Minutes of a Meeting of the

AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems

Technical Committee


25 September 1996

Holiday Inn Union Square

San Francisco, California

The meeting was called to order by Chairmen-Elect Vance Behr at 8:00 a.m. 
Dr. Behr welcomed the following new member, Elsa Hennings.  Karen Evans was
appointed secretary pro tem.

Minutes of the May 8, 1996 Meeting

The minutes of the 8 May meeting, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were
accepted as presented.

Treasurer's Report

Treasurer Chris Carlson presented the account transactions since the last
meeting.  A total of $258 was deposited and a total of $838.30 was
withdrawn during this period.  The net total is -$580.30.

Old Business

The 1996 recipient of the ADS Award is Matts Lindgren.

The 1997 ADS award nominations are due by the end of the calendar year.

Vance Behr reported on the P.E. Exam Problem.  It does not seem viable. 
Aerostructures is the only area that has a P.E. exam problem.  Attempting
to put a parachute or aerodynamic related problem does not seem worth the
effort.

1996 "Highlights" Article will be published in the December/January time
frame.  Special thanks to all who had input.

Team Reports

Heinrich Short Course - Steve Lingard

Past actions were to complete a syllabus and marketing survey.
-  Steve Lingard's syllabus is 75% complete and Jean-Francois Vergnolle is
   in a similar situation.  Karl Doherr, Steve Lingard and Jean-Francois
   Vergnolle need to meet to finalize plans.
   Chris Carlson presented a draft of the marketing survey.  The committee
   suggested adding the following questions:
        1.  How often will your organization be willing to support this
            course?
        2.  With what frequency will you be willing to attend?  (yearly,
            every other year, other)
-  Jean Potvin brought up the introduction of distance education that is
   being discussed at many universities.  It would take a large effort on our
   part to put this course on the world wide web.
-  Need to review costs - projected vs. Past
-  Proposed date for the course is early summer 1998
-  Chris will close the loop on the survey

Specifications and Standards

A group discussion began.  Comments are listed below:

-  Don Waye commented that the PIA met earlier this month.
-  Mo had a copy of the PIA newsletter.  PIA has converted 12 MIL specs to
   PIA specs.  There was no content change just a change in the formatting and
   heading (MIL-STD-XXXX becomes PIA-XXXXX).  Phase 1 is 12 specs, Phase 2
   will be 25 specs and the remainder will be converted accordingly.
-  The old MIL specs are not being maintained.
-  Concern was expressed as to future changes and the control of such
   changes.
-  Discussion on AIAA working with PIA with this on this project.  There are
   some pros and cons to consider on both sides.
-  ANSI certification is needed and PIA does not have this but the AIAA
   does.
-  Don Waye will talk to Jim French regarding the specifications and
   standards issues.
-  Should consider offering AIAA input at the next PIA meeting.
-  Maintenance needs to be considered.  Does this require a paid staff person?
-  Government agencies can used commercial specs.
-  International community uses mil specs.

ADS Database

Mo Gionfriddo commented that input is needed from Cal Kato regarding Theo's
work.  AIAA will be maintaining the database.  AIAA will do new material
electronically but will not do past material.  Considering using college
students to catalog.  Need to apply to AIAA for project funding for ADS
library for cataloging.  Need input from Cal by the next meeting.  Need to
decide on the selection process for material to go into the database.  We
are not financially able to handle this task.  Need to press AIAA for
financial backing.

Home Page

The following text was handed out to the group by the homepage team:

Team Members:  Richard Benney, Greg Nash, Roger Allen, Bill Gerrow, Joe Holder

                AIAA ADS TC HOMEPAGE ADDRESS:
                 http://www.mame.syr.edu/adt

DOMAIN NAME RESERVATION: There appears to be a CHARGE for this: (approx.
100 dollars for first two years)
Current Homepage Consists of:
(NOTE: Roger Allen is currently modifying Format of entire page)

Prof. Higuchi "Cover" page
-  Link to either NPTC or AIAA ADS TC
AIAA ADS TC
-  Scope
-  Chair and E-mail "link" to Chairman
-  How we are organized (JPEG Chart)
-  Listing of TC Members and Member Biographies (links to TC member Bio's)
   Status of Bio pages is presented below.
-  Recent Conferences hosted: Links to Table of Contents with paper #, Paper
   Title, & Authors for All 13 AIAA ADS Conferences
-  Information on the next ADS meeting (Links to meeting announcement page)
-  Recent ADS Meeting Minutes: (Lists last four meetings with links to
   meeting minute pages)
-  Year in Review Article (Links to "text" only year in review from Dec. 95 issue)
-  ADS Shirts for Sale (Links to page with shirt descriptions and E-mail
   link for ordering)
-  Publication page (Links to Dr. Lingard's "Ram-Air Parachute Design" and
   "AIAA Standard for Aerodynamic Decelerator and Parachute Drawings")
-  AIAA ADS Award Recipients with citations (Links to award recipients page
   with citations)
-  NEW IMAGE PAGE: Contains a variety of images (Only Source so far = US
   Army)
-  NEAT LINKS: AIAA Homepage, NPTC, PIA, AHPCRC, Syracuse Univ. Virtual
   Aerospace Visualization Laboratory, Skydiving Homepage, Mars Pathfinder,
   Atlantic Flyer Aviation News.

                  Current Status of Bio Pages:
The current status of TC member Bio pages is presented below 
1.) Photo  (17 out of 30 are still missing)
2.) FAX Number (2 out of 30 are still missing)
3.) E-mail (8 out of 30 are still missing)
4.) AIAA membership grade (15 out of 30 are still missing)
5.) Qualifications (15 out of 30 are still missing)
6.) Professional Activities (16 out of 30 are still missing)

          Additions/Expansions to be added to Homepage:
-  "Back Buttons" To be added
-  **Nomination Forms for TC membership and for Annual Awards 
   Note: We currently believe that this is possible with SUNIV)
-  ***E-Mail Distribution List (Sanjay Patel and Richard Benney have
   "started" this from US Army SSCOM at Natick see attached handouts, AIAA ADS
   TC may want to "take over")
-  More images and some short video clips of US Army Systems 
-  Keywords on Higuchi’s Page**
-  Neat Link "short descriptions"
-  Additional publications to include AGARD manuals and "design guide"
-  "Credit" for Syracuse University at top of page**
-  Counter and "last 20 hits"
-  Market Survey "form"

                    Needed from TC Members:
-  Completed Bio Information for Bio pages (Completed includes the following
   sections:
   Address, Photo, Phone, Fax, E-mail, AIAA Grade, Qualifications,
   Professional Activities)
-  Newsletter(s)
-  Short Course Info: (Could have a survey form?? Need to get out www
   address for this)
-  Up to Date Calendar Info: Next TC meetings, next conference & short
   course
-  Photos/Videos Section (currently US Army is the ONLY SOURCE OF IMAGES)
-  More neat links

                  Team Capabilities Available:
-  Scanning
-  Text Conversion
-  Frame Grabbing
-  Video to JPEG

Submit any Bio changes, links, homepage material, etc. to:
Richard Benney: 
Phone: (508) 233-5835
Fax: (508) 233-5000
E-mail: richard@natick-etdfs.army.mil

U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command,
Natick Research Development & Engineering Center
SSCNC-UTS (Richard Benney)
Kansas Street
Natick, MA 01760-5017

ADS TC Newsletter

-  Needs a lot of stories primarily current events and people.  16 pages
   are proposed.  A sample format was available for review.
-  Suggestion to put history in the first issue.
-  Draft of the newsletter will be available at the next meeting.
-  Need deadline for input.

Outreach

PIA
Outreach still being pursued with PIA.  The main issue of specifications
was discussed earlier.  The Bi-annual Conference will be in Houston in
February 1997.  Suggested that parachute related events should be compiled
and put on a calendar on our website.

New Business

-  Soliciting new members for the TC.  A large percentage of members will
   be coming off in May 1997.  Need to solicit international support.

-  McGraw Hill's 1998 Yearbook on Science and Technology wants 1500 words
   on "parachutes".  Author will receive a $250 honorarium and a free
   yearbook.  They would like it to include input on parachute inflation,
   recent progress and 3 photographic images.  Jean Potvin volunteered. 
   Richard and Karl offered to review the input.

-  Next meeting will be at Utah State in Logan, Utah on January 14th. 
   Christine Hailey will host.
   Note:  Chris brought up that we may need to consider a new treasurer since
   his term is coming to a close.

14th ADS Conference and Seminar

The following report was distributed during the meeting.

Conference Team Progress Report

ADS TC Meeting, San Francisco, September 25, 1996

General

The 14th AIAA ADS Conference and Seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn on
Union Square, San Francisco between June 2-5, 1997.
The conference will be collocated with the 12th Lighter-Than-Air Systems
Technology Conference and the International Balloon Systems Conference.
Schedule
The schedule agreed with the AIAA is as follows:
Call for papers ... June edition of Aerospace America
Abstract deadline ... September 13, 1996
Planning sheets submitted to AIAA ... November 15, 1996
Formal notification of acceptance to authors ... November 29, 1996
Conference program to Bulletin editor ... December 13, 1996
Author form corrections to Bulletin editor ... January 17, 1997
Submission of papers ... April 1, 1997
All corrections to conference program to AIAA ... April 11, 1997

Conference Publicity

Jean Potvin and some of his students did a great job in producing a flyer
for the ADS conference which was distributed in June, using the TC mailing
list, by Jean and Daniel Levin (international mailing). Thanks to all
concerned for their efforts. Feedback suggests that the mailing list is
unfortunately again becoming out of date and emphasizes the need for a
thorough review on at least a bi-annual basis.
The AIAA also sent out a flyer incorporating the call for papers for all
three conferences in July using their mailing list of past attendees.
Finally, the conference was advertised in the June/July issue of Aerospace
America.

Seminar

The one-day seminar for June 2, 1997 is finally coming together.  The
underlying theme is Parachute Flight Dynamics and Trajectory Modeling. The
seminar will be divided into two sessions, the first will be presented by
Karl Doherr and will provide an Introduction to Parachute Flight Dynamics,
Trajectory Modeling and Simulation. A diskette with software enabling
simulation for up to 6 degrees of freedom on a PC will be distributed with
the lecture notes. The second session will be devoted to two demanding case
studies covering the simulation of ballistic and gliding parachute-payload
systems and addressing the use of modern object-oriented simulation tools.
Dr. Wilhelm Gockel, from the DLR, will present simulations of gliding and
conventional parachute systems developed using Simulink Mathlab and Dr. Ken
Smith who was the lead scientist at JPL in charge of the Mars Pathfinder
simulation will talk about this work (TBC).
As at the last seminar it is planned to have a panel of experts to answer
participants' questions at the end of the sessions.
Unfortunately due to great pressure of work George Barnard has been unable
to take up the post of Seminar Chairman so Steve Lingard has de facto taken
over this role.

Technical Program

Karl Doherr Jean Potvin, Ed Fallon and Daniel Levin have been working over
the last 3 days to produce the preliminary technical program. The program
will comprise 11 sessions with a plenary session on the Tuesday morning and
parallel sessions from Tuesday afternoon through to Thursday afternoon.
Karl will provide details in his presentation.

Administrative and Social

The program will be as follows:
Monday, June 2, 1997     am  Seminar - session 1  (ADS)
                         pm  Seminar - session 2  (ADS)
                         evening  Industry Reception (ADS/LTA/Balloons)
Tuesday, June 3, 1997    am  Plenary session  (ADS), Spouses tour (San
Francisco orientation TBC)
                         pm  Parallel sessions  (ADS)
                         evening  free
Wednesday, June 4, 1997  am  Parallel sessions  (ADS)
                         pm  Parallel sessions  (ADS)
                         evening  Awards Banquet (ADS/LTA/Balloons)
Thursday, June 5, 1997   am  Parallel sessions  (ADS)
                         pm  Parallel sessions  (ADS)
                         evening  free
Friday, June 6, 1997     Post Conference Tours
                         ADS - Napa Valley Wineries
                         LTA - Hangar 1 Moffett Field
                         Balloons - TBD

Good progress has been made in defining the post conference tour to Napa
(Chris will provide details in his presentation).  Additionally, the
speaker for the Awards Banquet has been provisionally agreed and will be
Dr. Steven Webster from the Monterey Aquarium. 

Additional Notes for Conference

-  Karl noted that we may encounter problems with attendance from the
   authors from China due to their government restrictions.
-  Also, for clarification the committee does not review the papers.
-  The session chairs have the responsibility of getting the papers
   submitted.  The session chairs will receive a package from AIAA regarding
   this procedure.
-  Review of abstracts works well with a committee in a mutual setting.  It
   is too difficult for one person to review all papers.
-  For Awards banquet it was suggested to also look for speakers from the
   Exploratorium.
-  Still working with hotel regarding catering etc.
-  Budget is in works.
-  Trying to come up with seating plan.
-  Post conference tour for ADS is Napa Valley Wineries.
-  Corporate reception will be in the Savoy Room.  Can bring brochures and
   literature but no displays due to space limitations.
-  ADS TC meeting will be on Thursday evening of the conference.
-  Conference proceeding will be bound for distribution.
-  There will be a full buffet for the speaker's breakfast.
-  Need to check on equipment for presentations such as projector, monitors
   for laptop.  Due to the fragile nature of much of this equipment when
   transporting it was suggested that we check with San Francisco AIAA
   chapter.