Method and apparatus for optical fiber/wire payout simulation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for taking up elongate, flexible communication lines such as wires and optical fibers for simulating the payout of such communication lines from rockets, missiles, aircraft or the like during launch and flight comprising a rotatable flywheel mounted on a base, a rotatable take-up drum having a weight substantially less than the flywheel and having a peripheral winding surface mounted on the same base, a clutch mechanism engageable to render the take-up drum rotatable with the flywheel, a driver source for rotating the flywheel, attaching one end of a communication line to the peripheral winding surface of the take-up drum, rotating the flywheel using the driver source until the desired rotational velocity is attained, and engaging the clutch mechanism to transmit the rotational momentum of the flywheel to the take-up drum in order to impart tangential acceleration and final tangential velocity at the peripheral surface of the take-up drum in a manner simulating the acceleration and velocity of a missile, rocket, aircraft or the like during launch and flight. The method and apparatus of the present invention may be conducted in a chamber or enclosure wherein the atmosphere may be a partial or complete vacuum or a low density gas.