Final spin marks end of AFRL's centrifuge-based research at WPAFB

  • Published
  • By John Schutte
  • AFRL Human Effectiveness Directorate
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Technical Sgt. Jewelle C. "J.C." Huggins of the Commander's Support Staff, 88th Mission Support Squadron, implanted herself firmly into Air Force research history recently when she served as the final human test subject to spin in the Air Force Research Laboratory's dynamic environment simulator.

The final revolution of a human test subject on a research project ended at 12:56 PM on February 2, closing a celebrated age of acceleration research on humans in flight.

Air Force officials have discontinued acceleration research using the DES, which was built in 1965, and are considering construction of a new state-of-the-art centrifuge for future training and research at Wright-Patterson AFB. The Air Force is now without a man-rated centrifuge at Wright-Patterson for the first time since 1935, when Army Air Corps Captain Harry G. Armstrong built the first such machine.

Sgt. Huggins was unaware of her historic role when she volunteered as a test subject for a project being conducted by research physiologist Dr. Ed Eveland, a long-time member of the centrifuge team.

When told that she would be the final test subject in the centrifuge after more than 41 years of research that significantly helped humans conquer the physiological challenges of flight, she was excited about the opportunity to make her mark.

"I'll probably never be able to actually pilot a plane, so this is the next best thing," Sgt. Huggins said between spins. "I know my participation is going to a good cause and now that it's over it's nice to know that I was able to make a contribution."

Sgt. Huggins' tests included spins of up to one hour duration in the centrifuge at acceleration levels ranging from a baseline of 1.5 g up to 7.6 g. Dr. Eveland is studying how aircrew performance and neck muscle fatigue are affected by long-term exposure to helmet-mounted equipment. Results will provide information to help guide development of new helmet systems.

The DES made more than three million revolutions during its 41-year lifespan, fulfilling an important role for manned flight research during an era in which man progressed from wobbly cloth-covered aircraft to supersonic flight and space travel.

Work crews were scheduled to begin draining hydraulic fluid and disconnecting electric power from the centrifuge, preparing the massive 180-ton machine for storage and, perhaps eventually, disassembly and removal from Building 33.