Aircraft for testing lunar landings

In the 1960s , while working on the Apollo program , NASA was interested in a simulator to emulate landing on the lunar surface in terrestrial conditions. Three models were proposed: an electronic simulator, a remotely controlled aircraft, and an ambitious free-flying aircraft with a pilot on board. All three projects were implemented, but the most distinctive project was the creation of an independent aircraft, which was provided by NASA to its subsidiary flight research center. Armstrong (before March 1, 2014 - the Flight Research Center named after Dryden), who in turn signed a contract for the production of simulators from Bell Aircraft Corporation . The idea of ​​creating an emulator belongs to H. Drake (Hubert Drake) , the main engineers were appointed D. Bellman (Donald Bellman) and J. Matranga (Gene Matranga) , the project manager is also D. Bellman (Donald Bellman) .

Bell Aircraft Corporation was already busy developing the VTOL aircraft , which received approval from the research center and in December 1961 a contract was signed in the amount of $ 50,000 for the development of the simulator by the company, and subsequently on February 1, 1963 an agreement was signed in the amount of 3.6 million dollars to create the first experimental simulator (Lunar Landing Research Vehicle, abbr. LLRV) for 14 months for flight tests.

In April 1964, two experimental simulators were delivered to the research center and tested in steady state for stable operation of the engines on a specially designed stand without real flight, after which they were forwarded to the Edwards airbase for further flight tests.

The first flight was carried out on October 30, 1964, by test pilot D. Walker , a total of 3 minutes , including 1 minute at a maximum altitude of 3 meters . Further test flights were also conducted by D. Walker , pilot of the research center D. Mallick (Don Mallick) , military pilot D. Kluver ( Jack Kleuver ) and NASA pilots: D. Algranti (Joseph Algranti) and G. Riam (Harold E. " Bud "Ream) .

By the middle of 1966, NASA collected enough information on the experimental flights conducted and contracted Bell Aircraft Corporation to produce three additional Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV) simulators worth $ 2.5 million each.

In December 1966, the first LLTV was delivered to Houston , in January 1967 - the second. The second board was modified and it already had controls (in particular, a three-axis joystick ) and cabin ergonomics, which were later used in real landing lunar modules .

By the time of arrival in Houston , where the pilots were to become instructors for astronauts, LLRV №2 was in flight 7 times , while the apparatus №1 - 198 .

Subsequently, 3 of 5 flight simulators were destroyed during training flights: LLRV No. 1 in May 1968 and two LLTV in December 1968 and January 1971 . Two incidents in 1968 , about a year before the future landing of the first astronauts , did not prevent the project managers from continuing preparations for the landing.

The device is made up of triangular-shaped aluminum frames with four legs of the chassis fixed with slings. The cockpit is located between the two pillars, the onboard control system - on the contrary, between the two rear.

The turbojet engine is mounted vertically in a gimbal ring in the center of the aircraft. During the flight, the gyroscopes hold the jet engine vertically regardless of the position of the apparatus. Since the force of gravity at the surface of the moon is sixth of Earth, the thrust of this engine is maintained at 5/6 of the weight of the device. Two main engines - peroxide-hydrogen , which are fixed on the chassis of the apparatus, develop cravings for the remaining 1 / 6th of the weight of the apparatus, carrying out the task of lifting and lowering, as well as allowing the apparatus to maneuver in a horizontal plane. Primary engines always work in pairs to eliminate uneven traction. A jet engine and two main ones create conditions for staying in the field of the moon.

Roll , pitch and yaw are controlled using 16 small peroxide-hydrogen engines connected to the pilot's cabin via an electronic flight control system. To create the necessary pressure in the fuel system based on peroxide-hydrogen of two main and 16 steering engines, helium under high pressure is used, which is located in tanks installed on the simulator chassis.

The cockpit is approximately 1.8 m above the Earth and on the first samples of the aircraft (LLRV) it was open in front, top and rear. In the modified version of the device (LLTV), the cockpit was changed so as to provide the pilot with the same overview as the real lunar module . The control knob was used to control roll and pitch, and the pedals for yawing. The trackball , a means of indicating the work of a jet engine, as well as indicators of vertical, horizontal and angular velocities associated with the radar unit are brought to a small control panel.

A simple system of measuring instruments transmits the operating modes of the engines, the position of the apparatus and the speed data to a ground receiving station for tracking flight parameters and their subsequent study.

The design of the device ensures the safety of the pilot at all stages of flight. For this , the ejection system made it possible to save the pilot when the device was still on Earth. In the event of failure of the two main propulsion systems, the pilot had the opportunity to land the apparatus using a backup system based on 6 peroxide-hydrogen engines.

Specifications

• Crew: 1 person
• Length: 6.85 m
• Width: 4.6 m
• Height: 3.05 m
• Weight:
  • empty: 1,138 kg
  • normal take-off: 1,712 kg
  • maximum take-off: 1,780 kg
• Engine: 1 × turbojet engine General Electric CF-700-2V
  • Thrust : 1 × 1 905 kgf
• Main engines: 2 × peroxide-hydrogen engine
  • Thrust (adjustable): 2 × 45.6 - 226.8 kgf
• Steering engines: 16 × peroxide-hydrogen engine
• Optional emergency landing engines: 6
  • Thrust : 6 × 226.8 kgf

Flight characteristics

• Maximum speed: 64 km / h
• Practical ceiling : 1800 m
• Rate of climb : 18.3 m / s
• Thrust : 1.07
• Flight duration: 10 min

• Turbolet

• Gene J. Matranga, C. Wayne Ottinger, Calvin R. Jarvis with C. Christian Gelzer. Unconventional, Contrary, and Ugly: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle : [ eng ] . - Monographs in Aerospace History. - 2005. - No. 35 (November). - P. 242. - ISSN SP-2004-4535 .

• Encyclopedia Astronautica: Apollo LLRV (English) .
• Dryden Flight Research Center: Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (English) .
• NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (eng.) (February 28, 2014).