Ground-power equipment for the support of air force weapons

THE MATERIAL that is presented in this paper was gathered during an engineering study on the same subject which was made for the Air Research and Development Command of the United States Air Force. The objective of the study was preparation of recommendations for needed development in the area of ground support for secondary power. In aviation terminology, secondary power is defined as that power which is used for purposes other than the propulsion of aircraft and missiles. Aircraft and missiles are defined as weapons, and a weapon system includes everything that is needed for maintenance, calibration, testing, and training during operational use of the weapon. “Ground power” substitutes for air-borne secondary power during tests. The familiar secondary power systems are electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic. During the study, it was found desirable to treat air conditioning as a fourth and newly important type of secondary power.