" T h e physicist positions a single crystal of age-hardened steel under the sharp diamond penetrator. He touches a pedal, and the pyramidal tip of the diamond squeezes into the polished surface of the steel. The instant that it touches, things begin to happen inside the crystal. Atoms begin to slip and slide, in layers. Some layers abruptly wrinkle and corrugate. If you listen hard when this happens, you hear a faint, sharp "click." This is the sound of atoms suddenly shifting within the crystal. You can see the action, too — or, rather, the results of it. The photomicrograph above shows the characteristic ridges and ripples. The black diamond in the center is the depres- sion made by the penetrator. By studying these patterns, and correlating the information with other data, scientists at U. S. Steel are trying to learn what happens atomically when a steel is bent, flexed or broken. Secrets thus learned are helping us to develop new and better steels not only for everyday products, but also for missiles, rockets, submarines, and other intricate machines to explore the universe above and the world below us. "Tomorrow" is an exciting word today— and never more so than at United States Steel where we are accepting the chal- lenge of the future with energy, resourcefulness and con- fidence. . . USS is a registered trademark To the young engineers of America's electric power for doing things that have never been done before. systems, the hope and promise of the peaceful atom A Detroit Edison representative will visit your cam- grows clearer day by day. In laboratories and on pus in the near future to tell you of the job oppor- construction projects these young men are serving tunities in the electric power industry. Check your our nation's new atomic-electric power industry. placement office for appointments. Research and design, development and testing of new equipment, building of special structures and operation of reactor plants—for the more efficient production of electric power — offer opportunities VOLUME 12 NO. 1 NOVEMBER, 1958 FEATURES 16 Three Challenging Questions Robert W. Slade 18 A . M . Labs Vacate Olds Dr. Charles O. Harris 22 You, A Publications Engineer? . . . . Herbert A. Harman 24 Digits Are Your Tools Robert W. Slade 17 At Home On The Moon Wonder Bldg. Corp. 29 Power On The Moon Westinghouse 32 M.E. Labs Use Miniature Equipment J. H. Hemmye and L. C. Price DEPARTMENTS 15 Dean's Letter 26 Over The Transom 28 Finagle's Laws 28 "Make The Most Of It" 30 Engineer's Girl-of-the-Month 33 Fudge Factors 40 The Night Before Finals 42 Engineer's Dictionary 50 News Views 52 Sidetracked 72 Advertisers' Index "No one is competent to assert things about abso- in the areas in which they are now recognized as lute space and absolute motion; they are pure valid, without previous testing. No one is war- matters oF thought that cannot be produced in ranted in extending these principles beyond the experience. All our principles of mechanics, as we boundaries of experience. In fact, such an exten- have shown in detail, are experienced knowledge sion is meaningless, as no one would possess the concerning the relative positions and motions of knowledge to make use of it. bodies. They could not be. and were not. admitted ~~Die Meclxanik in ihrer Entwicklung, 1912 WE WANT MEN TO CREATE TOMORROW'S HEADLINES! The new, dynamic and diversified Northrop Aircraft, Inc., creates an ideal work climate for forward-thinking scientists and engineers. Our three autonomous divisions are all in Southern California - are all headed by progressive manage- ment eager to examine and try new ideas. Let's assume that you are a man who can qualify for one of our engineering teams - a man who can create history! You'll earn what you're worth, get increases as often as you earn them - based on your own individual achievements. Our salary structure is unique in the industry; our vacation policy extra-liberal, as are all of our other fringe benefits. You'll learn while you earn, with no-cost and low-cost educa- tion opportunities at leading Southern California institu- tions - earn advanced degrees and keep abreast of the latest technological advances in your own chosen field. You'll WOrk with men who are acknowledged leaders in their fields - men chosen for their own capabilities and for skills in guiding and developing the creative talents of younger men. And, these are men who delegate authority, assuring your fair share of credit for engineering triumphs. You'll be flexible - able to apply your talents to the work you enjoy, in the field best suited to your own inclination and ability. Northrop Aircraft and its divisions offer wide diver- sity, with over 30 operational fields to choose from. All offer challenge aplenty - opportunity unlimited! Now choose! See what each division of Northrop Aircraft has done and is doing. Then choose the division that offers you the most challenge. Write today to reserve your spot where news is happening - for your own chance to create tomorrow's headlines! teaming up with some of the world's finest engineer- ing and scientific brains. It means working in pleas- ant, modern surroundings such as GM's fabulous Technical Center near Detroit, equipped with every conceivable research facility. No matter where your interests lie in the vast field of Best of all, it means a future as big as you want to engineering, there's a better-than-good chance you'll make it at GM's 35 Divisions and 126 plants in 71 find your place in the sun with one of the 35 Divisions cities and 19 states. A future in which your training, of General Motors. your inventive ability, your inquiring mind, your For these GM Divisions run the gamut of virtually desire to get ahead will receive quick recognition and every field of engineering and science—from engi- unlimited opportunities. neering, designing and producing automobiles, You owe it to yourself to investigate the kind of future trucks and hundreds of important industrial products General Motors is offering young engineers. Make an to helping to solve the unknown challenges of the appointment with the GM Representative next time Space Age. he visits your campus or write: General Motors Choosing an engineering career with GM means Corporation, Personnel Staff, Detroit 2, Michigan. The biggest construction job in history is under way It's the building of a vast new network of Interstate Highways. Miles and miles of highway. For trucking. For travel. For defense. Some 41,000 miles in all. In You're on addition, many thousands of miles of primary and secondary roads are being built in a greatly expanded "ABC" Highway Program. With these new highways will come new industries . . . new communities . . . a greater share in national the right life for everyone. It's a big Job . . . an Important |ob! And you're on the right road when you study asphalt technology . . . asphalt's characteristics and its appli- cations in pavement construction. road... Asphalt pavement is playing a leading role in the construction of the Interstate System. It now surfaces 81% of State Primary and Munici- pal Extensions — the nation's most heavily traveled roads—and 85% of all paved roads and streets in the country. Your contribution — and reward — will de- pend in part on how much you know about it. Do you know, for example, how Asphalt fits into the over-all petroleum family? This chart illustrates the inter-relationship of Asphalt with other refined petroleum products. The semi-solid form —Asphalt cement —is the basic paving material. It is used in hot-mix Asphaltic pave- ments for roads, airfields, parking lots and thousands of construction and industrial applications. Liquid Asphalt materials — road oils, emulsions and cutbacks — are used extensively for a variety of con- struction and specialty applications. Special Student Kit on Asphalt Technology Free! Literature included gives you a broad concept of Asphalt products—its sources, production, characteris- tics and uses. Put yourself on the right road by send- ing for your kit today. A postcard will do. Vital statistics for the engineer and scientist interested in a position affording a high potential for professional growth: America's largest and most complete air craft manufactur- ing facility located in the na- tion's 12th market area Nearly half-a-hundred highly advanced Air Force contracts now on hand Extensive research and de- velopment equipment and facilities Broad educational and em- ployee benefits First to employ the weapons system management concept Latest achievement . . . Am- erica's first supersonic bomber . . . the all new B-58 A resume of your training and experience will be evaluated by engineers in the department best suited to your particular qualifications. He keeps tab on Russian scientific moves W H A T are Russian scientists up to petroleum technology is superior to now? their own. Standard's research at Few people in America are better Whiting and other centers has re- able to answer this question than a sulted in many important discoveries mild-mannered, unobtrusive man which have helped to make America dressed like other business executives supreme in the field of petroleum and on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. to strengthen its defenses. In the last There is no c l o a k - a n d - d a g g e r few years alone, Standard scientists atmosphere surrounding Jacob G. have made outstanding contributions Tolpin. that have advanced America's missile It has been the daily job of Mr. program and its jet air defense. Tolpin since 1937 to keep track of Since our first laboratory opened 68 Russian scientific advances. He is a years ago, we have spent hundreds of key man on the staff of specialists at millions of dollars to learn more about Standard Oil who analyze foreign oil—how to find it, produce it, refine technical journals and patents. it and make it more useful to more The primary purpose of this work people than ever before. is to keep Standard Oil research sci- entists informed of developments What makes a company a good citizen? throughout the world. But the work One measure is the contribution a has broader significance. Standard Oil company makes to the economic and furnishes important foreign technical physical strength of its country. data to nationally important bodies Through constant and intensive re- and to libraries, such as the Library search, we at Standard have tried to of Congress. The knowledge gained make oil yield its maximum useful- from the foreign periodicals thus is ness—both for civilian and military made available to all. purposes. Steadily mounting efficiency Even the Russians admit, says Mr. also has helped to keep the price of oil Tolpin, that American knowledge of and gasoline down. Freezing water to warm a mine Inco shows a king-size operation that helps mine more Nickel The bigger the mine, the more men at work, the more air they need. Gales of air. Warmed in winter. Cooled in summer. That's the rea- son for this mammoth "air conditioner" in an Inco-Canada mine. In winter it raises the temperature of cold air from outside by making ice. In summer it uses the ice to cool air that's too hot! (See diagram below) In w i n t e r , cold air is blown through sprays of warmer water. The water loses its heat, freezes into mountains of solid ice. In the process, the latent heat of freezing is transferred to the air, warms it up for use inside the mine. At full capacity in a winter season, this system alone can generate as much heat as 350,000 gallons of fuel oil. During this period, 150,000 tons of ice may form. (See photo at left) Installations like this are expensive in time and money. Such outlays are typical of many made by Inco-Canada. Their cost adds up to millions. Results a r e - t o continue the increased production of Nickel. Mining tor Nickel is a 45-minute color film loaned to high school science groups, college engineering classes and technical societies. Write to Educational Service, Development and Research Division, The International Nickel Company, Ino. New York S, N. Y. Why Lockheed- Lockheed's leadership in aircraft is continuing in missiles. The Missile Systems Division is one of the largest in the industry and its reputation is attested by the number of high-priority, long-term projects it holds: the Polaris IRBM, Earth Satellite, Kingfisher (Q-5) and the X-7. To carry out such complex projects, the frontiers of technology in all areas must be expanded. Lockheed's laboratories at Sunnyvale and Palo Alto, California, provide the most advanced equipment for research and development, including complete test facilities and one of the most up-to-date computing centers in the nation. Employee benefits are among the best in the industry. For those who qualify and desire to continue their education, the Graduate Study Program enables them to obtain M.S. or Ph.D degrees at Stanford or the University of California, while employed in their chosen fields at Lockheed. Lockheed Missile Systems Division was recently honored at the first National Missile Industry Conference as "the organization that contributed most in the past year to the development of the art of missiles and astronautics!' For additional information, write Mr. R. C. Beverstock, College Relations Director, Lockheed Missile Systems Division, Sunnyvale , California. Now you can see whyonlyEagle Turquoise leads & pencils give you perfectly sharp drawings PROVEN G R A D I N G - 1 7 different formulae make sure you get exactly the line you expect- from every pencil, every time. PROVEN DURABILITY—Because compact lead structure gives off no chunks of useless "dust" to blow away, Turquoise wears down more slowly. PROVEN NEEDLE-POINT STRENGTH —as electron photomicrograph shows, Turquoise lead struc- ture is finer—and therefore stronger. It holds a needle point under drawing pressures for long lines of unchanging width. What will your first assignment be like ? At Allied Chemical, you could be working on one of our mechanical, electrical). We have prepared a new book, more than 3.000 products . . . perhaps in chemicals, "Allied Chemical and Your Future," which suggests what plasticis or libers. You could be located at one of our 12 your first assignment might be like. Why not write us for research laboratories, over 100 plants, or many sales a copy today? The Allied interviewer can also answer offices throughout the country. your questions. Your placement office can tell you when At Allied, there are assignments with a future for he will next visit your campus. chemists, chemistry majors, engineers (chemical, Allied Chemical, Dept. C-3, 61 Broadway, New York 6, N.Y. Dean's Letter Our Greetings to our new students! Those transferring from other institutions will become acquainted with us rapidly, but to the Freshmen we can only say: do a good job in that mathematics and we will look forward to seeing you in engineering classes next year. To other students we would like also to point out the importance of mathematics. It provides the tools with which you are going to work in your more advanced courses, and a good workman has good tools. Being friends with your mathematics book is a necessity in the more advanced engineering courses such as dynamics, hydraulics, thermodynamics, or electric circuit theory. All engineering curricula are composed of sequence courses, courses which in turn depend on one or more earlier subjects, as well as on mathematics. This in part ex- plains why it is not often possible to double up or accelerate an engineering program- first we wait for completion of the mathematics sequence and then the engineering sequence must follow. Good work is thus required in all elementary areas if it is to be possible to do good work in the advanced subjects. In this connection may we point out the fallacy of high school thinking which regards "C" as an average grade—in college "C" happens to be the lowest passing grade; a "C" average is the lowest grade with which you can graduate. May we also mention our advisor system for upper classmen. Each student is alphabetically assigned to an advisor in his major department and these advisors are available for counseling in regard to scholarship and curricular problems. You should get acquainted if you have not already done so since these men can be of aid in selecting courses suited to your particular need, although the maintenance of a good point average is your best ally since preference is given to good students. By now you may have drawn the impression that we like our good students. This conclusion is excellent engineering deduction—we do like them! . . . about a frontier which is captivating the imagination of mil- lions of people throughout the world. The question, "How?" has been North of the Lake of Dreams and been charted in minute detail for almost entirely answered. In fact, east of the Sea of Serenity desolate centuries, and maps are still being more has been written on this than mountains rise three and one-half drawn and redrawn. Yet no man has on any other aspect of man's pro- miles to dominate a windless world. climbed the stark peaks or navigated jected penetration into outer space. Silence is total; and only shadows the waterless seas. move, spreading like black, frigid The idea of space travel has ap- The land is 239,000 miles away peared in fiction with increasing fre- death over the barren land. But death from any place on earth. We will be quency since the last century. As has no meaning here, for there is no traveling there sooner than many might be expected, the first of these life . . . realize. It is the surface of the moon. fanciful adventures were far more Such a scene is not a fantasy. The The questions posed by such a pro- imaginative than scientific. Edgar mountains are as real as the Roekies, ject are not lightly or briefly an- Allan Poe, for instance, had one of and the shadows are deeper than swered. Basically, these are "How?" his heroes fly to the moon in a bal- any on earth. The land described has "Why?" and "When?" loon. As the years passed, however, writers and readers of science fiction became more sophisticated. True, many inconsistencies and doubtful devices appeared in their stories, but the basic concept of a sealed space- ship traveling through the vacuum of space by rocket propulsion was used, and could successfully meet the challenge of "impossible!" Still, the segment of the general public imaginative enough to study and ac- cept the idea was small. When the first German V-2 rocket crashed into the heart of bomb-bat- tered London near the end of World War II, public indifference vanished. The rocket was no longer confined to pulp magazine pages. It had burst into dramatic reality and few could ignore the implications of the event. The German scientist primarily re- sponsible for the V-2's development was Dr. Wernher Von Braun. In 1945 the U. S. Government brought Dr. Von Braun to this county, and the American rocket and missile pro- gram began in earnest. In 1951 Dr. Von Braun together with a group of prominent scientists and laymen contributed to a series of scientific articles entitled "Will Man Conquer Space Soon?" It was here that, for the first time, a broad general public was informed of the principles and problems, the "how?" of space flight. As a first step to the moon, the group proposed the construction in space of an artificial, manned satellite circling the earth every two hours at a distance of 1,075 miles. Unlike Sputnik and Explorer, which were launched in one piece, this satellite would be carried up to its orbit in parts by manned rockets, and con- structed there. With such a base of operation the moon rocket could be built in space and launched from the arc of our falling ball will match since once they begin to burn, they there to its destination. Recent find- the earth's curvature, and it will never cannot be stopped. The burning of ings from our satellites now in orbit strike the ground. Instead it will fall liquid fuels, on the other hand, can indicate that due to intense radiation around the earth indefinitely. The be controlled through the use of in- present, 1,075 miles may not be the orbiting body is now a satellite. A jection devices, but here the prob- best distance for a manned space sta- thrown ball will never stop in its lems of storage and possible corrosion tion. This, however, is a minor detail, course and drop abruptly to the may arise. In spite of these problems since an orbit of greater or less dis- ground. It would be just as unlikely and others, practical fuels have been tance can be as easily achieved. for a satellite to drop from its orbit. developed, and both fuels and fuel systems are continually being im- The question most often asked re- There are two main advantages to proved. On top of this, research is garding artificial satellites is "What building a manned satellite first, rather now being done on a new system of keeps them up?" This is a complex than launching the moon rocket di- p r o p u l s i o n , which utilizes ions, problem, and some confusion is un- rectly from the earth. The first is charged atoms, rather than the pro- derstandable. Perhaps the best way that the satellite would function as ducts of chemical combustion. Such to approach the problem without a frontier laboratory where the rigors a system may be used on the first actually mastering the difficult dy- of space travel could be closely manned moon rocket, but rockets of namic system involved is to think studied, and both men and materials the immediate future will probably of the satellite as a ball thrown at tested. The second is that the satel- still depend on chemical fuel. unusually high speed. All of us know lite, traveling at great speed, would that the faster we throw a ball paral- furnish most of the 25,000 mph veloc- The concept of a rocket motor, lel to the earth, the farther it will ity necessary for a moon rocket to which can use such fuels, is as old go before striking the ground. Nor- escape the earth's gravity. This would as fireworks. Operating on the funda- mally, because of the relatively short reduce greatly the amount of fuel mental physical law that every action distance covered, the curvature of needed, and correspondingly increase results in an equal and opposite re- the earth may be neglected. But if the ship's payload of men and equip- action, the rocket engine simply forces we think of a ball thrown much fas- ment. hot gases in one direction, and, as a ter, and therefore, covering a far result, moves itself in the opposite greater distance, this curvature be- The problem of fuel has been one direction. This is not unlike the recoil of the most difficult for rocket engi- of a rifle, a reaction force of the same comes significant. neers. Rocket fuel of the type now kind, but one which results from the Just as an object thrown from a used in ballistic missiles consists of firing of a bullet, rather than hot hilltop must fall farther before hitting gas molecules. Because this reaction two main ingredients. These are a the ground, and, therefore, travels a is completely independent of its sur- highly combustible substance and an roundings, a rifle or a rocket ship greater distance than if it were thrown agent to furnish the oxygen for com- on level ground, so must our high- would have no difficulty moving in bustion. Such chemical fuels are used the vacuum of space. speed ball go farther because of the in both solid and liquid form. Solid earth's curve than if the earth were (Continued on Page 61) flat. If the speed is great enough. fuels are often difficult to control. J UST east of Olds Hall is MEL. The initials stand for Mechanical Engi- and sheet metal shop in the depart- able to the department of Applied neering Laboratories, although at the ment of Mechanical Engineering, but Mechanics. present time part of the building is this work was abandoned due to the used for other purposes. progressive tendency of MSU engi- The room was cleaned and decor- neering currieulums to prepare stu- ated. Miss Agnes McCann, assistant In June of 1958, the department dents for scientific engineering. The to the Dean of Engineering, served of Applied Mechanics moved all of College of Education took over the its laboratory equipment into the as the color consultant, and pastel spaces for manual arts training, until colors were used on the walls. Now large front room on the ground floor the new education building was com- as a visitor enters the room, he is of MEL—room 110. This room had been used for many years as a pattern pleted this year. When MEL was conscious of the area's spaciousness vacated, the facilities became avail- and light. 18 The equipment which was moved into 1 10 MEL had been crowded into one-third as much space in Olds Hall. Most of it had been in three small lab- oratories and sonic had had to be crowded into faculty offices in order to permit important research to be carried on. Smaller rooms inside 110 MEL now provide office space for 15 stafl members. The entrance to IK) MEL is from the north, at the center of the room. To the east of the entrance is the Strength of M a t e r i a l s laboratory. Along the right hand side of this area are the five universal testing machines, and on the left are six straining frames, which were designed and built at MSU. About half of the experiments are performed on the testing machines, and half on the straining frames. Six parallel experi- ments will be underway simultane- ously with the class divided into six groups. Another testing machine is badly needed. (Continued on Next Page) Next to the Strength of Materials laboratory is the Experimental Stress Analysis lab. E x p e r i m e n t a l Stress Analysis began as a field of knowl- edge in 1938 with the invention of the SR-4 electric resistance wire strain gage, and has since been carried to a high point of development. It is a field which has become of tremendous interest to industry. The west end of 110 MEL is used for research by the faculty and grad- uate students in Applied Mechanics. Typically, a faculty member acts as the leader of a research team with one or more graduate students to help him. The equipment used in several of the research projects is shown in the pictures on these pages. Other research projects which might be mentioned are the work of Dr. Karl Brenkert and Mr. Kuang Min Lin in turbulence in fluid flow, Dr. George Mase and Mr. Richard Larder in the study of visco-elastic plates, and my own work with Mr. Rao in studies of birefringence. The department of Applied Me- chanics was established in December of 1951 by action of the State Board of Agriculture, the governing body of MSU. Before that time, some work in Mechanics had been given in the Department of Civil Engineering and some in the Department of Mechan- ical Engineering. Since then, there has been a considerable correlation and expansion, especially in graduate work and research. A Master's pro- gram was started in September of 1952 and a Doctor's program in September of 1956. Most of the grad- uates of these programs have entered work in research and development. The department offers undergradu- ate courses in Statics, Dynamics, Strength of Materials, and Fluid Me- chanics, and every undergraduate stu- dent must take two or more of these courses in order to complete degree requirements. With our expanded facilities, we are now able to con- tinue instructing the growing engi- neering student body in the concepts of Applied Mechanics, and carry on many research programs. Don't discount the unlimited opportunities available to you in this rapidly growing profession. STRIVING to keep pace with the In addition to general writing skills, himself within training programs with increasing complexity of modern re- a technical writer must have ability such large corporations as Westing- search and development, industry to- as an engineer in his particular field. house, General Electric, International day has recognized the necessity of He must have a thorough knowledge Business Machines, and Sperry-Rand. a new type of engineer. This gradu- and understanding of this field in There are 1,500 periodicals published ate must have the ability to cope order that he might recognize the by industry to broaden the scope of with the problems of translating pro- significance of a new development. customer service, and to interest vari- ductive thoughts and technical ad- His facility as a writer is equally im- ous industrial employees and business vancements into various levels of portant, for he must be able to handle readers. Excellent community rela- comprehension, most of which are words and express ideas clearly and tions are s o m e t i m e s established on the level of the ordinary layman. concisely. In order for his explana- through these publications. This unending task has been assigned tions to be logical, he must put him- to a technical writer or publications self in the reader's place as well as Nearly 2,000 different periodicals engineer-one with the ability to ex- that of the research scientist. are published annually in this country- press what the scientist has designed covering a range of 150 different or developed. Personality and salesmanship abil- fields of business. All are related to ities play an important role in the technical writing. Included in this por- Without a true translation or record career of a publications engineer, as tion of the field is technical adver- of productive research, there would he is frequently in contact with fel- tising, scientific reports and surveys. be little progress in the field of sci- low engineers and the public. The Editorships and management posi- ence or engineering. How often does engineer-writer must sell his ideas tions await publication engineers who the engineer today use the Laws of and himself to gain confidence and want high salaries and responsibil- Newton or Maxwell's equations? respect for this new profession. ities. Would our civilization today be mak- ing its present advances had not some- One of the qualifications of a tech- Script writing opportunities for one taken the time to record these nical writer which must be stressed technical and industrial movies is achievements? Translation of these most heavily is the desire to be a good writer. Without desire, the en- rapidly growing. In cooperation with laws and principles into basic terms Public Relation Divisions, technical that the common man could under- gineer-writer will soon find that he is not able to express himself prop- writers are called in as advisors to stand, was perhaps as great an help communicate scientific concepts achievement as the discovery itself. erly, and not capable of benig a success in this field. to the layman. Our progress can be traced back to such discoveries through various writ- Where a good engineer will fit The United States government of- ings. Technical progress can be in- into the wide area covering technical fers unlimited opportunities to writers terpreted in terms of what is recog- writing depends mainly upon the in- of technical manuals and instruction nized as being the true results of terest of the writer and his particular handbooks. These publications are scientific research and technical ad- employer's objectives. produced for the armed forces train- vancement, only after such advance- ing programs and maintainance divi- ments have been thoroughly defined The engineer with visions of suc- sions. Since approximately 20 per cent by a technical author. cess in editing a technical publica- of the armed forces members have tion within industry itself, may find not graduated from high schools, and 22 only 3 per cent have graduated from chinery, Product Engineering, and ate engineers interested in technical accredited colleges and universities, Electronics, and magazines such as writing is how they can prepare them- the presentation level of these man- Mechanics Illustrated, Scientific selves for such a career. This de- uals must be reduced in complexity. American, and Popular Mechanics pends mainly upon the individual's This is a challenge to any technical have a very large circulation and personal initiative and his college cur- writer. wide appeal. Various handbooks and riculum. Perhaps one of the best publications edited by engineering methods is to become proficient in The specification writer must be English. Proficiency can be accom- adept in his field, therefore his knowl- societies-A.I.E.E., A.S.M.E., I.R.E., A.S.C.E., etc.—are rated tops as spe- plished by taking various courses, and edge must be on par with that of constantly practicing learned tech- the research engineer to accurately cialized publications. These articles are written mainly by engineers, and niques. Some of these methods in- describe the subject. These men are clude the careful gathering of in- needed in all stages of our industry. must be edited accurately by person- nel familiar with technical terms— formation and specific data, with a One must consider that every pro- complete outline of the subject be- duct, especially concerning our na- the publications' engineers. fore starting to write. This will save tional defense, must have these spe- The demand for engineers with precious minutes and minimize the cifications for future modifications and the required abilities have been recog- time spent rewriting. Every technical development of the product. nized by many universities through- author must be as brief as possible The technical writer is not limited out the country. Graduate and under- without sacrificing clarity of the sub- in his field for he may assist in the graduate programs have been estab- ject, and consideration must be taken presentation of symposiums and dem- lished in many colleges. Rensselaer to insure that the reader is not going onstrations for technical and non- Polytechnic Institute established the to be insulted through various defini- technical personnel. His responsibil- first such curriculum in 1953 award- tions which would be expected to be ities often put him in the role as a ing a graduate degree in technical known. Care and good judgment writing to engineers. The results have must be taken when mathematical coordinator between various depart- proved very satisfactory for these en- formulas and technical terms are in- ments of industry, and help to bridge gineers are placed in the field long volved, especially to the non-technical the gap between research and pro- reader. duction. The publications engineer, before they graduate. Purdue Uni- or technical writer often is the ideal versity now offers a Bachelor of Sci- ence Degree in which various options Experience is the best method of choice for executive duties due to his versatility. such as chemistry, physics and the attaining good writing methods. There biological sciences are included. Pro- are generally technical publications The demand for technical writing grams of varied length, but similar in on every campus which the under- abilities can be found in almost any nature, are now established at Mas- graduate engineer will find to be newspaper want-ad today. Industry sachusetts Institute of Technology, most helpful in preparing himself, and commercial publishing companies University of Pennsylvania, and Penn for technical writing and publications such as McGraw-Hill, the Heyden State. These are leaders in this rela- procedures. Any creative writing will Publishing Company, and the Pe'nton tively new field, and the trend is be to the writers advantage and is publishing Company constitute the rapidly growing. an aid in gaining experience. Many largest group hiring technical writers, engineering societies sponsor annual some of the magazines in need of Probably the most common ques- tion which arises from undergradu- (Continued on Page 53) writers are Electronic Design, Ma- Digits Are Your Tools In the first of three parts, the author presents the background and the significance of the numbers evolution. Part I: A Matter of Digits Zerah Colburn to appear on our tele- than a machine capable of extremely What is the 16th power of 8? vision sets today, few of us would rapid counting: a common desk cal- turn him off. culator. In the year 1812 Zerah Colburn, a boy of 8 years and the son of a Yet countless problems of even Counting was man's first form of Vermont tanner, worked out the COr- greater difficulty are solved daily all computation, and his first calculator red answer in only a few seconds be- over the world by persons who have came ready-made; it was his fingers. fore an amazed London audience.1 no more and perhaps less mathemati- Even today the word "digit" can Amazed response to such a feat is, cal ability than you and I. The equal- mean either a finger or an integer of course, no surprise to any of us. izer between them and the incredible from 0 to 9, and our system of tens, So rare is such a talent that were a Vermont farm boy is nothing more or denary system, is directly related to our number of fingers. An interesting side light to this evolution of numbers is found in several primitive Brazilian Indian tribes. These people, rather than count on separate fingers, make their tallies on their finger joints. As a re- sult, they have developed a system of threes, or ternary system, for counting. It is only by a whim of nature, then, and a prehistoric penchant for counting on our fingers that we have our scale of tens, a notation which is by no means the easiest or best, but one which, because of its almost universal use, is probably impossible to change. With the beginnings of civiliza- tion finger counting soon became in- adequate and substitutes appeared in the manipulation of sticks, pebbles, and piles of sand. These devices eventually evolved into the abacus, a counter developed over 3000 years ago and still widely used today.2 1. 8i« = 281,474,976,710,656 2. The abacus is also called the soro- ban (Japanese), the suan pan (Chinese), the s'choty (Russian) and the coulba (Turkish). All or these may take somewhat different forms from one another, but they are operated in the same way. In fact, contests between an abacus Limitations imposed by relatively computer can be given complete in- and a modern adding machine, both crude tooling were felt even more structions for the solution of a com- in the hands of a skilled operator, strongly in 1812, when Charles Bab- plex problem before hand, and the are almost always won by the abacus. bage conceived his "analytical en- operator need do no more before The abacus remained the only im- gine." Though financed by the British receiving his answer. This procedure portant mechanical aid to computa- government far beyond the cost or- is called "programming." tion until the middle of the 17th iginally expected, Babbage's machine was never completed. Even with An analogy to this kind of prob- century. In 1642 the great French lem-solving might be found in a mathematician, Blaise Pascal, though greater financial support, it probably mother's shopping instructions to her not yet 20, invented the first modern never could have been, for, although son. adding machine. This device con- Babbage's planning and design were sisted of numbered wheels and gears sound, the tools of his day apparently "When you get to the store," she not unlike those found in today's were not. might say, "price the apples. If they're machines. Its most distinctive feature In spite of its failure in construc- ten cents a pound or less, get a dozen, was that it automatically carried tens tion, the analytic engine itself was but if they're more, only get eight. to the next highest decimal place. If they haven't got them all out yet, no folly. Had it been completed, it Less than 30 years later the German do the rest of the shopping first, then would have been the first digital com- come back later for a better choice." mathematician and philosopher, Gott- puter, or, as better known in popular fried Wilhelm von Leibniz, invented lore, the first "mechanical brain." With these instructions the boy's a more versatile machine capable of The basic principle behind all such mother has finished her part in the multiplication and division through "brains" from Babbage's engine to problem of the apples. The boy has rapid addition and subtraction. the massive digital computers of to- been "programmed," and, like a com- day lies in each machine's "memory." puter, is equipped to solve the prob- The inventions of both Pascal and lem on his own. Of course, should Leibniz were limited, not only by Each such computer has storage de- vices, either electronic or mechanical, the boy deviate in any way from his the crude machine tooling of their specific instruction, for instance, buy day, but by the fact that both ma- which contain information upon which peaches instead of apples, or go to chines were hand-powered. Today, it can draw in the solution of a prob- another store, the analogy would no however, the same principles em- lem. They are also capable of storing longer hold. Machines capable ot bodied in these early computers are temporarily the answers to interim original thought still only exist in used in the skilled construction of our calculations in the process of the theory. modern, electrically-driven adding ma- solution, and using them when needed chines and desk calculators. later. Because of this capacity the viewing schedules. Fifty to 60 per- cent of the senior class is expected to take advantage of the Placement Center services. Between 7,500 and 8,000 interviews will take place this year. The overall demand for col- lege seniors is much higher than a year ago. Salaries paid to engineers and scientific persons will be higher than a year ago. In spite of talk of recession, de- pression, and layoffs, there has been no material change in industry's de- mand for qualified engineers holding a bachelor's degree. Companies are becoming more and more selective. They want engineers who suit their needs—whether or not the graduates are draft-exempt or in the top quarter of their class. College recruiting still remains the most effective way for American in- dustry to secure much-needed engi- neering personnel. The loss of engineering talent at the senior level in college has reached In a speech to the MSU engineer- CONGRATULATIONS - Robert serious proportion according to Pres- ing alumni, Chrysler Vice-President Joseph Warrick, 302 Fulton St., ident John T. Rettaliata of Illinois James Zeder, said that missile de- Homer, Michigan, has been named Institute of Technology. velopment is providing a strong stim- as one of eight 1958 recipients of ulus to engineering creativeness and He expressed alarm over the fact Wheelabrator C o r p o r a t i o n Fellow- accomplishment. that in 1957 on a national basis less ships by the Foundry Educational than 85 per cent of senior engineer- Foundation. "I am convinced that scientific and ing students received degrees. "This engineering brainpower will be the Warrick, a 1958 graduate of Michi- is a loss the nation can ill afford, par- force that propels us into a brighter gan State University will continue his ticularly in engineering and science," future. In the long run, the great studies here in the field of metallurgi- Rettaliata said, "for our very survival thrust of technical creativity will be cal engineering. As an undergraduate, in future years will depend upon our far more exciting and far more sig- he was awarded five scholarships. scientific and t e c h n o l o g i c a l com- nificant than the thrust which takes petence." a missile off the launching pad." The fellowships are valued at $1,500 each. During the ten-year pe- Engineering student apathy for The facilities of a major television riod of the program, fifty awards will campus activities has been charged network have been turned into a be made. by many on the campus. However, three million square mile classroom let's list a few "active" engineers. Our for a full credit college course in B. C. Ringo of the Civil Engineer- list is not exhausted here. atomic age physics. ing Dept. is studying for his doctorate at the University of Michigan. John Drabelle, E.E., '59 The course is being offered for V-Pres., AIEE credit by more than 300 colleges and J. Hemmye, Mechanical Engineer- universities and will cover two semes- Pres., Knights of St. Patrick ing, left for Saigon this month to Pres., Engineering Council ters of physics review—from a dis- spend two years with the MSU dele- cussion of experimental method to a Pledge, Eta Kappa Nu gation working on the Viet Nam Pledge, Sigma Phi Delta lecture on inertial guidance systems. Project. Asst. Editor, Spartan Engineer It is the first time in the history of television that a full year course W. P. Smith, Mechanical Engineer- Fran Weihl, E.E., '59 in any field of education has been ing, is studying for his doctorate at Business Manager, Spartan offered to the general public on a the Case School of Applied Science. Engineer nation-wide basis. Pledge, Eta Kappa Nu Engineering alumni were welcome Secretary, Engineering Council Conducted by Dr. Harvey E. guests at the Engineer's editorial of- V-Pres.,'Knights of St. Patrick White, Professor of Physics at the fice last month. We hope to see more Pledge, Theta Sigma Phi University of California at Berkeley of "ye grads" when you are on the and consultant to the Atomic Energy campus. Lowell Brigham, E.E., '59 Commission, the course started Octo- Tau Beta Pi ber 6 and will run through June 5, The new facilities of the Place- Eta Kappa Nu 1959. Occasionally during the class ment Center are the finest in the V-Pres., Student Govt. year guest experts, drawn from the country according to interviewing Phi Kappa Phi ranks of the nation's leading physi- cists, will conduct special lectures. employers. Eight hundred different Let's hear from more of you companies will set up 1,600 inter- "actives." "At Home On The Moon" pLANS are being made for a Because of the present lack of and 65 feet high. Including air lock permanent "moon building" to house knowledge and great divergence of and plastic observation bubble, it living quarters for moon explorers, opinion concerning the moon's sur- would measure 520 feet in length. laboratories for scientific research, face, the moon building has been The building would be fabricated of maintenance shops for space vehicles designed for the worst condition an- aluminum alloys which combine high and stations for earth-moon com- ticipated—a sea of dust upon which strength and low weight with ease munications. the building would float, anchored by of fabrication. Aluminum also pro- heavy weights suspended by cables vides a good reflecting surface which A detailed 5 by 6 foot scale model from the body of the structure. If aids cooling problems. of the structure-a cigar shaped cor- the moon's surface proves to be suf- Above and separated from the roof rugated metal cylinder covered by a ficiently solid, it could then provide of the building is a slightly curved Protective metal "meteoric shield"- normal support for the building. umbrella-shaped protective meteoric was recently unveiled to military and shield, designed to ward off the gnat- federal government officials at a pre- In actual size, the moon building would be 340 feet long, 160 feet wide (Continued on Page 56) sentation in Washington, D.C. Finagle's Laws Ever since the first scientific experiment, men have been plagued by the unceasing antagonism of Nature. Only his patience, adaptability and Eorebearance have permited the scientist to learn a few minor facts about the operation of the universe. We still do not really know why this should be so. It's only natural that Nature should he logical and neat—but it isn't, and the best teacher of all, Experience, turns out to be just the gradual acceptance of Nature's pigheadedness. Over the years a series of laws have evolved. The laws actually represent a distillation of experience of thousands of experimenters, but (until Dr. Finagle came along) they were never recorded for the study and edification of younger members of our profession because they had no derivation—no proof. They are true because they have always been true. Look into your own experience and see if this is not so. We are grateful to John W. Campbell, editor of Astounding Sci- ence fiction and the IRE Student Quarterly, for bringing this work to our attention, and to the many readers of these magazines who collected and contributed samples so that others might share in their experience. ON EXPERIMENTS The first four laws arc the only ones dignified by number. Note the beauty and simplicity of the First Law. Also note that the remaining three laws refer to men's reactions to Nature—not to Nature itself. First Law: If anything can go wrong with an experiment, it will. Second Law: No matter what result is anticipated, there is always someone willing to fake it. Third Law: No matter what the result, there is always someone eager to i misinterpret it. Fourth Law: No matter what occurs, there is always someone who believes it happened according to his pet theory. The Law of the Too Solid Goof: In any collection of data, the figure that is most obviously correct—be- yond all need of checking—is the mistake. Corollary I—No one whom you ask for help will see it, either. Corollary II—Everyone who stops by with unsought advice will see it immediately. A further series of rules—or really adviee to experimenters—has been formulated. They are a natural consequence of the first four laws reduced to day-to-day practice. Experiments must be reproducible—they should all fail in the same way. First draw your curves—then plot the readings. Experience is directly proportional to equipment ruined. A record of data is useful—it indicates you've been working. To study a subject best, understand it thoroughly before you start. In case of doubt, make it sound convincing. Do not believe in miracles—rely on them. Always leave room to add an explanation when it doesn't work. (This open door policy is also known as the Rule of the Way Out.) HUMAN FOIBLES The remaining rules outline the human problems that follow from the above. To some extent they represent man's reaction to Nature and, even more aptly, man's reaction to man. Laws of Revision (Often lumped into the Now They Tell Us! Law) First Law: Information necessitating a change of design will be conveyed to the designer after-and only after-the plans are complete. Corollary I-In simple cases, where one obvious right way is opposed to one obv ious wrong way, it is often wiser to choose the wrong way (Continued on Page 42) 28 To be self-sufficient on the moon, a lunar base must provide ample electric power. Boyd said the importance of the ELEMENTS of an electric power Guiding the space technology work lunar electric power plant project is station designed for use on the moon is the newly formed Astronautics In- dictated by the fact that a United have been demonstrated recently by stitute, headed by Dr. Peter Castrue- States space base on the moon must, scientists of the newly-formed Astro- cio. first of all, be self-sufficient. nautics Institute. Major General Albert Boyd (USAF, "Electric power is a must for self- A working model of the moon Ret.), vice-president of Westinghouse sufficiency on the moon," he stated, power station was operated to show- and general manager of its defense "and to subsequent technological ex- how the revolutionary generating unit ploitation of not only the moon itself products divisions, said the lunar elec- would be powered by light from the but later to its use as a jumping-off sun. A modified vacuum tube, con- tric power plant is just one of several point for exploration of our solar taining the same elements that would space projects for which scientists system." be used in a full scale station on the have developed plans. He said work moon, absorbed a beam of light from also is being done in the fields of Top-level Westinghouse scientists a nearby sun lamp generating enough space propulsion, communications, and consultants from divisions power to drive a small motor. and guidance. throughout the company make up the Astronautics Institute. The group is located in Baltimore, but members have access to all corporate activities touching on the space effort, and can draw on the talents of main special- ists. Scientists at the applied research laboratory of the electronic tube di- vision were responsible for the suc- cessful work in the theory, design and construction of the operating model of the moon station. While demonstrating the model, Dr. Castruccio, an authority in space guidance and communications prob- lems, explained the construction and operation of the moon power station. First, he pointed out that the sun at zenith pours upon the lunar surface something like 6000 kw of power per acre, and that the proposed lunar power station would use this light or radiant energy to generate electrical power. Basic components of the actual power station consist only of wire mesh and a chemically coated plastic. Giant sheets of a thin plastic material (Continued on Page 59) November CLAUDIA JEAN LEMKE Home town: Cedar River, Mich. Age: 20 Sorority: Delta Delta Delta Specs: 5' 2" Green eyes Brown hair 34-23-34 Major: Radio & Television Campus Activities: Union Board Chorus Line MSU Rifle Club Hobbies: Dancing Sketching Sports Hunting Status: Single Although the equipment is scaled down with accompanying ef- ficiency loss, the same physical laws apply. INCREASED enrollment in engi- two, three, or more units for less than on a 250 psi, 150 horsepower turbine, neering colleges across the country it would cost for one large one. There while this sort of test can be run has forced administrators to search tor is another aspect to the matter of easily and safely on a 90 psi, 25 means of providing adequate instruc- cost. The most expensive part of a horsepower turbine. In essence then, tional facilities within the present large installation usually lies in the one has a great deal more freedom physical plant. This pressure has been original equipment and its erection; to do more worthwhile things with felt keenly in the mechanical labora- not much is left for instrumentation. small pieces of test equipment. tory where groups oi students were This situation is usually reversed in In the M. E. laboratory at Michi- expected to perform experiments on going from large to small equipment. mechanical equipment, It became gan State several pieces of equip- Fractional horsepower motors, small necessary either to increase the size ment have been assembled lately blowers, pumps, compressors, and tur- of the testing groups or to duplicate which might be regarded as examples bines, etc., are relatively inexpensive. equipment. Large groups would mean of miniaturization. The principal ones Installation costs also are greatly re- thus far are two blowers, a cen- that only a lew students would be duced. Instrumentation then becomes trifugal pump, and two diesel en- able tO participate in the experiment a sizeable percentage of the total gines. Brief descriptions follow: while the rest observed and copied cost and therefore received the care- data. The only feasible solution to ful evaluation it deserves. (1) Low speed, low pressure blower. this dilemma was to provide more Space, or rather the lack of space This blower has a ten-inch discharge equipment without increasing the has led to this discussion. It is evident pipe, a nine-inch wheel, and a three- Boor space required—in other words that a number of 10 gallon-per-min- quarter horsepower motor direct con- to miniaturize. ute centrifugal pump sets could be nected. The motor is driven through The trend to smaller equipment has installed in the space required for a variator which allows a wide varia- emphasized once more the necessity one 500 gallon-per-minute system. tion in speed. The torque is measured of selecting and sticking to a philoso- This economy of space can be further by a spring coupling having a scale phy of lab instruction—equipment exploited by taking advantage of on its periphery which can be read versus fundamentals. In the past when small and light components to build by means of a stroboscopic light. The tests were made on a large machine, portable units which when not in whole setup is mounted on casters lack of flexibility led naturally to em- use may be stored in areas not suit- and is complete with monometers, phasis on the special features of that able for instructional purposes. The transducer, and electronic speed meas- machine, rather than to the presenta- ultimate may be a series of units uring equipment. tion of fundamenal physical laws. For mounted on pallets so that they may be stacked on top of each other and (2) High speed high pressure instance, the student became familiar with the operation of one type of conveniently stored out of the way blower. This equipment was gotten turbine governor, but was poorly in- until needed. together when we had to duplicate formed on the thermodynamic phen- the blower setup. It was designed to omena which are common to all tur- The efficiencies determined from be able to perform the same kind bines. miniaturized equipment are generally of experiments as with blower num- lower than those obtained from large ber one, but with the idea of pro- Other advantages are to be found scale equipment, but the same physi- viding a variety of equipment. The in small laboratory test set-ups. Cost cal laws apply. Small installations also blower has a six-inch discharge pipe, is an important factor in the selec- tend to be more flexible than are a ten and a half inch wheel and is tion of educational laboratory equip- their large scale counterparts. For driven by a three horsepower motor ment. In most cases the use of small example, one feels definitely ill at which runs at constant speed. Varia- units will permit the construction of ease running excessive back pressure (Continued on Page 62) As an aid to students, THE SPARTAN ENGINEER presents: FUDGE FACTORS A Complete conversion table for your notebook Fudge Factors FLORIDA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER... Future aircraft and missiles may require propulsion plants of virtually any type. Testing is handled in systems far different from those in wide use today special isolated areas; the nearest is four miles different in size, power output, appearance, and from the plant and many miles from any inhabited perhaps even in the basic method of utilizing energy. area. The new Center can be greatly expanded on To probe the propulsion future . . . and to build its 10-square-mile site. Continued isolation is in- and test greatly advanced propulsion systems for sured by a vast wildlife sanctuary in which the coming generations of flight vehicles, Pratt & Center is located. Whitney Aircraft is now operating its new Florida Of the many people employed at the Center to- Research and Development Center. This facility day, about half are scientists, engineers and highly supplements Pratt & Whitney's main research and trained technicians. By late next year, the total development installations in Connecticut. number is expected to be almost doubled. The new Florida Center, financed and built by The new Florida Research and Development Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, is unique in America's Center is one more reason why Pratt & Whitney air Aircraft is able to continue producing the world's industry. Here a completely air-conditioned plant with 17 acres under roof is specially designed best aircraft propulsion systems . . . in whatever and equipped for the development of new power form they take. ISOLATION—Ten square miles comprise the site of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft's new Florida Research and LOCATION—The new Center is located at United, Development Center. Experimental shops and offices F onda, midway between West Palm Beach and Lake covering some 17 acres are in the foreground, while the Okeechobee, in the upper Everglades area. It is almost tests areas, barely visible in upper left, lie four miles in surrounded by a wildlife sanctuary. Most employees live the background. m the cities and towns along the east coast of Florida, driving to the Center on excellent new highways. These conversion factors first appeared in the November'54and Jan- uary '55 issues of the CITY COLLEGE VECTOR. The night Before Finals 'TWAS the night before finals and all ME's Were down at the "Gables" busy as bees. When out in the street there arose such a clatter We found it disturbed our intellectual chatter. With a flourish of slide rules and delirious yells, We estimated its magnitude at ten decibels. With a Hey! and a Ho! we displaced toward the door; Barely aware of the stress in the floor. It was snowing outside and had gotten quite frisky— We dreamed of a glass of BTU'S (whiskey); There in the moonlight stood, what do you think? The whole MSU staff, I shudder to think! They stood in two rows, all bridles and reins. Their heads looked too large for their miniature brains. The whole ugly lot was hitched to a sleigh, The dean had long ears; we could hear him bray. Up in the seat sat a strange-looking elf, He smoked a cigar and seemed pleased with himself. He looked at us all, then chuckled, then laughed. In a twinkling we knew we were getting the shaft. We knew on the morrow we'd be beat to submission, So we started throwing bottles at that wild apparition. The old elf sat up and we heard him cryin', "On Ebert, on Rotty, on Wood and Ryan, On Hedges, on Smith, on Cooper and Jack." "Tomorrow," he shouted, "We'll get them back." Upward they rose; disappeared in the gloom We displaced back again into the room. We thought of the elf; it seemed every year They make finals tougher. We shouted "More beer!" It takes all kinds of engineers to do Western Electric's job It is Western Electric's job in the Bell System to manufacture some 65,000 different parts which are assembled into a vast variety of telephone apparatus and equipment. This job, coupled with our other responsibilities as part of the System, requires the assistance of engineers in every field. Their skills and talents are needed to develop new manufacturing techniques, solve quality control problems, determine machine and tool requirements, devise testing facilities and methods. They work on new applications for metals and alloys, calculate raw material needs, seek manufacturing cost reductions. In helping meet the Bell System's need for more and better telephone equipment, Western Electric engineers have assignments in the other areas of our job—installation, distribution and purchasing. Our engineers are also deeply involved in defense projects entrusted to us by the government. Because of our specialized experience as part of the Bell System we are well equipped to handle the job. Among these projects: the Nike guided missile system and the White Alice communications network in Alaska. Of course, Western Electric engineers are encouraged and assisted in developing professionally... in expanding their technical know-how. Company-sponsored pro- grams — like the full-time Graduate Engineering Training Program and the Tuition Refund Plan-help them along. Promotion from within-a Western Electric policy-helps many of our engineers move into positions of prime responsibility. Today, 55% of the college graduates in our upper levels of management have engineering degrees. In the next ten years, 7,000 key jobs must be filled by newly promoted people—engineers included. Western Electric technical fields include mechanical, electrical, chemical and civil engineering, plus the physi- cal sciences. For more information pick up a copy of "Consider a Career at Western Electric" from your Placement Officer. Or write College Relations, Room 1111D, Western Electric Company, 195 Broadway, New York 7, N. Y. And sign up for a Western Electric inter- view when the Bell System Interviewing Team visits your campus. Finagle's Laws (Continued from Page 28) right off. This is one step ahead of choosing the right way, which turns out to be a wrong way, which has to become a right way. Second Law: The more innoc is the revision appears to be at first, the further from its influence will extend and more plans will have to be redrawn. Third Law: If, when the completion of a design is imminent, field dimensions are finally supplied as they actually are-instead of as they were meant to Deep space to be it is always simpler to start all over. Fourth Law: Even If it is impossible to assemble a part incorrectly, still a way will be found to do it wrong. Ocean floor Corollary I-It is usually unpractical to worry beforehand about interfer- ences- if you have none, someone will make one for yon. Vought offers this range The Law of the Lost Inch: In designing any type of construction, DO over-all dimension can be totaled to the young engineer correctly after 4 p.m. Friday. Corollary I Under the same conditions, if any minor dimensions are given At Chance Vought the engineer's assign- to 1/16 of an inch, they cannot be totaled at all. ments range from the depths of the ocean to Corollary II-The correct total will be self-evident at 9:01 Monday the farthest reaches of space . . . from hard- morning. ware operating aboard the Navy's nuclear- Deliveries that normally take one day will take five when you are waiting. armed submarines to space research vehicles When adjusting (or drawing or computing, etc.) remember that the eye still on the boards. of the chief inspector (engineer, draftsman, etc.) is more accurate than the Here the engineer contributes to projects finest Instrument. such as the record-smashing Crusader jet Alter adding two weeks to a schedule for unexpected delays, add two fighter series . . . the Regulus missiles . . . more weeks lor unexpected delays. and advanced weapons, details of which are In any problem, if you find yourself doing an unending amount of work, still classified. the answer may be obtained by inspection. Finagle's Creed: Under the guidance of the Vought engi- Science is Truth—don't be misled by facts. neer, such weapons take shape. He super- Finagle's Motto: vises critical tests, and he introduces the weapons to the men with whom they Smile—tomorrow it will be worse. will serve. Engineers with many specialties share these experiences. Today, for example, Vought is at work on important projects involving: SPACECRAFT AND ASTRONAUTICS ADVANCED PROPULSION METHODS ELECTRONICS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE ANTISUBMARINE WARFARE Vought's excellent R&D facilities help the engineer through unexplored areas. And by teaming up with other specialists against mutual challenges, the Vought engineer learns new fields while advancing in his own. Would you like to know what men with your training are doing at Vought. . . what you can expect of a Vought career? For full information, see our representative during his next campus visit. Young engineers find in missiles the fast-breaking, rifle accuracy at bomber ranges. pace-setting assignments they like. At Chance Vought, Behind these weapons is a rich store of thirteen missiles also offer the added environmental challenges years' missile knowledge... an unmatched history of of sea and space. missile hardware. Vought's Regulus I, now on duty Vought's first space research vehicles — missiles of with both Fleets, has been operational with the Navy a very high order — are in preliminary design. Nuclear- since 1955. propelled pilotless weapons are under study. And Regulus II, Vought's nuclear-armed supersonic sharp- shooter is aboard Fleet submarines, demonstrating its Work with the G A S industry... the nation's sixth largest The Gas industry—the sixth largest in the nation—has a total investment of over $15 billion. Last year the industry set a new all-time record in number of cus- tomers, volume of Gas sold, and dollar revenue. In fact, Gas contributed 25% of the total energy needs of the nation as compared with 11.3% in 1940. The Gas industry is a major force in the growth development and economic health of this country. There are many opportunities for you in the Gas industry. The industry needs engineers, and does not over-hire. You won't be regimented. There's always room for advancement. With utility companies and with manufacturers of Gas equip- ment, there's a future for you as an engineer. Call your nearest Gas Utility. They'll be glad to talk with you about your opportunity in the Gas industry. •American Gas Association. what is Engergy A match burning? A solar flare? Is energy really conserved or were Joule, Helmholtz, Mayer and Max- well only partly right? Is the Phoenix concept of cyclical energy valid? An accurate definition of energy is important to Allison because energy conversion is our business- and we have a deep and continuing interest in energy in all its forms. Basic to our business is an intimate knowledge of every form of energy -solar, nuclear, thermal, chemical, mass, magnetic, electrical, mechan- ical and radiant. We search for this knowledge to increase the effectiveness with which we accom- plish our mission-exploring the needs of present and future flight and space propulsion systems. At Collins you receive professional recognition, un- limited opportunity, the most completely equipped research and development facilities, the opportunity to work on the most challenging developments in electronics. Your placement office will tell you when a representative will be on campus. Or write for illustrated brochure "Career with Collins." Engineering leadership—a bench mark at Alcoa In exciting new architectural d e v e l o p m e n t s . . . in the automotive in- dustry's drive for the a l l - a l u m i n u m engine . . . in super conductors to meet the nation's insatiable p o w e r d e m a n d s , you'll find A l u m i n u m Company of America in the forefront of technological advances. Alcoa Produces and sells nearly one-half of the nation's aluminum --- conducts about three-quarters of all basic research on aluminum applications . . . maintains the world's largest and most completely equipped ligh metals research center at New Kensington. Pennsyl- To maintain this type of leadership, we need outstanding men. men with top backgrounds in both academics and extra-curricular activities. Men who are trained in the nation's top schools . . . w h o u n d e r s t a n d a n d g l o r y i n t h e challenge o f engineering . . . w h o know that therein lies the basis of a better t o m o r r o w . Today, aluminum serves virtually every area of o u r industrial, commercial and day-to- day lives. challenges as anYet its uses have only just begun to be exploited. Your engineer lies in tindini; new applications, in bringing aluminum to its fun potential as a servant of mankind. Whatever your specialty-—metallurgical, mechanical, electrical. industrial,. or any other type of engineering -whatever your interest engineering, Production, research, development or sales—there s a clear-cut future for you at Alcoa. Write us today—just fill out the STRAIGHT TALK TO ENGINEERS from Donald W. Douglas, Jr. President, Douglas Aircraft Company I'm sure you've heard about Douglas projects like For you engineers who can help us move forward, Thor, Nike-Ajax, Nike-Hercules, Nike-Zeus, opportunities are almost as limitless as space Honest John, Genie and Sparrow. While these itself. are among the most important defense programs in our nation today, future planning is moving If you thrive on tough problems - and there into even more stimulating areas. are m a n y - w e ' d like to discuss a future at Douglas with you. Working as we are on the problems of space flight and at the very borderline of the unknown, Please write to Mr. C. C. LaVene engineering excellence in all fields is essential. Douglas Aircraft Company, Box 6102-J Santa Monica, California Raytheon Graduate Program FOR STUDY AT HARVARD, M.I.T. AND CALTECH IN 1959-60 The Raytheon Graduate Program has been established to contribute to the technical development of scientists and engineers at Raytheon. It provides the opportunity to selected persons employed by Raytheon, who are accepted as graduate students by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology, to pursue at Raytheon's ex- pense, regular courses of study leading to a master's or doctor's degree in science or engineering in the institu- tion of their choice. The Program requires, in general, two or three semesters of study, depending on circumstances, with the summer months spent in the Company's research, engineering, or manufacturing divisions. It includes full tuition, fees, book allowances and a salary while at school. Students are eligible for health, accident, retirement and life insur- ance benefits, annual vacation and other privileges of full-time Raytheon employees. To be considered for the Program, applicants must have a bachelor's degree in science or engineering, and should have outstanding student records, show technical prom- ise, and possess mature personal characteristics. They may apply for admission to the Program in anticipation of becoming employees of Raytheon. YOU ARE INVITED TO ADDRESS YOUR INQUIRY to Dr. Ivan A. Getting, Vice President, Engineering and Research, outlining your technical background, academic record, school preference, and field of interest, prior to December 1, 1958. NEWS VIEWS (Courtesy of Westinghouse) (Right) Seen through a set of cool- ing coils, a canned motor-pump, rated at 300 horsepower, with its own wrap- ping of coils is made ready for the atomic power plant. These units will circulate 6,250 gallons of water per minute through the primary loop of the reactor to extract its heat. The pumped fluid tills fhe motor cavity, hut is excluded from the rotor and stator windings hecause both the rotating and stationary parts of the pump are "canned" in corrosion-re- sistant jackets. The cooling coil.s keep motor temperature! at satisfactory operating levels. Uranium oxide pellets are loaded into stainless steel tubes approxi- mately four feet in length at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation's atomic power department where the fuel elements are being prepared for Belgium's first atomic power plant. Ninety of these pellets are sealed inside each tube. The core of the nuclear power reactor—first ever ex- ported by an American company—will consist of 32 tube bundles each with a total of 132 tubes bringing together a critical mass of more than 557,000 pellets. This electronic centralized air data ments are underway in challenging, ENGINEERING AT CARRETT important work at AiResearch in OFFERS YOU THESE ADVANTAGES: computing system, pioneered by AiResearch engineers, now enables missile, electronic, nuclear, aircraft • Intensified engineering is con- and industrial fields. ducted by small groups where aircraft to operate at maximum effi- individual effort and accomplish- ciency continuously. By sensing air Specific opportunities exist in ment is quickly recognized provid- conditions surrounding the airplane, system electronics and servo control ing opportunity for rapid growth it automatically makes in-flight units; computers and flight instru- and advancement. adjustments and feeds vital informa- ments; missile auxiliary power • An e i g h t - m o n t h o r i e n t a t i o n tion to the pilot. This centralized units; gas turbine engines, turbine program is offered prior to perma- combination of transducers, com- and air motors; cryogenic and nent assignment to help determine puters and indicators is the most nuclear systems; pneumatic valves; your placement in a variety of complete air data computing system industrial turbochargers; air condi- analytical or development projects. ever Produced by any manufacturer. tioning and pressurization; and heat • Advanced education is available Many such pioneering develop- transfer,including electronic cooling. through company financial assist- ance at nearby universities. START TODAY TO PLAN TOMORROW By knowing about some of the projects underway at the Babcock & Wilcox Company, an engineer may see his personal avenues of growth and advancement. For today B&W stands poised at a new era of expansion and development. Here's an indication of what's going on at B&W, with the consequent opportunities that are opening up for engineers. The Boiler Division is building the world's largest steam generator. The Tubular Products Division recently introduced extruded seamless titanium tubing, one result of its metallurgical research. The Refractories Division developed the first refractory concrete that will withstand temperatures up to 3200 F. The Atomic Energy Division is under contract by the AEC to design and build the propulsion unit of the world's first nuclear- powered cargo vessel. These are but a few of the projects — not in the plan- Ask your placement officer for a copy of "Opportunities ning stage, but in the actual design and manufacturing with Babcock & Wilcox" when you arrange your inter- phases — upon which B&W engineers are now engaged. view with B&W representatives on your campus. Or The continuing, integrated growth of the company offers write, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, Student Train- engineers an assured future of leadership. ing Department, 161 East 42nd Street, New York 17, N. Y. How is the company doing right now ? Let's look at one line from the Annual Stockholders' Report. Digits Are Your Tools (Continued from Page 25) One very important type of modern calculator, the binary digital com- puter, owes its existence, in part, to work done by Leibniz that was of even greater importance than his multiplying machine. The binary com- puter operates with a system of counting based on a scale of twos which has many advantages over our common decimal scale. It was Leibniz who first noted these advantages. The basic electronic elements of a modern binary computer exist in one of two states, off or on. It is easily seen, then, how a counting system of only two digits, one for each state, is applied. Up until the end of the 16th cen- tury, methods of computation had followed a single line of development, that of digital counting. Even the "pencil and paper" short cuts of di- rect multiplication and long division, perfected during the 15th century and still used today, are simply abbrevi- ated forms of such counting. But in 1590 a new concept in computation was conceived. In that year John Napier, a Scotish baron and one of the greatest mathe- maticians of his day, discovered logarithms. Through the use of this revolutionary device it became pos- sible to replace tedious multiplication with simple addition.'1 Twenty-five years later and two years before his death he published the first logarithm tables. It was soon found that a line scale representing logarithms by dis- tances could be used much faster than Napier tables. It was not long before the idea of using two equal wales appeared, and by 1654 the first slide rule was invented. The second major development in the evolution of the slide rule came in 1815 when Dr. Peter M. Roget (Continued on Page .58) like rain of interplanetary meteoric regulating devices, water supply and dust which descends with great veloc- sewage processing plants are also in- ity on the barren surface of the moon. cluded along with machine shop and The shield would be 460 feet long, equipment maintenance areas. 380 feet wide and 83 feet high. Entrance to the moon building is The entire shell of the building, made through an air-lock at one end, and the protective barrier, would be adjacent to which would be con- fabricated of pre-engineered metal structed a rocket landing area. Com- sheets secured by simple nut and bolt plete internal pressurization of the fasteners and welded structural con- hermetically-sealed building provides nections. A unique "truss-skin" design an air pressure of at least 10 pounds provides completely useable inter- per square inch, close to earth's nor- iors, without internal supports of any mal atmospheric pressure of 14.7 kind. pounds, the same as pressure used in high altitude airliners. With space at a premium inside the moon building, the truss-less con- Special refrigerating and heating cept would eliminate space wasted plants cope with the extreme tempera- by ordinary structural supports, while tures and tremendous temperature the pre-engineered design would per- gradients which abound on the moon. mit quick erection with minimum Day and night on the moon are about Thousands of labor and tools. two weeks long, with temperatures at lunar midday reaching 214 de- ITT engineers are Inside the moon building are: liv- grees F; at sunset, 32 degrees F, ing quarters, including rooms for "space men" sleeping, cooking, eating, and recrea- and at midnight, —243 degrees F. tion, physics, chemistry and biological There are no windows in the moon NOT literally, of course, but they are laboratories, a control tower for com- engaged in so many electronic activ- building, since ultraviolet radiation, ities associated with the vast air munication, meteorological s t u d i e s , normally absorbed by the earth's at- world above us that they might well earth observations, astronomical ob- mosphere, would be sufficiently in- be broadly identified as "space men." servations, traffic control, etc. tense to render panes of glass or Many have achieved a high record Air conditioning, heating, power plastic useless through discoloration. of success in research, design, pro- and refrigeration plants, oxygen pro- Metal shutters protect the plactic ob- duction, testing, and field engineer- ducing units, extreme-temperature servation bubbles. ing of air navigation and traffic con- trol systems... including ILS, Tacan, Vortac, Data Link, VOR, DME, Nava- screen, Navarho, and automatic "typewriters" serving the Narcast sys- tem for in-flight weather reporting. Other ITT "space men" are mak- ing important contributions to air reconnaissance, inertial navigation, infrared, missile guidance and con- trol, electronic countermeasures, ra- dio communications, radar, scatter communications, and other catego- ries vital to national defense. These are only a few of the many activities at ITT laboratory and production centers — coast to coast — where challenging problems are constantly opening the way to top careers. Consult your College Placement Officer for interview date, or write to ITT Technical Placement Office, 67 Broad Street, New York 4, New York. "Make the Most of It? (Continued from Page 28) What kind of time are you having in college? Choose your intimate friends care- fully. Deal with them generously; not jealously. Do not monopolize your friends. If you discover a "good egg" pass him around. Avoid cliques and factions. Create a community of friends. Guard your health. To do so is Christian; is patriotic; is common sense. The ideal of Socrates was "not to live long but to live well." One lives well and at one's best when in the best of health. It is easy to be democratic here. This is a friendly campus. But in being democratic, be yourself. Join in some expressive activity. Being democratic doesn't mean be- ing slovenly in dress and vulgar in language. Respect all people includ- ing yourself. Life is a perpetual strug- gle for the preservation of self-esteem. In being democratic you may restore self-respect to one who has lost it. There is an essential and precious loneliness in life. In solitude life may be at its very best, its transcendent highest. Memory of those deep and solitary experiences of "deep mid-silence," dear vision and firm resolution will strengthen you in the "maddening throng," will comfort disappointed spirits. Digits Are Your Tools (Continued from Page 55) developed the log-log scale. This scale made it possible to find any power or root of a number on a slide rule.4 Today slide rules have been de- vised for a large number of specific uses in fields ranging from printing to electrical engineering. Though limited in their degree of accuracy, they are more than adequate for their purposes. s Another distinction claimed by the slide rule is that it was the first cal- culator built on the analogy prin- ciple. All such machines differ from digital calculators in one major re- spect. Instead of using numbers in their computations, they use physical quantities. In the slide rule the quantity is a magnitude of length; in a modern electronic analog com- puter it may be a magnitude of cur- rent or resistance. Speculation on the possible uses and future applications of computers is almost limitless. Already psycholo- gists and economists have exploited calculators once used almost exclu- sively in the physical sciences. Com- puters have been developed which can run an assembly line, predict the weather, and render a monthly bank statement. The accomplishments of our com- puters are at least clever and are often awesome. Indeed, even our amazing Vermont farm boy, Zerah Colbum, seems dwarfed before our more advanced creations of steel and electricity. But is he? For that matter, is any human being? Anything man invents is nothing more than an extension of his own powers, be it lever or digital com- puter. This may not always be true, but it certainly is now. Whatever the capacity of a calculator, it still takes a man with his ten gifted digits to operate it. Power On the Moon (Continued from Page 29) will be stretched and supported over several acres of the moon's surface. Coated on these sheets would be an extremely thin layer (about one micron thick) of photosensitive ma- terial. A thin wire mesh will then be placed parallel to, but slightly sep- arated from the plastic sheet and insulated from it. The photoelectric generator would then be ready to pro- duce electric power. As the sun's rays strike the plastic sheet, the coated surface will emit electrons. These electrons will strike the wire mesh generating a voltage. Upon closing the circuit between the wire grid and the coated surface through a suitable load, current will flow. This type of electric power plant is the lightest known to man. The total weight of required material would amount to about three pounds per kilowatt. "In practice," said Dr. Castruccio, since the voltage generated by each cell is only a few volts, several cells need be connected in series. This can be done quite easily by separating the sheets into several sections by insulating strips, and connecting the sections in series. Doing this, prac- tically any voltage, including 110 volts dc, can be obtained." A key factor in the operation of such a power supply is that a vacuum must exist as in an electronic tube. Since the surface of the moon is not surrounded by an atmosphere, this condition is present. Another road block to practical generation of photoelectric power is the internal impedance of the unit, Photoelectric cells constructed in the past hadinternal impedance in the order of one megohm. Work at the Astronautics Institute of Westinghouse has yielded cells with impedances of about 3000 ohms. Dr. Castruccio said, and new structures have been developed which promise in the near future to have impedances of only about 0.1 ohm. As to solar conversion efficiencies, Dr. Castruccio pointed out that in- sight gained into the Photoelectric phenomenon now shows promise of generators having up to 25 percent efficiency. This compares with about 35 percent for the conventional earth- bound generating station. Achieve- ment of this 25 percent would mean (Continued on Page 61) Industry's demand for capable graduates in the fields of science and engineering is still exceeding the supply produced by American colleges and universities. As a result, the most promising members of this year's class may well wind up with a number of openings to consider. In such circumstances, who would blame a bright young man for at least letting the phrase "eeny, meeny, miny, mo" slip through his mind! Of course, there is one inescapable conclusion to be considered: open- ings are one thing, genuine opportunities quite another. Thoughtful examination of such factors as potential growth, challenge, advance- ment policy, facilities, degree of self-direction, permanence, and benefits often indicates that real opportunity does not yet grow on trees. Moreover, the great majority of personal success stories are still being written by those who win positions with the most successful companies. For factual and detailed information about careers with the world's pioneer helicopter manufac- turer, please write to Mr. Richard L. Auten, Personnel Department. Power On the Moon (Continued from Page 59) power yields of about 1500 kvv per acre on the moon with the sun at zenith. Once the power station is con- structed, it would operate for 14 days at a time since there are 14 days of sunshine followed by 14 nights. Sci- entists envision construction and in- terconnection of a number of these power stations all around the surface of the moon. With this type of lunar electrical network, continuous power would be assured to any point on the moon. Dr. Castruccio said some of the materials needed to construct the lunar power station may be found on the moon itself though no way is presently available for on-the-moon conversion of such raw materials into usable products. He added, however, that scientists are investigating ways of determining the presence and prop- erties of the moon's materials through the use of unmanned lunar probes or satellites. Boyd, referring to the Astronautics Institute, said the organization is con- centrating its efforts on the solution of problems directly related to space technology. Ventures into space can be divided into two distinct phases," Boyd con- tinued. "There are, of course, the Prestige exploits for psychological and propaganda warfare purposes. But more important, there are the solid, gradual and methodical advances to- ward the conquest of space with a minimum economic burden to the country. In supporting this latter phase, he said much time has been spent in- vestigating space problems over the Past few years with the certain ex- pectation that one day these scientific hopes will become realities M. E. Labs Use or, if that should be impracticable, we shall make a new cylinder head Miniature Equipment out of welded plate so that we can (Continued from Page 32) have two pressure connections. By the use of a double-beam oscilloscope, tion of the blower speed is accom- speed of pressure travels across the plished by a Reeves variable speed combustion chamber. drive between motor and blower. In this case the torque is measured by (3) The cam drive mechanism is be- means of an electric strain guage ing altered now so that the injection torque meter. As in the first case, timing can be varied while the engine the whole assembly is mounted on is running, over a maximum of per- casters and is self-contained. haps 45 degrees of crank shaft travel. (3) Centrifugal pump. A small cen- (4) The governor has been discon- trifugal pump will illustrate the laws nected; and the amount of fuel in- of such a pump just as well as a jected will be controlled by a hand large one. Therefore, this new pump lever similar to the throttle in a has only a half-inch pipe connection gasoline engine. for discharge, a three-quarter inch pipe connection for suction, and is The second of these two diesel en- driven by a one-third horsepower gines is two-cylinder four-cycle and motor. The motor is directly con- probably not subject to many altera- nected to the pump, and the speed is measured by means of a transducer tions. and an electronic counter. As in the These diesel engines are taking the case of the low speed blower, the place of a large two-cycle one-cylinder torque is measured by means of a spring coupling and a stroboscopic slow speed diesel which formerly oc- light. A Flowrator measures the rate cupied more laboratory space than at which water is being pumped, and the two small ones will occupy. its accuracy is checked by means of a weighing tank. Suction and dis- If these things can be called min- charge pressures may be measured iaturization, then we are finding them either by monometers or by the usual extremely satisfactory. pressure gauges. The sump tank for this equipment is two feet nine inches (1) The apparatus is relatively in- wide, seven feet nine inches long, expensive, and several pieces of small and two feet deep. The tank is sized equipment can be had for the mounted on casters and the rest of price of one large piece. the equipment at the two ends of the tank, pump and motor at one end (2) Alterations can be made rather and weighing tank and scales at the inexpensively in the equipment which other end. make it much more valuable from the standpoint of emphasizing funda- Two small Diesel engines are now mental principles rather than routine being mounted in somewhat the same tests on commercial equipment. way except that they with their dy- namometers are a little too heavy to (3) The space saving features of mount on c a s t e r s . They are so such equipment are valuable not only mounted that they can be skidded because of the smaller size but be- from one location to the other; but cause a piece of equipment which is they have, of course much less mobil- not in use can be shoved aside tem- ity than the fans and pump. The porarily. smaller of them is one cylinder four cycle engine which drives a small (4) The student is much better able electric dynamometer. Several things to study the whole process and to about this setup are worth noting. see the functioning of the equipment (1) It is independent of direct cur- as a whole than he is in the case of rent for excitation by having its own large apparatus. transformer and rectifier so that the dynamometer field circuit can be ex- (5) By making it economically pos- cited from the regular 110 volt out- sible to have duplication of apparatus, lets. the student is able to use data which he himself took. (2) It has a pressure pickup in the combustion chamber now. We plan Our experiences in carryingout soon to have two pressure pickups in this philosophy have so far been ex- different parts of the combustion tremely satisfactory, and we expect chamber, either by putting a second to continue along this same line pickup in the present cylinder head wherever possible. Three Challenging Questions (Continued from Page 61) tor accounts for the restrictive stream- lined construction of jet aircraft and ballistic missiles. As altitude in- creases, the atmosphere of the earth diminishes gradually until, at 120 miles, the air is so thin that the finest vacuum created on earth cannot equal it. By the time the altitude of the manned satellite is reached the atmos- phere will have long since vanished. At its destination the moon rocket will encounter no air for the moon is void of atmosphere. Therefore, be- cause it need not be streamlined, the moon rocket can be built in any shape considered practical for its pur- pose. The problem of crew safety has already been studied in depth. Some answers have been found; others will call for much more research. This is being conducted by both the U. S. Air Force and the U. S. Navy, and covers such knotty problems as the elimination and disposal of body wastes, the dangers of cosmic radia- tion and psychological pressures of confinement in the total isolation of space. These problems will not be quickly or easily solved, but the men now working on them seem confident at they eventually will be. For most of us the second question. "W'hy?" comes normally before How?" Whether we are building a barbecue pit, or buying a new car. we know our reasons before we go ahead with the details. For the sci- entist, "Why?" goes without saying. He already has his answer. He is seeking knowledge for its own sake. Many of us may shudder and mourn the loss of our tax dollars to such ivory tower goings on, but we cannot escape the fact that such pure re- search is basically responsible for most of the technological wonders we en- joy today. There is little reason to believe that the exploration of space will be any less fruitful. One antici- pated dividend of a successful flight to the moon is world-wide weather. observation on a scale never before possible. This would be a major step toward the obvious benefits of com- plete weather control. There is another answer to the question, "Why?" which, if less prac- tical, is perhaps equally as compel- ling. Few will deny the value of meeting and mastering challenge. WESTiNGHOUSE IS THE BEST PLACE FOR TALENTED ENGINEERS There's a wide variety of engineering and scientific work for the able engineer at Westinghouse. The brief stories told in the preceding advertisements only scratch the surface. A hundred or more other activities, each as interesting, also demand the services of really talented engineers. This diversity of opportunity is one of the biggest reasons for choosing Westinghouse. There's still another factor to be considered. At Westinghouse, you'll find the right kind of climate for solid professional growth. The only limits to how much a man can add to his knowledge and stature are his own ability, ambition, and determination. The creative individ- ual can benefit substantially from one of industry's most liberal inven- tion award programs, and the man who seeks more knowledge will find the opportunity to do so. Since 1927, Westinghouse has recog- nized the positive value of encouraging self-development. Incoming college graduates are enrolled in the Student Training Course, a well-integrated program providing assignments in many operating divisions; each man finds the type of work best suited for him. Thereafter, the opportunities for further study are dependent upon the kind of career you want. For those desiring a TECHNICAL career: GRADUATE STUDY PROGRAM—For graduates of engineering or the physical sciences, Westinghouse offers a Graduate Study pro- gram leading to M.S. or Ph. D. degrees. This plan offers the qualified individual an opportunity to pursue further graduate work in con- junction with his regular job. ADVANCED DESIGN COURSE—This full-time four-month Westinghouse program, held at the University of Pittsburgh, is offered to selected engineering and physical science graduates who demonstrate unusual aptitude in research, design, or development work. ADVANCED MECHANICS PROGRAM—For selected mechanical engineers, Westinghouse, each year, offers a full-time fifteen-month graduate program in advanced mechanics at the Research Laboratory in Pittsburgh. Classroom work is held at the University of Pitts- burgh, and all of it is creditable toward an M.S. degree. HONORS GRADUATE PROGRAM—For a limited number of selected men, Westinghouse has a released-time graduate study program aimed at the fulfillment of requirements for Ph. D. degrees. B. G. LAMME FELLOWSHIPS—Based upon a yearly competition among outstanding men who are under 35 but who have been with the Corporation at least five years, Westinghouse awards B. G. Lamme Fellowships for one year's full-time graduate work on stipend and salary allowance with all tuition and transportation expenses paid. For those desiring a MANAGEMENT career: BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS—These are pro- grams of business courses at nine different universities for mature men in business, particularly graduates in engineering and the sciences, who have not majored in business administration. MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM—This program provides position rotation for more breadth of experience, participa- tion in advanced management schools for more senior professional employees, and in-company specialized courses for the development of executive talents. If you're interested in more information about these programs at Westinghouse, write to Mr. L. H. Noggle, Westinghouse Educational Department, Ardmore and Brinton Roads, Pittsburgh 21, Pa. Where the Engineer Designs His Own Career I Here's an industry that started big after the war . . . surged ahead in every direction . . . keeps on growing today when others are tapering off . . . and still has its biggest years ahead. The electric utilities business is basically an engineering business. Many of its top executives come from engineering ranks; from systems planning, design, operations, research, or sales; and with backgrounds ranging from electronics and nucleonics to older branches of scientific learning. If you want a career in an expanding industry that is based on engineering look to our electric public utilities. We know you'll like working with them. We have been doing it for many years in supplying this great industry with Kerite quality insulated wire and cable. See your placement officer, or write us at 30 Church Street, New York 7, N. Y. 1. Yes. Copper, and many of its alloys, have and firmly soldered, it lends itself well excellent resistance to salt water corro- to prefabrication. The few unassembled sion. joints are soldered on the site, eliminat- ing the use of threaded fittings. 2. No. The important properties of copper are not needed and lighter, cheaper 6. Yes. Copper-nickel alloys have good re- metals are usually used. sistance to many alkalies and are often used in contact with them. 3. Yes. Copper's high heat conductivity protects the delicate instruments inside 7. Yes. Large vanes of copper are black- by quickly dissipating the surface heat of re-entry. ened and mounted on a roof to collect the sun's rays. The high thermal con- ductivity of copper makes it very efficient 4. Yes. Architectural bronze extrudes read- for this use. The copper carries the heat ily and is used for a wide variety of ar- to a circulating water system. chitectural shapes. 8. No. The conductivity of copper and its 5. Yes. Because copper tubing can be easily alloys is too high for this purpose. 9. Yes. Here the current is introduced 14. False. Good joints between copper or through the electrodes to the parts to copper alloy parts can be made by sol- be welded. Several copper alloys are dering, brazing or welding. well suited for this use because of their high strength at elevated temperatures. 15. False. The Nickel Silvers are copper alloys. They derive their name from 10. Yes. The low-zinc brasses are easily their silver-like color. A typical com- worked and are readily plated for high- position is 65% copper, 18% nickel, 17% quality costume jewelry. Most copper zinc, and no silver at all. alloys lend themselves well to polishing The copper alloys, of which there are and plating. more than forty that are standard and many more that are special in current 11. False. Reserves have increased. Pub- use, have many properties just as lished figures are no indication of long unique as this "silver" that isn't silver. run availability or total mineral de- If you'd like to learn more about them, posits. The industry lists only those re- or if you really flunked this quiz, send serves which have been "proved" for for your copy of "A Guide to Copper immediate development. Since the cop- and its Alloys." The Copper & Brass per industry has grown in these years, Research Association, 420 Lexington so, too, have the proved reserves. Fu- Avenue, New York 17, N. Y., will be ture copper supplies are vastly greater happy to supply it. than any known "reserve" figures would indicate. 12. True. Free-Cutting Brass usually can be turned at maximum spindle speed and many other copper alloys at high speeds. A large number of copper alloys are available for easy machining. 13. True. The Copper & Brass Research Association has developed a spray process which has been successfully used to give architectural and orna- mental parts an attractive green patina m uch faster than nature would do it. Here in the West, where sweeping plains and towering mountains once challenged the conquistadores of New Spain, Sandia Laboratory now explores new frontiers of science and engineering—seeking the answers to vital questions in many areas of knowledge. Sandia Corporation was established in 1949 to perform research and development in the ordnance phases of nuclear weapons for the Atomic Energy Commission. This is still our main task, but in doing it we have learned much in the way of theory and advanced technique that has application outside the field of weaponry. For example, Sandia Corpora- tion, working in support of the AEC's nuclear physics labo- ratories, is currently studying problems concerned with the non-military uses of nuclear energy and with techniques involved in the control of thermonuclear reactions. We employ over 7,500 people, of whom 1,800 are engi- neers and scientists, at our laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California. These laboratories are modern in design and equipment, with permanent facilities valued at $65,000,000. Equipment available, or in the process of installation, includes an electron and positive ion Van de Graff accelerator, a 5-megawatt tank-type heterogeneous nuclear reactor, a wind tunnel operating in subsonic through hypersonic ranges, digital and analogue computers, and vari- ous devices developed for specialized uses — as well as general laboratory equipment. Extensive test facilities are available to the research and development engineer for prov- ing design theories and concepts. If you are a graduating engineer, mathematician, or phys- icist, Sandia offers exceptional opportunities in the fields of fundamental and applied research; design and develop- ment; aeronautical, manufacturing, reliability, and test en- gineering; and quality assurance. Sandia's liberal employee benefits include our graduate educational aid program, life insurance, sickness benefits, retirement plan, and generous vacations. These combine with excellent working conditions to make Sandia an ex- ceptionally attractive place to work. Albuquerque is a modern city of about 225,000 people, known for its excellent recreational attractions and its mild, dry, sunny climate. Livermore, located in the San Francisco Bay area, offers suburban living close to all the metropolitan advantages of San Francisco. Both are fine places in which to live. We'd like to tell you more about Sandia Corporation and the opportunities it offers. Arrange for an interview with our representative through your Placement Officer, or write to Staff Employment Section CMC for a copy of our new illustrated brochure. 1904, and most of the A-C management team Y OU get off to the right start in your career at Allis-Chalmers—even though, at gradu- ation time, you may not know exactly what are graduates of it. Your choice includes research, design, manu- you want to do. facturing, application and sales of hundreds of Because of the diversity of products, a wide products in practically every industry . . . a selection of training locations is possible. Fi- wide range of fields from nucleonics to elec- nally, the course itself is designed to provide tronics to stress analysis. up to two years of theoretical and practical Learn more about Allis-Chalmers. Contact training . . . help in finding the type of work the A-C district manager in your area or write and field to which you are best suited. Allis-Chalmers, Graduate Training Section, The course, incidentally, was started in Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin. HUGHES MASTER FELLOWSHIPS THE MASTER'S FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM offers direct exposure to a potential professional field combined with academic training leading to a Master's degree. One hundred and thirty-five awards are open to applicants receiving their Bachelor's degree during the coming year in Aeronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Physics. You will pursue a two-year schedule of laboratory work and graduate study. During the summer, you will have the opportunity to work under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers. You may elect assignments based on your interest and technical experience in Radar Systems, Servomechanisms, Computers, Systems Analysis, Information Theory, Automatic Controls, Physical Analysis, Microwave Tubes, Pulse Circuitry, Semiconductor Physics, Photo Devices, Test Equipment Design, Miniaturization, Electro- mechanical Design, Gyros, Hydraulics, Subminiaturization, Mechanical Design, Instrumentation, Telemetering, Antennas and Wave Guides. You may request your graduate school from the following seven institutions: University of Southern California, Stanford University, UCLA, University of Arizona, Purdue University, California Institute of Technology, and University of West Virginia. Fifteen awards are open to applicants receiving their Bachelor's degree in Business Administration during the coming year. The work program will involve interesting assignments in the administrative areas of the company and graduate study will be at UCLA or University of Southern California. Salary is commensurate with your ability and experience and all company benefits are extended to those participating in the program. Tuition, fees, books and thesis preparation and reproduction expenses are provided and travel expenses outside of the Southern California area are paid. Upon attainment of Master's degree, Fellows may apply for the Hughes Staff Doctoral Fellowship Program. Consult your College Placement Officer for interview information. Or, write to the Office of Advanced Studies at the address at right. HOWARD HUGHES DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS If you are interested in studies leading to a Doctor's degree or in post-doctoral research, you are invited to apply for one of the ten awards in the Howard Hughes Fellowship Program. This unique program offers the doctoral candidate the optimum combination of high-level academic study at California Institute of Technology, and practical industrial experience in Hughes laboratories. The Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellowship provides an annual award of approximately S7200, of which S1800 is for tuition, books, fees, thesis and research expenses. The remainder is the award of a cash stipend and salary earned by the Fellow. You should plan to pursue research in the fields of Electronics Engineering, Microwave Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electron Dynamics, Electronic Computing, Physical Electronics, Propulsion Engineering, Salid State Physics, Aerodynamics, Analytical Mechanics or Information Theory. The Fellowships are open to students qualified for admission to graduate standing. A Master's Degree or equivalent graduate work must have been completed before beginning the Fellowship Program. Application closing date: January 15, 1959 H O W TO A P P L Y : For information concerning either of the Hughes programs described, write, specifying program of your interest, to: Office oj Advanced Studies—P.G.O., Building 6, Hughes Aircraft Company, Culver City, California. The classified nature oj Hughes work makes ability to obtain security clearance a requirement. ADVERTISERS' INDEX American Gas Association 44 Allied Chemical & Dye Corp 14 Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co 69 Allison Division, Gen'l Motors 45 Aluminum Co. of America 47 Asphalt Institute 7 A. W. Faber Pencil Co 62 Babcock & Wilcox 54 Chance Vought Aircraft Co 43 Collins Radio Co 46 Convair 8 Copper & Brass Research 66-67 Detroit Edison 1 Douglas Aircraft 48 Dunham-Bush, Inc 58 Eagle Pencil Co 12-13 Eastman Kodak Co Garrett Corp 51 General Electric General Motors Corp 6 Hughes Aircraft 70-71 Hughes Aircraft 72 International Nickel 1" International Tele. & Tele 56 Kerite Co 64 Lockheed Missile 11 Northrop Aircraft 5 P r a t t & Whitney Aircraft 36-37 Rand Corp 4 Raytheon Mfg 49 Sandia Corp 68 Sikorsky Aircraft 60 Standard Oil Co 9 U. S. Steel *** 41 Western Electric Westinghouse 53-65 * Inside back cover '* Back cover *** Inside front cover •How much faster and farther our aircraft and missiles can go seems now to depend on developing new high-energy fuels. This is a job of the Lewis Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. And as in all kinds of industry, photography is playing an important role in this work. Motion pictures are taken of the interior of jet engine chambers through transparent walls. From the pictures the scientist learns the behavior of the fuel, the flame and exhaust through the engine turbine and tail pipe. The use of photography in research and the development of new or better products is but one of the ways it is helping all kinds of businesses, large and small alike. The Next Four Years: Your Most Important The United States is now doubling its use Q. What types of study courses are in- gained and changes in salary struct- of electrical energy every eight years. cluded in the training programs and ure made in your absence. In addi- In order to maintain its position as the when are the courses taken? tion, you accrue pension and paid- leading manufacturer in this fast-growing vacation rights. A. Each of our programs has electrical industry, General Electric is graduate-level courses conducted by Q. Do you advise getting a professional vitally interested in the development of experienced G-E engineers. These engineer's license?What's itworth tome? young engineers. Here,Mr. Lewis answers courses supplement your college some questions concerning your personal training and tie it in with required A. There are only a few cases where development. industrial techniques. Some are a license is required at G.E., but taken on Company time, some on we certainly encourage all engineers Q. Mr. Lewis, do you think, on entering your own. to strive for one. At present, nearly industry, it's best to specialize immedi- a quarter of our engineers are li- Q. What kind of help do you offer em- censed and the percentage is con- ately, or get broad experience first? ployees in getting graduate schooling? stantly increasing. What's it worth? A. Let me give you somewhat of a A. G.E.'s two principal programs A license gives you professional double-barreled answer. We at Gen- of graduate study aid are the Honors status and the recognition and pres- eral Electric think it's best to get Program and the Tuition Refund tige that go with it. You may find, broad experience in a specialized Program. If accepted on the Honors in years to come, that a license will field. By that, I mean our training Program you can obtain a mas- be required in more and more in- programs allow you to select the ter's degree, tuition free, in 18 months stances. Now, while your studies are special kind of work which meets while earning up to 75% of full-time fresh in your mind, is the best time your interests—manufacturing, en- salary. The Tuition Refund Program to undertake the requirements. gineering, or technical marketing— offers you up to 100% refund of and then rotate assignments to give tuition and related fees when you Your next four years are most impor- you broad experience within that complete graduate courses approved tant. During that period you'll undoubt- area. by your department manager. These edly make your important career de- courses are taken outside normal cisions, select and complete training Q. Are training assignments of a pre- working hours and must be related programs to supplement your academic determined length and type or does the to your field of work. training, and pursue graduate schooling, individual have some influence in deter- if you choose. These are the years for mining them? Q. What are the benefits of joining a personal development — for shaping company first, then going into military yourself to the needs of the future. If A. Training programs, by virtue of service if necessary. you have questions still unanswered, being programs, have outlined as- write to me at Section 959-6, General signments but still provide real op- A. We work it this way. If you are Electric Co., Schenectady 5, N. Y. portunities for self-development. We hired and are only with the Company try our best to tailor assignments to a week before reporting to military the individual's desires and demon- service, you are considered to be strated abilities. performing continuous service while you are away and you will have your Q. Do you mean, then, that I could just job when you return. In determining stay on a job if I like it? your starting salary again, due con- sideration is given experience you've A. That's right. Our programs are both to train you and help you find your place. If you find it somewhere along the way, to your satisfaction and ours, fine.