This article first appeared in the January 1973 Flight Test News.
The Long Island Chapter held a membership drive meeting in October. William Cutler, Chapter President, presented a report on the 1972 Symposium which was hosted by the Texas Chapter. A talk on the advantages of SFTE membership was also given and a film on Flight Testing of the Boeing 747 was shown. The film was borrowed from Boeing through the Seattle Chapter. Beer and pizza were served at the meeting compliments of the Long Island Chapter.
On 14 November 1972 Don Evans, Grumman F-14A Structural Test Pilot, presented a fighter pilot’s impressions of the F-14A’s outstanding performance as a fighter aircraft. He drew on his vast experience as an Air Force pilot of Century Series aircraft as well as the U-2. A definition of a fighter aircraft mission and capability requirements was described, and then the ability of the F-14A to meet these requirements was discussed. In addition results of actual flight test experience of simulated air combat maneuvering against current U.S. production fighter aircraft was described demonstrating again the significant improvement available with the aircraft. Don’s enthusiasm for the F-14A was apparent and contributed significantly to his presentation. Grumman Aerospace Corporation produced progress report films depicting the aircraft in all phases of the development flight test program were utilized in the presentation. About forty people attended the dinner meeting which was preceded by a cocktail hour sponsored by Grumman.
A showing of a video tape recording of the 1971 SFTE Patuxent River Chapter Symposium is currently being sponsored by the Long Island Chapter. One paper per day is presented during the lunch hour on Mondays and Tuesdays. The presentations are viewed simultaneously at Grumman Bethpage and Grumman Calverton (-50 miles apart) via a microwave link. Unfortunately the program is only available to Grumman employees but at the present time this represents about 95 percent of the Chapter membership. Plans are being formulated to show the 1972 Texas Chapter Symposium papers as a follow-on to the 1971 papers.
Future plans include a business/nominations meeting in December and a dinner meeting in January vhere the speaker will be Mr. Jack Nial, Chief Engineer, FQ&P Branch, Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland speaking on the “Evolution of Navy Stall/Post Stall/Spin Testing.” This is the first attempt at exchanging speakers between Long Island and Patuxent. Plans call for Don Evans to address Patuxent on his U-2 experience.
At the business meeting of the 1972 Symposium it was suggested that each chapter generate a list of films available for loan to other chapters. Such a list is now available from the Long Island Chapter and can be obtained by contacting William Cutler, Grumman Aerospace Corporation, Plant 7, Dept. 731, Calverton, L.I., N.Y.
This article first appeared in the January 1973 Flight Test News.
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