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NASA Retires Vomit Comet
Mr. Christmas Lights writes "NASA just retired the last of the KC-135 'vomit comets' which were used for reduced (and zero-g) gravity research by flying a
parabolic trajectory for about 25 seconds of Zero-G.
Two of these planes (originally Air Force aerial tankers) were used with the
first one being retired in 2000. /. readers will be happy to know that among
the various achievements was 'at least 285 gallons of vomit' .. although
unknown how much when it was used for filming the Apollo 13 movie. NASA is replacing the KC-135's with a DC-9. There is some personal significance for me in that my father flew this airplane in the 1970's for the (real) Apollo astronauts ... he commented that maintaining the Zero-G profile was accomplished not by using the sensitive G-Meter, but by hanging a nut from a string in the cockpit ... if it drops, push forward, if it raises, pull back - simple but effective. There is a recent commercial offering in this area where for a measly $3,000, you can go for a ride in Gravity One ."
Vomit wasn't the only bodily excretion when the vomit comit was used for filming The Uranus Experiment. So I guess that makes 285 gallons of vomit and one pop-shot.
I know god exists. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.
he commented that maintaining the Zero-G profile was accomplished not by using the sensitive G-Meter, but by hanging a nut from a string in the cockpit
My, how far we have come. Nows it's all about thrust-vectoring, F-16 style fly by wire and HUDs. The original test pilots were literally flying by the seat of their pants.
I wonder why larger planes aren't being used for this type of work.
It's highly recommended. After the first parabola you start feel uneasy while simultaneously feeling excited and deeply stimulated. Going into the second "Zero-G" (the steepest of the paraBOLUAAAGGGGHHHRRRRRUUUUGGGGGARRGGGGFFFFH...
Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change the world. It's the only thing that ever has.