Program 11, Episode 301

Retrospective

To better understand aerodynamic forces, early pilots and engineers pushed aircraft tolerances to the limit.   Some pilots experienced a very frightening aerodynamic phenomenon called a flat spin, also known as the death spin. In an effort to better understand this phenomenon, NASA's predecessor NACA developed a unique wind tunnel called the 20 foot free flight spin tunnel.   This tunnel was designed to not only study the unique flight conditions of an aircraft in spin, but also teach pilots recovery techniques to avoid a fatal crash. The research performed at this tunnel would have a direct impact on virtually every American fighter aircraft from World War 2 through today.