On May 25 the HARV flew its 250th research mission. On the milestone flight, with research pilot Ed Schneider at the controls, aerosurface effectiveness measurements were collected. The U.S. Navy is proposing a propulsion controlled aircraft test at Patuxent River, Md., and has requested Dryden assistance. The follow-on contract with Aurora was negotiated and contract preparation is underway. The way in which we at Dryden conduct aeronautical research and technology development has inherent risks.
Aircraft are complex, high energy machines.
Even on the ground, a fully fueled aircraft has an immense amount of stored energy. An aircraft like the F-15 flying just under the speed of sound has 2000 times the energy than a car at 55 mph. Dryden must be proactive in the prevention of accidents on the ground and in the air. The Continual Improvement principles we have been applying to other facets of our work must also be applied to safety. The second principle is that accidents can only be prevented.