amount of fuel on the floor in the intake area, you would see a 'whirlwind' or 'tornado' vortex as the fuel was sucked up into the intake. It REALLY made you aware of how critical your inspections for foreign objects loose on the hanger floor were! There was really an air of expectancy now, things were moving fairly quickly. I would now walk up to the stairs leading to the cockpits. I would visually inspect the air refueling port (directly behind the INS window, behind the rear cockpit). We would check lights on/off, toggles in/out (the toggles that grab the air refueling boom) and finally "door closed". I would then close the front canopy, leaning my weight on it while he fastened it from inside (a slide handle on the left side of the canopy rail). I'd do the same for the rear. The pilot would now have a few more clean up duties. I'd walk back down the steps and to the main landing gear and pull the safety pins which keep the gear from retracting on the ground (after "pull pins" from aircrew). I'd walk forward, and pull the main nose gear pin. (By now, someone would have pulled the stairs back away from the cockpit and moved it outside of the hanger to one side and secured it's brakes). When the pilot seemed done, I'd let him know I "have the pins". He'd look at me, see the three pins and then say something to the effect that everything's ready. I'd walk back into the wheel well (all this by the way was kind of eerie. You couldn't hear a thing except through headsets so you were kind of always looking around out of the side of your eyes to make sure something dumb wasn't happening (like someone walking behind the plane, or whether or not you've forgotten something etc.). I'd signal a ground maint. person to kill the air conditioning, and when I noticed the tube go limp (you couldn't hear) I'd disconnect it from inside the well, and put on it's cap. I'd disconnect my intercomm, button up the intercom panel, and disconnect the ground line from me. A maint. person would grab it, roll it up and head for the ground support truck waiting behind the hanger. Everyone's watching you, so you try to make sure you haven't forgotten anything since all you'll get now is hand signals. You walk (very sharply) to a mark about 120 feet in front of the hanger (boy it's quiet, I can feel everyone watching me!!!) and then do a smart about-face, stand and face the hanger with my hands crossed over my head in an 'x' to tell the pilot to hold the brakes. I would wait there (usually only for about 15 or 20 seconds) until the pilot flashed his landing light on and off once to let me know he'd gotten clearance to taxi. At this point I bring my arms down, and with thumbs pointed out, move my arms from in front of me, out to the sides (signally the ground people waiting by the main gear to pull the chocks). I'd then put my hands back over my head in the 'x' until the chocks were pulled and the ground people were out of the way. They would pull the chocks, walk smartly to the front of the hanger, do an about-face, and then at-ease. At this point I would give the signal to the pilot to begin to taxi. Those two standing by the hanger were there to make sure the wingtips would clear all obstructions. It was kinda funny when the plane moved. Often the people watching would be standing off to the side and you'd kinda watch them step backwards farther away as the engines reved up. Was it awe? or fear? :-) When the plane cleared the hanger, I would direct him to turn right or left depending on which runway we were using, as he started to turn I was required to snap to attention and salute. (Sheesh, day shift!). At nights we'd just kinda tip our hats (unless there were spectators). Anyone standing on the side he turned from would scramble for cover as even the idle blast of the engines was very hot and strong! The ground launch crew now ran to the truck which was pulled up from behind the hanger, jumped in, and then raced up to pick me up. We then followed the plane off to one side as it taxied to the end of the runway. ----------- Sorry to cut this off. Next installment, end of runway checks and actual launch. This was getting kind of long... get back to work!! :-) :-) :-) Ron