Abstract: A multi stage high-altitude data acquisition system comprising a first stage manned lighter-than-air, engine propelled aircraft and a second stage air-buoyant vehicle of stratospheric altitude attaining capability statically sustainable aloft by a sufficient quantity of lighter-than-air gas contained within an expandable envelope balloon to carry the vehicle to a stratospheric float altitude and transportable from ground level to a tropospheric launching altitude by the first stage aircraft from which the air buoyant vehicle and its partially expanded gas containing envelope is releasable at the launching level while the first stage aircraft is established in a flight condition of substantially zero airspeed.

Abstract: An improved shower head comprising a length of hollow tubing in the shape of a vertically disposed loop having spaced apart, vertically supported side sections and a horizontally supported bottom section joining respective lower ends of the side sections in which a preferred embodiment of the loop is annular in shape to include a horizontally supported top portion joining respective upper ends of the side sections, the outer wall portions of the tubing forming the outer face of the loop facing the bather containing spaced apart orifices producing a vertically disposed spray pattern. The orifices are located along the tubing wall region of the interior portion of the loop outer face an offset distance from the center line of the outer tubing wall that forms the face of the loop generating a spray pattern having an inwardly directed component around the periphery of the loop or annulus.

Abstract: An improved structure for the shrouded propeller tail duct or "ring tail" of a rotary wing aircraft providing rotor torque counteracting and aircraft yaw control forces in all flight conditions of hovering and high speed cruising flight. The rear portion of one lateral side of the shrouded propeller duct comprises a plurality of overlying arcuate segments that are pivotally supported for rotation relative to each other about a vertical axis between a retracted position for high speed flight in which the segments are in a mutually overlying position constituting one side of the duct and an extended position in which the segments are in a mutually adjoining relationship with their edges only overlapping and extending obliquely transversely of the duct interior in the form of a continuous, rearwardly projecting and transversely extending arcuate extension of the interior wall of one side of the duct.

Abstract: A structural joint and method of making the joint wherein an end portion of each of a plurality of tubes is partially flattened into an elongated, oval annular shape of a cross sectional contour that the flattened ends of the tubes can be telescopically nested within one another, the tubes are arranged to have their axes coplanar to intersect at the joint node with the tube flattened ends in a telescopically, mutually nesting relationship to each other, a splice plate extending into the interior of the nested array of flattened tube ends and having upper and lower surfaces in an underlying, closely adjoining relation to interior surfaces of each of the tube flattened end portions, and fastening means tightly clamping together the nesting, flattened tube ends and splice plate contained therewithin.

Abstract: An airship with provisions for vectored thrust provided by a plurality of controllable pitch rotor thrust producing units attached to the elongated aerostat hull spaced from and on opposite sides of the center of overall mass of the airship. The pitch control systems for the rotors of all thrust units include collective and cyclic pitch controls of the main, horizontally rotating lifting rotors and the control systems are interconnected to be operable by a master control which establishes both similar and differential pitch settings of the rotors of selected thrust units in a manner to establish vectored thrust in directions which establish the required amounts of vertical lift, propulsion thrust, trim and control forces to control all flight aspects of the airship.

Abstract: Outwardly extending pivoted breast shields are provided in an apparatus for poultry carcass dismemberment for protecting the poultry breast from the wing severing blades. The shields are movably mounted between a first position ahead of the severing blade and a second position rearward of the blade.