kuffel(at)cyberport.net
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 Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 11:14 pm Post subject: Doug Garner & Autopilots |
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Off Topic, Do Not Archive
Bob,
Had the distinct honor of collaborating with Dr. Garner (Humble Tinkerer) on
a few very minor parts of his electro-fluidic autopilots. He was taken
aback when he got a phone call (no email in 1974) from this guy in Alaska
asking about some construction details from his original technical paper
(NASA TN D-7460). Even weirder, we had a common interest in the fluidics
work done at the US Army Harry Diamond Laboratory. He provided the special
material and lots of encouragement needed to get my first example working.
I had a devil of a time trying to get the prototype of my improved version
of the toroidal core magnetometer working until I realized it was sitting on
my workbench surface... just above a drawer full of steel tools. Duh.
A few remarks:
<< system designed conceived by a NASA engineer named Doug Garner. I think
it was written up in several issues of Sport Aviation circa 1980. >>
Try Sport Aviation for Mar 74, June 78, Aug 80, Nov 81 & Dec 81. Only the
last 3 have construction details. His forum notes were much more detailed,
including printed circuit layouts.
<< Doug developed a home brew rate sensor .. a steady stream of air
between
two de-bulbed lamps used as hot-wire anemometers.>>
Most of his examples used thermistors which at $3(at) were more expensive but a
lot easier to deal with than trying to remove the glass from a bulb.
<< He also crafted a flux gate compass for magnetic heading hold. Very
clever stuff. >>
Very clever indeed. He was the first to use for this application digital
division of a high frequency square wave to easily come up with the special
phase separated primary driving signals needed by this magnetometer. It was
a major simplification. Believe he/NASA got a patent on the idea.
<< The autopilot brains was an 8-bit micro-controller. >>
Actually, he never published plans for an autopilot using a
micro-controller. He did describe a digital compass (Sport Aviation Nov 86)
without details. He may have provided more information on building the
compass at one of his Oshkosh forums but nothing on a micro-controller
autopilot..
Doug is now fully retired from NASA but still lives with his wife Harlene in
Newport News, Va. If anyone wants to send him a card please tell me
off-list and I'll give you his mailing address. Sorry for the diversion
down memory lane but Doug deserves remembering. Don't get me started on
other Garner stories about fighting NASA management, steam cars, developing
rockets or his early flying (can you spell Pietenpol).
Tom Kuffel
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