Word: sounding
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Beyond economics, there is the question of the sonic boom, which can vary in decibel level from a shot to a 50-mile wide swath of thunderous sound, and would annoy groundlings, to say the least. Transportation Secretary Volpe last week promised that the SST will fly supersonically only over water, at least until the sonic boom is brought within "acceptable limits." Three countries-Sweden, Ireland and West Germany-have already banned SSTs over their territory. The FAA calculates that if all restrictions on supersonic flight were removed, the eventual market would jump from 500 SSTs to 1,200, adding...
...that slam with what automen call a solid "thunk." One result showed up last week as American Motors introduced the Hornet, its new small car, with an advertisement that urged: "Open a door and listen for the reassuring thunk you get when you close it." In auto showrooms, the sound of a car door slamming touches some responsive chord in the frazzled psyche of the American buyer-and all the automakers know it. "There is very little to go on when you buy a car these days," says Carl Hedeen, General Motors' chief of body engineering. "If the glove...
Stanford and Michigan State-to work exclusively on doors. Ford, Chrysler and G.M. test and refine their thunks in soundproof chambers that are sealed like bank vaults. Stereo tapes are used to record the effects that subtle design changes have on the sound. High-speed movies are made to study vibrations, and oscilloscopes gauge the thunk's duration. The automakers also employ automatic slamming machines, which create sounds ranging from what G.M.'s Hedeen calls the "angry-wife slam" to the "husband-coming-home-late-at-night slam." The former is 50 foot-pounds, and the latter three...
What kind of sound do Detroit's acousticians attempt to achieve? At G.M., says Product Engineer Jim Leslie, the goal is "ker-chuck-that's what we want, ker-chuck." Chrysler, says Executive Body Engineer Jim Shank, aims for "the kind of sound you get when you drop a ripe pumpkin in the mud.v The ideal sound for American Motors, says Adamson, is "a clump-not a clink, clatter or clunk, but a clump." Of course, he concedes, "we will never reach the ultimate sound." Undeterred, scientists continue to chase across farm fields by dark of night, stethoscopes...
...characters stare toward the heavens, reminded of the irony and irrevocability of fate. The white corpuscles finally overwhelm Pascal's tiny body on Christmas Eve, and Papa discovers him, head hidden by the pine branches, expired under the Christmas tree. Still another airplane engine blasts across the sound track as Papa picks up Pascal and carries him offscreen. Viewers may have to be assisted out of the theater in similar fashion...