ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – The Arnold Engineering Development Complex T-3 turbine engine test cell at Arnold Air Force Base is undergoing several modifications to prepare it for future testing.
Built as part of the Engine Test Facility, or ETF, at Arnold in the early 1950s, the T-3 test cell was designed for testing small engines. It has the capability to reach Mach 4 at simulated altitudes below 70,000 feet and Mach 2.5 at sea-level conditions.
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ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – Arnold Engineering Development Complex is in high demand for testing.
In order to help meet that demand, AEDC Test Operations and Sustainment, or TOS, contractor, National Aerospace Solutions, LLC, expanded its design engineering staff in 2019 to support capital projects, test programs and the overall AEDC mission. But without the proper tools for the job, new team members would be left spinning their wheels.
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Team members with National Aerospace Solutions, LLC, the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Test Operations and Sustainment contractor, received awards Nov. 5 during the Salute to Excellence Annual Awards Banquet at Arnold Lakeside Center.
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ARNOLD AFB, Tenn. – National Aerospace Solutions said “thank you” recently to local organizations for their assistance with this summer’s NAS Family Picnic.
During the picnic, employees and their families and friends traded donations for a chance to dunk members of the NAS leadership team. Proceeds from the dunk tank were matched by NAS and donated to Coffee County Emergency Medical Services and the Tullahoma Fire Department.
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ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – Exhauster motors near the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Engine Test Facility at Arnold Air Force Base are being replaced after being in service since at least 1958.
The motors, referred to as the A and B exhauster motors, have been used to exhaust up to a combined total of 1,100 pounds of air per second during testing.
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ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – They are considered indispensable.
Those at the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, who observe their contributions every day agree the craftsmen employed there are not only integral to the work at NFAC but play a vital role the Arnold Engineering Development Complex mission as a whole.
“They are essential,” said NFAC Branch Manager Jeff Johnson. “We couldn’t perform this mission without them.”
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ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – Improvements by team members of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Aerodynamics and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at Arnold Air Force Base have prevented unscheduled downtime and avoided equipment damage at the facility.
Adam Webb, an electrical engineer for the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) contractor, National Aerospace Solutions, improved upon software for the rectifiers by enabling it to detect an unsafe condition and restore the rectifier to normal operations, preventing damage to expensive equipment. A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current to direct current.
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ARNOLD AFB, Tenn. – After doing her research and realizing there are limited activities locally for children with special needs, Taryn Sjostrom, a Tullahoma mother, reached out to individuals at the Hands-On Science Center about creating a sensory-friendly room.
“The idea started with a family vacation to Dollywood,” Sjostrom said. “It was such an amazing experience to be able to go and have what is considered ‘normal’ family fun. Having a child with autism, I know how hard it can be sometimes to do these things.”
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ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – When it’s possible to increase operational reliability while minimizing the cost and disruption caused by maintenance, it’s a win-win.
Arnold Engineering Development Complex team members are implementing a trial run of such a solution to the problem of leaks in raw water pipes at Arnold Air Force Base. Raw water is used in the cooling systems of the test cells on base.
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ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – When a decades-old part could no longer be purchased, the Plant Operations and Maintenance team at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Engine Test Facility at Arnold Air Force Base coordinated with members of the Condition Based Maintenance group, or CBM, to determine how best to recreate the piece.
The most economical solution was determined to be 3D printing the part, a circuit breaker handle used to supply a 20 horsepower, 480-volt alternating current motor to the lube oil system, which directly supports two of the process air compressors for C-Plant.
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