DETECT AND DESTROY

there was a time in naval aviation when an aircraft was considered a success if it could dive without losing its wings today fleet airplanes and helicopters are sophisticated weapon systems incorporating the latest technological advances determining when these new birds reach fighting age is a science in itself the United States Navy makes this evaluation at the giant Naval Air test center at Patuxent River Maryland the tests work is directed by the Navy's board of inspection and survey fish for short here the senior member captain s our hours and officers of the three test divisions program the Sikorsky h SS - - a twin turbine helicopter known as the hiss - or the sea dragon the boat hauled his - is the Navy's first helicopter designed to detect identified track and destroy enemy submarines while flying a full combat mission [Music] after hovering in ground effect where there is a supporting cushion of air the aircraft hovers out of ground effect power needed for various gross weights is determined now comes a series of up and down flights called sawtooth climbs first arise from 500 to 1500 feet and a drop back to 500 feet the next climb will be from 2500 to 3500 feet these flights help establish the best rate of climb at various altitudes [Music] a major feature of the hiss - is it automatic transition capability a push button hands-off operation in which the big turbo copter glides from altitude into a low hover for precise sonar work to test pilots exaggerate the hands-off capability the Ryan Doppler radar is a key piece of equipment in this transition one engine flight simulates operation after an engine failure power requirements are noted then number two engine is restarted equal attention is given to the aircraft's handling qualities during power off landings better known as otter rotations with wheels down there his two descends flaring out and settling into an easy landing the flight test program is only as successful as the data obtained this is the orange board orange for test equipment and a Silla graph gives strain gauge readings and vibration measurements movie film provides a continuous record of the instrument panel Navy engineers analyze the data and establish fuel consumption rates maximum speed service ceilings and gross weights for different loading conditions nightfall brings no break in the test program for the hiss - is designed to fly at night or in bad weather the fliers are graduates of the naval test pilot school and function as engineers as well as privates most of them are fleet veterans and think in terms of shipboard operations they seek a helicopter that will be a marked improvement over its predecessor and operate with the highest possible degree of safety the history can carry on iment ranging from conventional death bombs to nuclear weapons Navy experts test the aircraft's ability to transport and deliver its lethal loads the pilot arms his weapons and the aircraft makes a mock attack run the firing button is squeezed twice and to dummy weapons splash into the sea back on the ground other testing is carried out in the shielded hangar the only one of its kind in the world free from atmospheric disturbances and the interference of other radio and radar equipment the electronics package is examined minutely the electronics equipment also is checked out in navigation flights such as the one being set up by mrs. Gloria Van Cleave a civilian engineer mrs. Van Cleve was the first woman to fly in the hiss - [Music] heading range projected airspeed and variation are fed into the automatic navigation system and an accuracy test is run against known points in the Chesapeake Bay the course also is laid out on a plotting board giving the pilot a visual indication of his position after the flight the navigational computer one of the aircraft's black boxes is removed and checked in a navigation bench test set detecting enemy submarines is a prime function of this airborne platform on station the pilot gives the command sonar lower the ball the sonar system produced by the Bendix corporation comes in for painstaking scrutiny a four-man crew pilot copilot sonar operator and relief operator man the turbo copter when the sonar operator tires he slides the console over to his relief acute hearing is mandatory for sonar work the highly developed electronics equipment represents a substantial part of the dollar value of the sea dragon the world's most advanced helicopter weapon system I'm still another front two more hiss tools are being put through accelerated field service and maintenance trials a portable dabit and hoist is utilized for our quick change of the lightweight gas turbine engine the general electric t58 togeer and other ground handling equipment are evaluated accessibility of service platforms is studied one of the goals of the hist to program has been the development of an aircraft requiring minimum maintenance shipboard conditions are simulated as nearly as possible blades are unfolded and folded before and after every flight the automatic blade folding feature eliminates the need for a blade folding crew and speeds up the launching and stowage routine [Music] human engineering is the concern of service tests aeromedical branch with navy flight surgeon studying aircrew fatigue and comfort air samples will reveal if the aircraft fuel or lubricants are giving off unacceptable gases the rescue hoist has to meet high standards to this life-saving device has made the helicopter the most successful and spectacular rescue vehicle in history all the instrument flying does not have to be done at night or in foul weather nice amber come allowed especially for this when the pilot dons a pair of blue glasses it becomes as black as night the observer pilots vision is unaffected and he can monitor the flight in all three divisions comments on the aircraft and suggested improvements are noted on yellow sheets recommendations approved by the Bureau of Naval Weapons are discussed with Sikorsky management and engineering officials the Navy's position is summarized by Rear Admiral EA Hanigan commander Naval Air test center now comes the moment of truth for the hiss to the aircraft carrier suitability trials aboard the USS Lake Champlain this is the mission for which the Swift turbo copter was conceived and developed a carrier-based submarine hunter-killer that can operate day or night summer or winter in the tropics or the Arctic years of painstaking planning questioning and testing and brought the helicopter to this mid-atlantic rendezvous with its judges aircraft stability and maneuvering flight characteristics are thoroughly investigated landings at various deck locations and into different wind headings are carried out under a wide variety of wind and sea conditions engine roll on landing then back upstairs for another go-around in the event of an engine failure this is the way the aircraft would come home [Music] flight-deck tie down here is check for strength and ease of handling then the carrier's elevator is try for size with rotor blades in tail pile unfolded the hiss - is a good fit and the turbo copter is rolled to a storage space on the hangar deck [Music] back on the flight deck Sikorsky and Navy personnel make preparations for an overwater mission the complex electronics armament communications and powerplant advances which have been wedded into an integrated unit it now be appraised as a weapon system a push of the button and the automatic blade unfolding equipment moves into action high winds of the rule on carriers and this forty not flow provides a stiff test for the new bird and the engineering know-how that created [Music] the s2 gives the fleet a big ear to listen for submarine activities the helicopters twin engine reliability boat hull safety and the compatibility of the electronics equipment represent a giant step forward in America's master plan for anti-submarine warfare to comes through it scarier work with flying colors bringing to an end the 60-day initial trial phase of this this has been an accelerated qualitative evaluation period more months of quantitative testing who continues the initial trial phase report goes to Rear Admiral Paul DS troops chief of the Bureau of naval weapons washington d.c the verdict the hist to with changes recommended is ready forfeit the fleet indoctrination program navy pilots ferry v turbo copters from the sikorsky plant in Stratford Connecticut to the Naval Air Training station at Key West Florida after a successful 5th deliveries to the fleet commands there is more icing for the Navy's cake commander Patrick Sullivan right and lieutenant BW Witherspoon Center pilot and co-pilot confer with navy engineer Robert Stang prior to an assault on the world helicopter speed record the mark of Honor at 67 miles an hour was held by the Russian Mills it's his - hurries across the three kilometer straight line courts an average of a hundred ninety two point nine miles an hour the fastest man has ever flown in a helicopter the old record is shattered by more than 25 miles from the production line more and more hiss tools fly away to fortify the nation's arsenal of defense the importance of this formidable weapon system is magnified in a world where nuclear-powered missile firing submarines pose an increasing threat to peace and security the mission of the hiss - to detect and destroy is the United States Navy's answer to any aggressor who would try to wrest from America its freedoms and its democratic way of life [Music]