Timeline
Lists of tests conducted throughout the years in each of the Special Project Laboratory’s main test cells.
NASA Glenn Research Center
Special Projects Laboratory
Cell 1 Tests
- 1943-1947—General Electric J31 thrust augmentation
- 1948-1949—Engine controls, fuel atomization and vibration tests
- 1949-1957—Turbine blade materials
- 1966—Afterburner control
- 1971-1973—Low Cost Engine program
- 1982-1992—Turbine blade durability (Replaceable Blade Facility)
- 1992-2017—Turbine blade durability (Hot Corrosion Test Rig)
Cell 2 Tests
- 1944-1949—General Electric J31 and J33 thrust augmentation
- 1950-1958—Turbine blade cooling and materials
- 1959-1965—Insulation and materials for cryogenic fuel tanks
- 1966-1971—General Electric J85 for supersonic transport study
- 1976-1977—Allison T-63 helicopter engine
Cell 3 Tests
- 1945-1950—General Electric J33 thrust augmentation
- 1950-1958—Turbine blade cooling
- 1959—Materials for solid rocket nozzle
- 1971-2000s—Materials fatigue testing in burner rigs
Cell 4 Tests
- 1945-1950—General Electric J35 and Westinghouse J34 thrust augmentation
- 1950-1957—Turbine blade materials and cooling
- 1961-1962—Plasma coating gun
- 1972-2000s—Materials fatigue testing in burner rigs
- 1981—Fracture rig
Cell 5 Tests
- 1947-1950—Engine vibration, temperature distribution and combustion
- 1949-1950—Materials testing
- 1950-1958—Engine control systems
- 1972-2000s—Materials testing in furnaces and burner rigs
Cell 6 Tests
- 1947-1952—General Electric J35 and J47 thrust augmentation
- 1953-1960—Turbine cooling
- 1961—Propellant tank impact tests
- 1976—Mach 0.3 burner rig testing
- 1977-1978—Chrysler automotive Stirling engine
- 1989-2017—Materials testing (High Pressure Burner Rig)
Researcher checks the Thermal Fatigue Rig in the Researcher checks the Thermal Fatigue Rig in the Jet Propulsion Station Laboratory (1959).
NASA/Paul Riedel
Researchers prepare for a test in the gamma radiation pool in a former spin pit at the Special Projects Laboratory (1960).
NASA/Arden Wilfong
NASA researchers with a laser rig in the Special Project Laboratory (2003).
NASA/Quentin Schwinn
Ceramics researchers at the Special Projects Laboratory (1999).
NASA/Tom Jares
A NASA researcher adjusts high temperature furnace in the Special Projects Laboratory (1986).
NASA
Researchers prepare an engine for testing in the Special Projects Laboratory (1971).
NASA
Researcher works with Bi-axial Test Rig in the Special Projects Laboratory (1986).
Researchers work with a phase shifter in the Special Projects Laboratory (1979).
NASA/JACK DARGINSKY
NASA History
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Return to the Special Projects Laboratory (SPL) main page to find additional information on the facility and its history.
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This 1946 test of an I-40 Ramjet engine at the NASA’s Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland measured the exhaust gases being discharged from a special burner. Engineers record the test with a motion picture camera.
Glenn History and Mitigation
Glenn Historic Facilities
This collection of webpages documents some of the historic facilities formerly located at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
Glenn Historic Preservation
NASA Glenn has worked with the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office to mitigate the loss of some of its historic facilities.
Glenn History Office
The NASA Glenn History Office documents the research, facilities, and people who have contributed to the center’s extensive history and manages the Glenn History Collection.