Catching a model airplane dropped in 15-Foot Spin Tunnel. Charles Zimmerman wrote in NASA TR No. 557: "After the observations have been made, the model is lowered into a net held in the air stream by one of the operators or into a large bowl-shaped net at the bottom of the test section. When lowered into the large net, the model is retrieved with a long-handled clamp." (p. 267) "The models used are generally 1/10 to 1/16 scale. The size of the models is limited by the wing span and the wing loading. The maximum allowable span is about 36 inches; the maximum wing loading is about 1.3 pounds per square foot." (p. 266) "Balsa wood is the usual structural material because of its low density. It is necessary to hollow out the after portion of the fuselage and to cut out a large portion of the wood in the wings to permit proper mass distribution. The wing cut-outs are covered with silk tissue paper. The leading and trailing edges and tips of the wings are fitted with strips of spruce, pattern pine, or bamboo inset into the edge of the balsa to prevent disfigurement from accidental blows or from striking the safety netting. Lead is used for ballast." (p. 266)
