So wind tunnel tests have began, last week, and they've already stopped. One of the dynamic actuators broke on the third test. I could go into what the dynamic actuators do and are but that would probably be pretty boring to those who aren't planning on studying engineering in college. Instead here's an overview: they move the rotor blades by very small amounts to fine tune certain coefficients that relate to various properties of the rotor. Since that part of my internship is on hold, I'm back to data analysis in the office.
What else has happened at NASA......Monday the interns took a field trip to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in scenic Mojave, California. Unfortunately it was pouring when we got down there so most of the test flights at the nearby Edwards Air Force Base were grounded. The only plane we got to see land was a KC-10 Extender. A few years ago the interns saw B-2's land as well as a few fly overs by F-22's. Decidedly cooler than a KC-10.......What we did see were the F-18 Hornets used by NASA as chase planes, the RQ-4 Global Hawks used by NASA for research, the 747 Shuttle Carrier, the F-15 ACTIVE, the F-16XL, the X-15, and the Ikhana Predator B that is also owned by NASA. But the best part of the tour, besides all of the amazing planes, was the F-18 simulator that we were allowed to fly for two minutes. AMAZING!
Oh yeah and I'm enrolling at Georgia Tech for the Fall of 2010.
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