NASA experiments onboard the controlled impact demonstration

The structural crashworthiness tests conducted by NASA on the December 1, 1984 controlled impact demonstration are discussed. The components and locations of the data acquisition and photographic systems developed by NASA to evaluate impact loads throughout the aircraft structure and the transmission of loads into the dummies are described. The effectiveness of the NASA designed absorbing seats and the vertical, longitudinal, and transverse impact loads are measured. Data that is extremely applicable to crash dynamics structural research was obtained by the data acquisition system and very low load levels were measured for the NASA energy absorbing seats.