Page Four THE ROCKETEER NAVAL RESEARCH VISITORS-Members of the special subcommittee of the Naval Research AdvisorYI Boar(1 here to study Station facilities this week are: Front row (I-r) O. \V. Helms. Dr. E. S. Lamar, Dr. R. D. Engbert. Dr. E. F. Osborn, C. H. Stevenson. and Ddr. W. B. Robertson, who was stationed here from Aug. '55 to Aug. '58. Back row (I-r) are: Peter Tilton, Redford C. Rollins, Dr. Francis Dresch, Dr. \V. D. Lewis, R~ \V. Latson, L D. Christensen, and Richard I. Condit. The group collected data for Bu\Veps. 'Naval 'Research Advisory Committee 'Pays·'Visit to 'Study Station facilities The Station's research, development, test and evaluation facilities were given a rapid but thorough study by a spe- cial subcommittee of the Naval Research Advisory Com- mittee the first part of this week. Noted Speaker i Due ! For Next i PTA Meet The ultimate purpose of the study is to assist in coordination of the various laboratories for greatest ef- ficiency, according to O. W. Helms, Executive Secretary of the Commit- tee. The study stems from the mer- ger of the Bureau of Ordnance and the Bureau of Aeronautics into the Bureau of Naval W eapons. BuWeps was officially commis- sioned on December 1, 1959, with Rea r Admiral Paul D. Stroop, for- m er Chief of the Bureau of Ord- nance, named as its head. Adm. Stroop served as Station Command- er h ere from October, 1952 to Au- gust, 1953. Change of Duty Friday, February 5, 1960 Cdr. Cox Leaves VX·5's Next Exec Is Aeronautical Engineer - . Air Development Squadron Five's Executive Off-;er, Cdr. Dale Cox, will be detached from the Squadron ' 'b- ruary 10 to report to the Lawrence Radiation Lab,,' . at Livermore, Calif. His relief is Cdr. Carter L. \V ilsoH Jr., according to Capt. Karl S. Van Meter, Squadron Com- mander. training followed. Cdr. Wilson entered the Navy a H is initial duty assignment was year and three days before the at- with Torpedo Squadron 16, a por- tack on Pearl Harbor as a Seaman tion 0'( the first Carrier Air Group Second Class. He subsequently un- aboard the newly commissioned dertook N a val Aviation Cadet USS Lex.ington, extended over near- Training under the V -5 program ly two years. H e flew in six m ajor at Lambert Field, St. Louis, Mis- campaigns in the Western Pacific souri, and received his Wings and and Asiatic areas. commission in August, 1942, at Mi- Assigned to Torpedo Squadron 31 ami, Florida. Operational flight aboard the USS Belleau Wood, Cdr. Wilson earned the Navy Cross ~or h eroism as a pilot and strike leader against the Japanese home islands' Kure Naval Base at Honshu. In addition to the Navy Crossj major awards include the Distin~ guished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and two Presidential Unit Citation ribbons. As project officer for the Lark, one of the Navy's first guided mis- siles, with the Pilotless Aircraft Division (later to become the Guid- ed Missile Division) of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Cdr. Wilson gair.nd an initial background into the mis~ siles field. Postgraduate study at the U.S. Naval Academy specializing in air- cralt armament and a third ye:JT's work at .Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earned a degree of l\-[aster of Science in Aeronautical Engineering in 1950 for the new VX-5 Executive Officer. . Dr. Robert Sterling Hicks, educator, administrator, lec- turer, and Associate Director of the Department of Educa- tion of The American Insti- tute of Family Relations will be guest speaker at the next Burroughs High School and Murray Junior High PTA meeting Thursday, February 11, in the Jam e s Monroe School in Ridgecrest. During the three day visit to NOTS, the committee m embers as- similated pertinent data from brief- ings and discussions with key tech- nical personnel of Test, AOD, Weap- ons Develoment, Propulsion Devel- opment, Research, Engineering, and TID, NE\V EXEC TO TAKE OVER-Cdr. Carter L. Wilson (r), who will take During his assignment as Execu- tive Officer of Attack Squadrori' 25, based at Oceana, Va., this Squadron received the Battle Readiness Ex~ ceUence Award for 1952 under pro- visions set forth by the Chief of Naval Operations. Dr. Robert S. Bficks The program, jointly sponsored with the J ames Monroe Elementary PTA, was coordinated by co-chair- m an Barbara Auld, vice-president Qf Burroughs High PTA, and Nor- val Dorman, President of the James Monroe Elementary PTA. It is planned to attract all parents in In- dian Wells Valley. Dr. H icks will speak at 8 p.m. on various facets of family rela- tions. A public speaker with 25 years ~xpEi'ience, Dr. Hicks is a forceful speaker who is equally ef- {ective with audiences made up of parents, or students, or professional people. His broad background of experience, his sound philosophy and warm sympathy have brought high pra ise from church groups, PTA's service clubs, and business men's organizations. During his two-day visit here, his Emphasis was placed on the tech- nical capabilities, facilities and staff of this activity. The visiting group included Dr. E. S. Lamar, Chief Scientist, Re- search and Development Manage- ment Staff, Cdr. W. B. Robcrtson, who served as Head and Associate Head of Propellants and Explosives Department here from August '55 to September '56, and Head, Pro- cess Development Div. from Octo- ber '56 until August '58 when he was assigned to the R esearch and Development Staff, BuWeps; Dr. E. F. Osburn, vice president Penn State; R. W. Larson, General Elec- tric ; C. H . Stevenson, Douglas Air- craft; and Dr. W. D. Lewis, Bell T elephone Laboratories. Also included was a contingent of five men from Sta nford Research Institute headed by Dr. Francis Dresch, former Dahlgren Computa- tion Laboratory Associate Director, and Dr. R. D. Engbert, Richard I. Condit, Redford C. Rollins, Peter Tilton, and L. D. Christensen. agenda will incluae speaking to groups of students at the James Monroe School Thursday morning and consultations with parents and students in the afternoon. un .lfriday, h e will address Bur- roughs High School groups in the morning and Murray Jr. High groups in the afternoon. This will be Dr. Hicks' fourth speaking en- gagement at China Lake. Credit Union 1960-61 Board of Directors A'J;' THE HELl\I-Both new and old officers will preside on the 1960-61 Board of Directors of the NOTS Employees Federal Credit Union. Elect- ed (I-r) are: Robert 0. Holloway, Treasurer; Henry H. Waif, President; }Villiam P. Koontz, Vice-President; and Berce Giles, Clerk. over a- s Executive Officer of VX-5, receives a hearty handshake from de- parting Cdr. Dale Cox, the Squadron's Exec since April '57. Job Exams Open In Per Diem Fields Examination announcements for per diem jobs have been issued by the Board of Examiners of the Eleventh Naval District for vacan- cies at China Lake. Registers for the following posi- tions will be set up in accordance with announcement provisions: Ce- ment Finisher; Machinist; Elec- tronic Instrument Mechanic; and Gardener. Applications will be ac- cepted until further notice. A competitive promotion exam for Leadingman (Truck Driver, Heavy) is open until F ebruary 17. Applicants should file Application Form 57 and Card Form 5001-ABC with the Civil Service Representa- tive at China Lake. Examination announcements are posted on bulletin boards in the Personnel and Community Rela- tions Department building and lo- cal post offices. I Patent Awards.•. (Continued from Page 1) thereof. Elmo C. Julian, Frank G. Cres- cenzo, and Robert C. .Meyers (pos- thumously) for their "Igniter Com- position." The invention comprises igniter compositions which have an acceptable range of ignition time delay and which are inert to static electricity, impact, friction and temperatures below 400°C Rnd are not affected by moisture in the at- mosphere. Lohr A Burkhart, \VilIiam G. Fill- \ ''''''''', and Rex L. S mith for their "Chemically Produced Color e d Smokes." The invention involves pyrotechnic compositions for chem- ically producing smokes the colors of which are not diminished by the heat of the reaction. \Villiam S. l\'[cEwa·u and Alvin S. Gordon for their "Method for In- creasing the Burning R ate of Pro- pellants," an incorporation of metal wires into propellant compositions. Frank G. Crescenzo for his "Gas Producing Charges." The invention comprises gas producing charges which are substantially tempera- ture insensitive over wide ranges of operating pressures whereby a rocket motor of substantially con- stant thrust may be provided. Missile I Failures•.• (Continued from Page 1) major breakthrough in preventing combustion instability has been made through the utilization of aluminum in mixed solid propel- lants. Since aluminum is also a good rocket fuel, Price said that th e metal particles are particular- ly valuable as an instability sup- pressant, although not functioning effectively under all conditions. H e also noted that it is not known just why this metal helps. Low-Paid Prollulsionist Claiming the dubious distinction of being the lowest paid rocket pro- pulSion man at China Lake during World War II years, Price has been employed by the Station since 1944. After three and one-half years of study at the UniverSity of Cali- fornia at Los Angeles, he joined propulsion scientists at the Cali- fornia I nstitute of Tcchnology. Drafted into the Navy as an Ap- prentice Seaman at the outbreak of the War, he was sent to China Lake at the persuasion of CalTech. H e served his entire Navy career here, and returned to CIT to obtain his degree after being discharged. One of the biggest troubles with success these days is that its recipe is about the same as that for a nervous breakdown. • Elementary school pupils num- bered 445 on January 17, 194.5. Tours with the Naval Air Center as Head of the Engineering Services Branch; aboa,rd the USS Bennington as Assistant Air Officer and as the Head of t.he Fighter f;ys- tern Branch of the Avionics Divi.. s ion of BuAer k ept Cdr. Wilson a breast .of the latest developments and research into several of the Navy's programs. While aboard the Bennington he aided in the formu~ lation of many of the standard pro- cedures now in use aboa,rd carriers equipped with an aJlgled flight deck. Cdr. Wilson and his wife, Betty, have three children, Carter, III, Douglas and Bruce and have been assigned housing at 603-A Lexing- ton. Cox l\1ay Get Award A recommendation by the Com- mander of the Operational Test and Evaluation Force has been sub- mitted to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Arleigh A. Burke to honor Cdr. Cox for meritorious achieve- ment in aerial flights while at- tached to VX-5. The Letter of Com- mendation, if approved, will carry a Ribbon and Medal pendant. According to the recommenda- tion, as Executive Officer of the Squadron Cox played a major part in the inception and development of new flight techniques and tactical maneuvers for the A3D aircraft. He was the first pilot to fly this air- craft through certain tactical ma- neuvers then considered extra-haz- ardous for that aircraft. It is felt that Cox has m aterially contributed to the heavy attack capabilities of the U. S. Navy. VISITING ADl\URAL-RAdmiral Josel)h A. Jaap, OPNAV, oonverscs with Station Conun8.nde Capt. \V. W. Hollister at a reception honoring the Awuiral during his three-day tour of the Station this week. ..• , ADl\UNISTRATOR-S-Assembled at the Senior Personnel Conference is the Station's most valuable asset- EXECUTIVE PANEL-Top officials of the Naval Ordnance Test Sta- its people. Leading administrators of the civilian-military team are briefed on the large a- nd challenging tion preside at a Senior Personnel Conference held in the Community segment of work for which NOTS is uniquely and eminently well qualified, limited only by the Navy's Center last Friday. A view of things t-o come "••• an intriguing, specific, -ission and our technical competence. It was pointed out that the full utiliza.tion of each specialty within quite complicated and certainly very rewarding future for NOTS" was the NOTS team is the key to future success-the cilfilian professionals and technicians for the new ideas defined by the panelists to a full-capacity audience of top level admin.. and technical details and the military for advice and guidance based on their operating experience. Em- istrators. Shown (I-r) are: Capt. H. B. Hahn, Executive Officer; Dr. phasis was placed on the potential of "below the surface" oceanic research as a new medium of warfare Wm. B. McLean, Technical Director; Capt. -\V. W. Hollister, Station and communications due to the curtailment by missiles of the air and the ocean's surface. Commander; and H. ,G. Wilson, Associate Technical Director. TEMPERATURES The hardest thing for any young man to learn Is thot h. is so like olh&l' ROCKETEER Jon. 29 Jan. 30 Jan. 31 feb. 1 Max. MIn. 63 :J.I 65 36 63 3< 56 36 men. feb. 2 64 4S Feb. 3 .. 3• feb. .( 60 32 Vol. XVI, No. 5 U. S. Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California ,Friday, February 5, 1960 I Station Employees 'Voters I Wili 'Cast Get Patent Awards I Fate of Bond Issue Fuel Ignition Irregularities Cited As Price Presents Paper Ten S tat ion employees were presented a total of four Notices of Allowability and three issued patents on Wed- nesday, January 27, by Capt. W. W. Hollister. 'Notices of Allowabiity we r e awarded in lieu of issued patents for those cases under secrecy order. In an unclassified case, a patent is- sues and the invention becomes known to the public. Peter H. Firsht, Station Patent Counsel, noted that during the year 1959, 28 patents and 15 Notices of Allowability were prosecuted to fi- nality by the Patent Division at China Lake and Pasadena, and ad- ditionally, 39 patent applications for government contractor inventions were prepared and filed in the U.S. Patent Office. Inventors who received recogni- tion for their contribution to the Station's mission are as follows: Issued Patents ,Cass R. Roquemore for his ''Non- Propulsion Attachment for Rock- ets," a simplified, removable safety attachment for assembled rocket ammunition w h i c h renders the rocket non-propulsive until the at- tachment is removed. Jack H. Davidson for his "Con- vertible Test Probe." The invention comprises a combination test probe deVice for use on electrical and elec- tronic instrument test leads, adapt- ed for effecting electrical test con~ t act either by clipping, probing or sliding contact. Robert J. Stirton for his Appar- atus for Trajectory Determination." The invention comprises apparatus for determining the trajectory of a missile and includes signal trans- mitting means in the missile and signal receiving means and photo- graphic equipment on the ground. Notices of Allowability l\Iartin H. Kaufman for his "Pro- pellant Plasticizers," an invention ,incorporating novel non-explosive plasticizers in nitrocellulose pro... pellant formulations for improve~ ment of properties and processing (Continued on Page ~J At Tuesday 'Election Causing Missile Firing Failures Voters registered within Irregularities in propellant combustion is considered a prime factor in missile fail- the Kern County Union High ures by physicist Edward W. Price, Head, Fluid Dynamics Branch of Research Depart- School District as of Decem- ment's Physics Division. leads to either explosion of th~ ber 17 1959 are urged to cast Disclo.sed in a p~per entitled ~otor case, or viole~t. vibrati~n.s . ' "AnalYSIS of Experimental Re- III the rest of the miSSile causing thelr votes on the school bond search on Combustion Instability in failure in the guidance and con- issue next Tuesday, Febru- Solid Propellant Rockets" present- trol systems, completely destroying ary 9. ed to the Symposium on Solid Pro- the missile's usefulness. Indian Wells Valley residents may vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the fol- lowing polls: China Lake-Murray and Groves School auditoriums; Ridgecrest-James Monroe School auditorium; and the Inyokern School auditorium. Two-Thirds l\Ia,jority Needed A two-thirds majority will be ne- cessary to pass the bond issue which will include the money to build a combination boys and girls gym, a girls shower-locker room, and a multi-purpose room that will serve as a combination auditorium and cafeteria on the new Burroughs High School campus. It the bond issue passes, it is es- timated that taxes will increase an average of 7 cents per $100 of as- sessed valuation for a period of three years. Then the bond ta- x rate should drop approximately 29 cents because aU outstanding bonds from the last issue will be retired. Enrollment Increasing Studies indicate that Burroughs High School enrollments will in- crease from 883 this year to 1,437 by 1967-68. If the bond issue fails and enrollments continue to rise. double sessions are an eventuality which must be considered. According to Earl Love, General Engineer in Propulsion D evelop- ment Department, who is a mem- ber of the Citizens for School Bonds Committee, "The way our commu- nity is growing, not to mention present overcrowded conditions in our school, this measure will go a long way to correct our problem." Dr. R ex Shacklett of Ridgecrest is the other local member of thf' countywide Citizens for School Bonds committee which conducted a massive contact campaign. pellant Rock et Research sponsored Costing Nation l\[oney jointly by the American Rocket Price feels the combustion. in- Society and Princeton University stability problem is costing the no,- last Friday, Price n oted that sound tion a high price in time and money waves created within a rocket mo- in the missile dcvelo(lment pro- tor result in undependable and ec- centric performance of the rocket. Foremost Authority Considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on rocket combustion, the NoTS physicist stated that these sound waves, in- teracting within the rocket flame, set off a chain reaction reaching extremely high sound levels. This, in turn, results in erratic propellant combustion, excessive pressures and overheating of the motor. This gram. Now being recognized by guid- ance and control scientists as a major problem, the situation has been known to propulsion men for some time, Price added. Many successful rocke.t and mis- sile programs ha.ve circumvented the instability problem, Price point- ed out, through intricate firing chamber design or through sacri- fice of power output. This, however, he says is "black magic" and "suc- Concert artists to appear here Monday night. I Edward W. Price cess without understanding fur- nishes little protection from recur- rence of the same trouble in future motor designs." Problem Persists Recent research work has in- creased the scientists' understand- ing of the problem, but the problem remains, in spite of increased knowledge. One of the reasons for this, the physicist affirmed, is that modern rocket applications demand increasingly powerful pro· pulSion systems, and combustion instability increases with the more energetic propellants used. Price feels that Russia has not solved the problem, but rather that they are probably in a comparable situation. No monopoly on instability of combustion is held by solid propel- lants; liquid propulsion systems are equally subject. Although the liquid propulsion field has receiv- ed more study, he feels that the problem will ultimately be mos t decisively solved in solid propel- lant systems. Adding Aluminum H elps The analytical paper noted that a. (Continued on Page 4) NOTS Concert Assn. Presents Quartetto di Roma Ensemble "A performance of sheer delight from beginning to end," according to critics, awaits patrons of the NOTS Civic Concerts next Monday night, February 8, when the Quartetto di Roma appear at 8: 15 in the Station Theatre. is noted for its virtuosity as well as for its perfect ensemble. Program Selections to be rendered are: PATENT A\VARDEE~Recipients of Issued Pat· ents and Notices of Allowahility presented by Oapt.. W. W. Hollister are pictured at ceremonies held in the Ad Building Conference Room last week. Shown (l-r) are: Lohr A. Burkardt; Will. O. Finnega,n; Dr. Alvin S. Gordon; Peter R. Firsbt., Patent Counselor; Rex L Smith; Capt. Hollister; Bette Meyers for Robert C. l\Ieyers (deceased); Elmo a Julian; Mar- tin H. Kaufman; Jack H. Davidson; Cass R. Roque- more; and Robert J. Stirton. Two other awaniees, Frank G. Crescenzo and Dr. Wm. C. McEwaDt were on official travel when presentations : were nMe. This notable piano and string qua rtet of Italian origin is an en- semble of rare refinement consist- ing of such outstanding musicians as Ornella Santoliquido, pianist; Ar- rigo P elliccia, viollnist; Bruno Giur- anna, violist; and Massimo Amfi- theatrof, cellist. Together these four exceptional artists present a new experience in ensemble playing that is beautifully balanced, polished and strikingly brUliant in tonal quality. Also, the artists form a piano quartet which Quartet in G minor, K. 478 by Mo· zart; Quartet in E flat major, Opus 87 by Dvorak; and Quartet in G minor, Opus 25 by Brahms. Single admission tickets will be available at the Theatre box office from 6:30 p.rn. Prices of these tickets will be $4,50, $3.75, $3 a.Dd $1.75. , OCR Text: Page Four THE ROCKETEER NAVAL RESEARCH VISITORS-Members of the special subcommittee of the Naval Research AdvisorYI Boar(1 here to study Station facilities this week are: Front row (I-r) O. \V. Helms. Dr. E. S. Lamar, Dr. R. D. Engbert. Dr. E. F. Osborn, C. H. Stevenson. and Ddr. W. B. Robertson, who was stationed here from Aug. '55 to Aug. '58. Back row (I-r) are: Peter Tilton, Redford C. Rollins, Dr. Francis Dresch, Dr. \V. D. Lewis, R~ \V. Latson, L D. Christensen, and Richard I. Condit. The group collected data for Bu\Veps. 'Naval 'Research Advisory Committee 'Pays·'Visit to 'Study Station facilities The Station's research, development, test and evaluation facilities were given a rapid but thorough study by a spe- cial subcommittee of the Naval Research Advisory Com- mittee the first part of this week. Noted Speaker i Due ! For Next i PTA Meet The ultimate purpose of the study is to assist in coordination of the various laboratories for greatest ef- ficiency, according to O. W. Helms, Executive Secretary of the Commit- tee. The study stems from the mer- ger of the Bureau of Ordnance and the Bureau of Aeronautics into the Bureau of Naval W eapons. BuWeps was officially commis- sioned on December 1, 1959, with Rea r Admiral Paul D. Stroop, for- m er Chief of the Bureau of Ord- nance, named as its head. Adm. Stroop served as Station Command- er h ere from October, 1952 to Au- gust, 1953. Change of Duty Friday, February 5, 1960 Cdr. Cox Leaves VX·5's Next Exec Is Aeronautical Engineer - . Air Development Squadron Five's Executive Off-;er, Cdr. Dale Cox, will be detached from the Squadron ' 'b- ruary 10 to report to the Lawrence Radiation Lab,,' . at Livermore, Calif. His relief is Cdr. Carter L. \V ilsoH Jr., according to Capt. Karl S. Van Meter, Squadron Com- mander. training followed. Cdr. Wilson entered the Navy a H is initial duty assignment was year and three days before the at- with Torpedo Squadron 16, a por- tack on Pearl Harbor as a Seaman tion 0'( the first Carrier Air Group Second Class. He subsequently un- aboard the newly commissioned dertook N a val Aviation Cadet USS Lex.ington, extended over near- Training under the V -5 program ly two years. H e flew in six m ajor at Lambert Field, St. Louis, Mis- campaigns in the Western Pacific souri, and received his Wings and and Asiatic areas. commission in August, 1942, at Mi- Assigned to Torpedo Squadron 31 ami, Florida. Operational flight aboard the USS Belleau Wood, Cdr. Wilson earned the Navy Cross ~or h eroism as a pilot and strike leader against the Japanese home islands' Kure Naval Base at Honshu. In addition to the Navy Crossj major awards include the Distin~ guished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and two Presidential Unit Citation ribbons. As project officer for the Lark, one of the Navy's first guided mis- siles, with the Pilotless Aircraft Division (later to become the Guid- ed Missile Division) of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Cdr. Wilson gair.nd an initial background into the mis~ siles field. Postgraduate study at the U.S. Naval Academy specializing in air- cralt armament and a third ye:JT's work at .Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earned a degree of l\-[aster of Science in Aeronautical Engineering in 1950 for the new VX-5 Executive Officer. . Dr. Robert Sterling Hicks, educator, administrator, lec- turer, and Associate Director of the Department of Educa- tion of The American Insti- tute of Family Relations will be guest speaker at the next Burroughs High School and Murray Junior High PTA meeting Thursday, February 11, in the Jam e s Monroe School in Ridgecrest. During the three day visit to NOTS, the committee m embers as- similated pertinent data from brief- ings and discussions with key tech- nical personnel of Test, AOD, Weap- ons Develoment, Propulsion Devel- opment, Research, Engineering, and TID, NE\V EXEC TO TAKE OVER-Cdr. Carter L. Wilson (r), who will take During his assignment as Execu- tive Officer of Attack Squadrori' 25, based at Oceana, Va., this Squadron received the Battle Readiness Ex~ ceUence Award for 1952 under pro- visions set forth by the Chief of Naval Operations. Dr. Robert S. Bficks The program, jointly sponsored with the J ames Monroe Elementary PTA, was coordinated by co-chair- m an Barbara Auld, vice-president Qf Burroughs High PTA, and Nor- val Dorman, President of the James Monroe Elementary PTA. It is planned to attract all parents in In- dian Wells Valley. Dr. H icks will speak at 8 p.m. on various facets of family rela- tions. A public speaker with 25 years ~xpEi'ience, Dr. Hicks is a forceful speaker who is equally ef- {ective with audiences made up of parents, or students, or professional people. His broad background of experience, his sound philosophy and warm sympathy have brought high pra ise from church groups, PTA's service clubs, and business men's organizations. During his two-day visit here, his Emphasis was placed on the tech- nical capabilities, facilities and staff of this activity. The visiting group included Dr. E. S. Lamar, Chief Scientist, Re- search and Development Manage- ment Staff, Cdr. W. B. Robcrtson, who served as Head and Associate Head of Propellants and Explosives Department here from August '55 to September '56, and Head, Pro- cess Development Div. from Octo- ber '56 until August '58 when he was assigned to the R esearch and Development Staff, BuWeps; Dr. E. F. Osburn, vice president Penn State; R. W. Larson, General Elec- tric ; C. H . Stevenson, Douglas Air- craft; and Dr. W. D. Lewis, Bell T elephone Laboratories. Also included was a contingent of five men from Sta nford Research Institute headed by Dr. Francis Dresch, former Dahlgren Computa- tion Laboratory Associate Director, and Dr. R. D. Engbert, Richard I. Condit, Redford C. Rollins, Peter Tilton, and L. D. Christensen. agenda will incluae speaking to groups of students at the James Monroe School Thursday morning and consultations with parents and students in the afternoon. un .lfriday, h e will address Bur- roughs High School groups in the morning and Murray Jr. High groups in the afternoon. This will be Dr. Hicks' fourth speaking en- gagement at China Lake. Credit Union 1960-61 Board of Directors A'J;' THE HELl\I-Both new and old officers will preside on the 1960-61 Board of Directors of the NOTS Employees Federal Credit Union. Elect- ed (I-r) are: Robert 0. Holloway, Treasurer; Henry H. Waif, President; }Villiam P. Koontz, Vice-President; and Berce Giles, Clerk. over a- s Executive Officer of VX-5, receives a hearty handshake from de- parting Cdr. Dale Cox, the Squadron's Exec since April '57. Job Exams Open In Per Diem Fields Examination announcements for per diem jobs have been issued by the Board of Examiners of the Eleventh Naval District for vacan- cies at China Lake. Registers for the following posi- tions will be set up in accordance with announcement provisions: Ce- ment Finisher; Machinist; Elec- tronic Instrument Mechanic; and Gardener. Applications will be ac- cepted until further notice. A competitive promotion exam for Leadingman (Truck Driver, Heavy) is open until F ebruary 17. Applicants should file Application Form 57 and Card Form 5001-ABC with the Civil Service Representa- tive at China Lake. Examination announcements are posted on bulletin boards in the Personnel and Community Rela- tions Department building and lo- cal post offices. I Patent Awards.•. (Continued from Page 1) thereof. Elmo C. Julian, Frank G. Cres- cenzo, and Robert C. .Meyers (pos- thumously) for their "Igniter Com- position." The invention comprises igniter compositions which have an acceptable range of ignition time delay and which are inert to static electricity, impact, friction and temperatures below 400°C Rnd are not affected by moisture in the at- mosphere. Lohr A Burkhart, \VilIiam G. Fill- \ ''''''''', and Rex L. S mith for their "Chemically Produced Color e d Smokes." The invention involves pyrotechnic compositions for chem- ically producing smokes the colors of which are not diminished by the heat of the reaction. \Villiam S. l\'[cEwa·u and Alvin S. Gordon for their "Method for In- creasing the Burning R ate of Pro- pellants," an incorporation of metal wires into propellant compositions. Frank G. Crescenzo for his "Gas Producing Charges." The invention comprises gas producing charges which are substantially tempera- ture insensitive over wide ranges of operating pressures whereby a rocket motor of substantially con- stant thrust may be provided. Missile I Failures•.• (Continued from Page 1) major breakthrough in preventing combustion instability has been made through the utilization of aluminum in mixed solid propel- lants. Since aluminum is also a good rocket fuel, Price said that th e metal particles are particular- ly valuable as an instability sup- pressant, although not functioning effectively under all conditions. H e also noted that it is not known just why this metal helps. Low-Paid Prollulsionist Claiming the dubious distinction of being the lowest paid rocket pro- pulSion man at China Lake during World War II years, Price has been employed by the Station since 1944. After three and one-half years of study at the UniverSity of Cali- fornia at Los Angeles, he joined propulsion scientists at the Cali- fornia I nstitute of Tcchnology. Drafted into the Navy as an Ap- prentice Seaman at the outbreak of the War, he was sent to China Lake at the persuasion of CalTech. H e served his entire Navy career here, and returned to CIT to obtain his degree after being discharged. One of the biggest troubles with success these days is that its recipe is about the same as that for a nervous breakdown. • Elementary school pupils num- bered 445 on January 17, 194.5. Tours with the Naval Air Center as Head of the Engineering Services Branch; aboa,rd the USS Bennington as Assistant Air Officer and as the Head of t.he Fighter f;ys- tern Branch of the Avionics Divi.. s ion of BuAer k ept Cdr. Wilson a breast .of the latest developments and research into several of the Navy's programs. While aboard the Bennington he aided in the formu~ lation of many of the standard pro- cedures now in use aboa,rd carriers equipped with an aJlgled flight deck. Cdr. Wilson and his wife, Betty, have three children, Carter, III, Douglas and Bruce and have been assigned housing at 603-A Lexing- ton. Cox l\1ay Get Award A recommendation by the Com- mander of the Operational Test and Evaluation Force has been sub- mitted to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Arleigh A. Burke to honor Cdr. Cox for meritorious achieve- ment in aerial flights while at- tached to VX-5. The Letter of Com- mendation, if approved, will carry a Ribbon and Medal pendant. According to the recommenda- tion, as Executive Officer of the Squadron Cox played a major part in the inception and development of new flight techniques and tactical maneuvers for the A3D aircraft. He was the first pilot to fly this air- craft through certain tactical ma- neuvers then considered extra-haz- ardous for that aircraft. It is felt that Cox has m aterially contributed to the heavy attack capabilities of the U. S. Navy. VISITING ADl\URAL-RAdmiral Josel)h A. Jaap, OPNAV, oonverscs with Station Conun8.nde Capt. \V. W. Hollister at a reception honoring the Awuiral during his three-day tour of the Station this week. ..• , ADl\UNISTRATOR-S-Assembled at the Senior Personnel Conference is the Station's most valuable asset- EXECUTIVE PANEL-Top officials of the Naval Ordnance Test Sta- its people. Leading administrators of the civilian-military team are briefed on the large a- nd challenging tion preside at a Senior Personnel Conference held in the Community segment of work for which NOTS is uniquely and eminently well qualified, limited only by the Navy's Center last Friday. A view of things t-o come "••• an intriguing, specific, -ission and our technical competence. It was pointed out that the full utiliza.tion of each specialty within quite complicated and certainly very rewarding future for NOTS" was the NOTS team is the key to future success-the cilfilian professionals and technicians for the new ideas defined by the panelists to a full-capacity audience of top level admin.. and technical details and the military for advice and guidance based on their operating experience. Em- istrators. Shown (I-r) are: Capt. H. B. Hahn, Executive Officer; Dr. phasis was placed on the potential of "below the surface" oceanic research as a new medium of warfare Wm. B. McLean, Technical Director; Capt. -\V. W. Hollister, Station and communications due to the curtailment by missiles of the air and the ocean's surface. Commander; and H. ,G. Wilson, Associate Technical Director. TEMPERATURES The hardest thing for any young man to learn Is thot h. is so like olh&l' ROCKETEER Jon. 29 Jan. 30 Jan. 31 feb. 1 Max. MIn. 63 :J.I 65 36 63 3< 56 36 men. feb. 2 64 4S Feb. 3 .. 3• feb. .( 60 32 Vol. XVI, No. 5 U. S. Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California ,Friday, February 5, 1960 I Station Employees 'Voters I Wili 'Cast Get Patent Awards I Fate of Bond Issue Fuel Ignition Irregularities Cited As Price Presents Paper Ten S tat ion employees were presented a total of four Notices of Allowability and three issued patents on Wed- nesday, January 27, by Capt. W. W. Hollister. 'Notices of Allowabiity we r e awarded in lieu of issued patents for those cases under secrecy order. In an unclassified case, a patent is- sues and the invention becomes known to the public. Peter H. Firsht, Station Patent Counsel, noted that during the year 1959, 28 patents and 15 Notices of Allowability were prosecuted to fi- nality by the Patent Division at China Lake and Pasadena, and ad- ditionally, 39 patent applications for government contractor inventions were prepared and filed in the U.S. Patent Office. Inventors who received recogni- tion for their contribution to the Station's mission are as follows: Issued Patents ,Cass R. Roquemore for his ''Non- Propulsion Attachment for Rock- ets," a simplified, removable safety attachment for assembled rocket ammunition w h i c h renders the rocket non-propulsive until the at- tachment is removed. Jack H. Davidson for his "Con- vertible Test Probe." The invention comprises a combination test probe deVice for use on electrical and elec- tronic instrument test leads, adapt- ed for effecting electrical test con~ t act either by clipping, probing or sliding contact. Robert J. Stirton for his Appar- atus for Trajectory Determination." The invention comprises apparatus for determining the trajectory of a missile and includes signal trans- mitting means in the missile and signal receiving means and photo- graphic equipment on the ground. Notices of Allowability l\Iartin H. Kaufman for his "Pro- pellant Plasticizers," an invention ,incorporating novel non-explosive plasticizers in nitrocellulose pro... pellant formulations for improve~ ment of properties and processing (Continued on Page ~J At Tuesday 'Election Causing Missile Firing Failures Voters registered within Irregularities in propellant combustion is considered a prime factor in missile fail- the Kern County Union High ures by physicist Edward W. Price, Head, Fluid Dynamics Branch of Research Depart- School District as of Decem- ment's Physics Division. leads to either explosion of th~ ber 17 1959 are urged to cast Disclo.sed in a p~per entitled ~otor case, or viole~t. vibrati~n.s . ' "AnalYSIS of Experimental Re- III the rest of the miSSile causing thelr votes on the school bond search on Combustion Instability in failure in the guidance and con- issue next Tuesday, Febru- Solid Propellant Rockets" present- trol systems, completely destroying ary 9. ed to the Symposium on Solid Pro- the missile's usefulness. Indian Wells Valley residents may vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the fol- lowing polls: China Lake-Murray and Groves School auditoriums; Ridgecrest-James Monroe School auditorium; and the Inyokern School auditorium. Two-Thirds l\Ia,jority Needed A two-thirds majority will be ne- cessary to pass the bond issue which will include the money to build a combination boys and girls gym, a girls shower-locker room, and a multi-purpose room that will serve as a combination auditorium and cafeteria on the new Burroughs High School campus. It the bond issue passes, it is es- timated that taxes will increase an average of 7 cents per $100 of as- sessed valuation for a period of three years. Then the bond ta- x rate should drop approximately 29 cents because aU outstanding bonds from the last issue will be retired. Enrollment Increasing Studies indicate that Burroughs High School enrollments will in- crease from 883 this year to 1,437 by 1967-68. If the bond issue fails and enrollments continue to rise. double sessions are an eventuality which must be considered. According to Earl Love, General Engineer in Propulsion D evelop- ment Department, who is a mem- ber of the Citizens for School Bonds Committee, "The way our commu- nity is growing, not to mention present overcrowded conditions in our school, this measure will go a long way to correct our problem." Dr. R ex Shacklett of Ridgecrest is the other local member of thf' countywide Citizens for School Bonds committee which conducted a massive contact campaign. pellant Rock et Research sponsored Costing Nation l\[oney jointly by the American Rocket Price feels the combustion. in- Society and Princeton University stability problem is costing the no,- last Friday, Price n oted that sound tion a high price in time and money waves created within a rocket mo- in the missile dcvelo(lment pro- tor result in undependable and ec- centric performance of the rocket. Foremost Authority Considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on rocket combustion, the NoTS physicist stated that these sound waves, in- teracting within the rocket flame, set off a chain reaction reaching extremely high sound levels. This, in turn, results in erratic propellant combustion, excessive pressures and overheating of the motor. This gram. Now being recognized by guid- ance and control scientists as a major problem, the situation has been known to propulsion men for some time, Price added. Many successful rocke.t and mis- sile programs ha.ve circumvented the instability problem, Price point- ed out, through intricate firing chamber design or through sacri- fice of power output. This, however, he says is "black magic" and "suc- Concert artists to appear here Monday night. I Edward W. Price cess without understanding fur- nishes little protection from recur- rence of the same trouble in future motor designs." Problem Persists Recent research work has in- creased the scientists' understand- ing of the problem, but the problem remains, in spite of increased knowledge. One of the reasons for this, the physicist affirmed, is that modern rocket applications demand increasingly powerful pro· pulSion systems, and combustion instability increases with the more energetic propellants used. Price feels that Russia has not solved the problem, but rather that they are probably in a comparable situation. No monopoly on instability of combustion is held by solid propel- lants; liquid propulsion systems are equally subject. Although the liquid propulsion field has receiv- ed more study, he feels that the problem will ultimately be mos t decisively solved in solid propel- lant systems. Adding Aluminum H elps The analytical paper noted that a. (Continued on Page 4) NOTS Concert Assn. Presents Quartetto di Roma Ensemble "A performance of sheer delight from beginning to end," according to critics, awaits patrons of the NOTS Civic Concerts next Monday night, February 8, when the Quartetto di Roma appear at 8: 15 in the Station Theatre. is noted for its virtuosity as well as for its perfect ensemble. Program Selections to be rendered are: PATENT A\VARDEE~Recipients of Issued Pat· ents and Notices of Allowahility presented by Oapt.. W. W. Hollister are pictured at ceremonies held in the Ad Building Conference Room last week. Shown (l-r) are: Lohr A. Burkardt; Will. O. Finnega,n; Dr. Alvin S. Gordon; Peter R. Firsbt., Patent Counselor; Rex L Smith; Capt. Hollister; Bette Meyers for Robert C. l\Ieyers (deceased); Elmo a Julian; Mar- tin H. Kaufman; Jack H. Davidson; Cass R. Roque- more; and Robert J. Stirton. Two other awaniees, Frank G. Crescenzo and Dr. Wm. C. McEwaDt were on official travel when presentations : were nMe. This notable piano and string qua rtet of Italian origin is an en- semble of rare refinement consist- ing of such outstanding musicians as Ornella Santoliquido, pianist; Ar- rigo P elliccia, viollnist; Bruno Giur- anna, violist; and Massimo Amfi- theatrof, cellist. Together these four exceptional artists present a new experience in ensemble playing that is beautifully balanced, polished and strikingly brUliant in tonal quality. Also, the artists form a piano quartet which Quartet in G minor, K. 478 by Mo· zart; Quartet in E flat major, Opus 87 by Dvorak; and Quartet in G minor, Opus 25 by Brahms. Single admission tickets will be available at the Theatre box office from 6:30 p.rn. Prices of these tickets will be $4,50, $3.75, $3 a.Dd $1.75. , China Lake Museum,Rocketeer Newspaper,Rocketeer 1960s,Rocketeer 1960,Rktr2.5.1960.pdf,Rktr2.5.1960.pdf Page 1, Rktr2.5.1960.pdf Page 1