The report presents the results of the Radiosonde Frangibility Test program--radiosonde impact to aircraft. The objective of the frangibility tests was to determine if it is safe for an operational-type radiosonde and/or the NEXAIR experimental radiosonde to impact an aircraft cruising at approximately 500 mph in an altitude range of 25,000 to 35,000 feet. A total of 15 impacts were simulated, 14 against the windshields and 1 against the sheet metal of a Boeing 707 nose section mounted on a flat-bed rocket sled. The tests show that the operational type radiosonde and the NEXAIR experimental radiosonde do not violate current FAA Regulations (FAR 25,775) in that they do not penetrate the windshield at impact. However, varying degrees of damage are inflicted to the 707 windshields including flying glass slivers from the inner layer of the 3-layer windshield (glass-plastic-glass) into the cockpit. Test findings show that the water-activated battery is the component of either type operational radiosonde configuration that causes damage to the windshields or penetration of sheet metal.
Radiosonde Frangibility Test (Radiosonde Impact to Aircraft)
1976
77 pages
Report
No indication
English
NTIS | 1981
|NTRS | 1967
|Radiosonde automatic data processing system
NTRS | 1964
|