CONVAIR ASTRONAUTICS A DIVISION OF GENERAL DYNAMICS
BUILDER OF THE ATLAS MISSILE
CALIFORNIA
AERIAL VIEW OF POINT LOMA TEST FACILITY
THE POINT LOMA TEST FACILITY
LOCATED ON THE TIP OF POINT LOMA FACING THE PACIFIC OCEAN, WAS ACTIVATED IN OCTOBER 1954. IT PROVIDED CONVAIR WITH A FACILITY WHERE HAZARDOUS FLOW AND PRESSURE TESTS OF VARIOUS KINDS, LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURAL TESTS, AND FULL SCALE LAUNCH MECHANISM AND STAGE SEPARATION TESTS COULD BE CONDUCTED UNDER CONDITIONS OF MAXIMUM SECRECY AND SAFETY. MAJOR TEST EQUIPMENT AT THE POINT LOMA FACILITY INCLUDED SIX TOWERS.
TOWER A...
A MISSILE FLOW TANK ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF ACTUAL MISSILE TANKS AND ASSOCIATED PROPELLANT HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE. THIS EQUIPMENT WAS USED TO SIMULATE LIQUID OXYGEN AND FUEL FLOWS FOR THE EVALUATION OF GEYSERING AND VORTEX EFFECTS AND FOR TESTING THE GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT USED IN TANKING AND DETANKING THE MISSILE.
TOWER B...
HOUSED THE BATTLESHIP LIQUID OXYGEN AND FUEL TANKS. LIQUID OXYGEN AND FUEL FLOW CHARACTERISTICS WERE TESTED IN THESE HEAVY WALLED TANKS PRIOR TO RUNNING SIMILAR TESTS AT TOWER A. THE TRANSFER OF TANK PRESSURE FROM GROUND TO MISSILE SYSTEM WAS ALSO EVALUATED.
TOWER C...
CONSISTED OF AN AFT STUB TANK WITH A SIMULATED BOOSTER ASSEMBLY AND NECESSARY INSTRUMENTATION. THIS TOWER WAS USED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF STRUCTURAL TESTS BY THE APPLICATION OF MECHANICAL LOADS TO ALL PORTIONS OF THE AFT STRUCTURE OF THE MISSILE. SIMULATED AERODYNAMIC HEATING TESTS WERE ALSO PERFORMED AT THIS STAND.
TOWER D...
HOUSED IN A COVERED AREA CONTAINING A LAUNCHER RELEASE AND HOLD-DOWN MECHANISM, AN AFT STUB TANK, AND RELATED INSTRUMENTATION. DYNAMIC LAUNCHER RELEASE TESTS WERE CONDUCTED AT THIS TOWER.
TOWER E...
A STRUCTURE 55 FEET HIGH WHICH HOUSED A BOOSTER ENGINE, A SUSTAINER ENGINE AND AN AFT STUB TANK. THIS TOWER WAS USED TO STUDY BOOSTER JETTISON OPERATIONS.
TOWER F...
CONSISTED OF COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS AFFECTED BY THE AUXILIARY POWER SUPPLY. IT WAS USED FOR TESTING THE COMPATIBILITY OF THE MISSILE AUXILIARY POWER SUPPLY WITH SYSTEM AFFECTED BY ITS OPERATION.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AT THIS FACILITY INCLUDED A MISSILE FORWARD SECTION FOR EVALUATING NOSE CONE SEPARATION TECHNIQUES AND A DYNAMIC TEST STAND WHERE VIBRATION TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON LARGE COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE ENTIRE MISSILE.
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