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Nomenclature for Aeronautics

Description: The nomenclature for aeronautics presented in this Report No. 474 is a revision of the last previous report on this subject (i.e., Report no. 240.) This report is published for the purpose of encouraging greater uniformity and precision in the use of terms relating to aeronautics, both in official documents of the Government and in commercial publications. Terms in general use in other branches of engineering have been included only where they have some special significance in aeronautics, or f… more
Date: 1939
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Determination of the Profile Drag of an Airplane Wing in Flight at High Reynolds Numbers

Description: Report presenting flight tests to determine the profile-drag coefficients of a portion of the original wing surface of an all-metal airplane and a portion of the wing made aerodynamically smooth and more nearly fair than the original section. Tests were also carried out to determine the point of transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer and to determine the velocity distribution along the upper surface of the wing.
Date: 1939
Creator: Bicknell, Joseph
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ice Prevention on Aircraft by Means of Engine Exhaust Heat and a Technical Study of Heat Transmission From a Clark Y Airfoil

Description: "This investigation was conducted to study the practicability of employing heat as a means of preventing the formation of ice on airplane wings. The report relates essentially to technical problems regarding the extraction of heat from the exhaust gases and its proper distribution over the exposed surfaces. In this connection a separate study has been made to determine the variation of the coefficient of heat transmission along the chord of a Clark Y airfoil. Experiments on ice prevention both … more
Date: June 12, 1931
Creator: Theodorsen, Theodore & Clay, William C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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General Theory of Aerodynamic Instability and the Mechanism of Flutter

Description: "The aerodynamic forces on an oscillating airfoil or airfoil-aileron combination of three independent degrees of freedom were determined. The problem resolves itself into the solution of certain definite integrals, which were identified as Bessel functions of the first and second kind, and of zero and first order. The theory, based on potential flow and the Kutta condition, is fundamentally equivalent to the conventional wing section theory relating to the steady case" (p. 291).
Date: May 2, 1934
Creator: Theodorsen, Theodore
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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General Potential Theory of Arbitrary Wing Sections

Description: The problem of determining the two dimensional potential flow around wing sections of any shape is examined. The problem is condensed into the compact form of an integral equation capable of yielding numerical solutions by a direct process. An attempt is made to analyze and coordinate the results of earlier studies relating to properties of wing sections. The existing approximate theory of thin wing sections and the Joukowski theory with its numerous generalizations are reduced to special cases… more
Date: November 4, 1932
Creator: Theodorsen, T. & Garrick, I. E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The design of fins for air-cooled cylinders

Description: From Summary: "An analysis was made to determine the proportions of fins made of aluminum, copper, magnesium, and steel necessary to dissipate maximum quantities of heat for different fin widths, fin weights, and air-flow conditions. The analysis also concerns the determination of the optimum fin proportions when specified limits are placed on the fin dimensions. The calculation of the heat flow in the fins is based on experimentally verified, theoretical equations. The surface heat-transfer co… more
Date: June 28, 1939
Creator: Biermann, Arnold E. & Ellerbrock, Herman H., Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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An investigation of the drag of windshields in the 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel

Description: Report presents the results of tests made to determine the drag of closed-cockpit and transport-type windshields. The tests were made at speeds corresponding to a Mach number range of approximately 0.25 to 0.58 in the NACA 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel. This speed range corresponds to a test Reynolds number range of 2,510,000 to 4,830,000 based on the mean aerodynamic chord of the full-span model (17.29 in.). The shapes of the windshield proper, the hood, and the tail fairing were systematicall… more
Date: May 22, 1939
Creator: Robinson, Russell G. & Delano, James B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Investigation in the 7-by-10 Foot Wind Tunnel of Ducts for Cooling Radiators within an Airplane Wing

Description: Report presents the results of an investigation made in the NACA 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel of a large-chord wing model with a duct to house a simulated radiator suitable for a liquid-cooled engine. The duct was expanded to reduce the radiator losses, and the installation of the duct and radiator was made entirely within the wing to reduce form and interference drag. The tests were made using a two-dimensional-flow setup with a full-span duct and radiator. Section aerodynamic characteristics of t… more
Date: June 9, 1938
Creator: Harris, Thomas A. & Recant, Isidore G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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High-Speed Tests of Conventional Radial-Engine Cowlings

Description: The drag characteristics of eight radial-engine cowlings have been determined over a wide speed range in the NACA 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel. The pressure distribution over all cowlings was measured, to and above the speed of the compressibility burble, as an aid in interpreting the force tests. One-fifth-scale models of radial-engine cowlings on a wing-nacelle combination were used in the tests.
Date: March 30, 1939
Creator: Robinson, Russell G. & Becker, John V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aircraft rate-of-climb indicators

Description: From Summary: "The theory of the rate-of-climb indicator is developed in a form adapted for application to the instrument in its present-day form. Certain dynamic effects, including instrument lag, and the use of the rate-of-climb indicator as a statoscope are also considered. Modern instruments are described. A laboratory test procedure is outlined and test results are given."
Date: 1939
Creator: Johnson, Daniel P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Determination of the Profile Drag of an Airplane Wing in Flight at High Reynolds Numbers

Description: "Flight tests were made to determine the profile-drag coefficients of a portion of the original wing surface of an all-metal airplane and of a portion of the wing made aerodynamically smooth and more nearly fair than the original section. The wing section was approximately the NACA 2414.5. The tests were carried out over a range of airplane speeds giving a maximum Reynolds number of 15,000,000. Tests were also carried out to locate the point of transition from laminar to turbulent boundary laye… more
Date: January 6, 1939
Creator: Bicknell, Joseph
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Effect of Continuous Weathering on Light Metal Alloys Used in Aircraft

Description: "An investigation of the corrosion of light metal alloys used in aircraft was begun at the National Bureau of Standards in 1925 and has for its purpose causes of corrosion in aluminum-rich and magnesium-rich alloys together with the development of methods for its prevention. The results, obtained in an extensive series of laboratory and weather-exposure tests, reveal the relative durability of a number of commercially available materials and the extent to which the application of various surfac… more
Date: December 2, 1938
Creator: Mutchler, Willard
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Wind-Tunnel Investigation of an NACA 23012 Airfoil with Various Arrangements of Slotted Flaps

Description: "An investigation was made in the 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel and in the variable-density wind tunnel of the NACA 23012 airfoil with various slotted-flap arrangements. The purpose of the investigation in the 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel was to determine the airfoil section aerodynamic characteristics as affected by flap shape, slot shape, and flap location. The flap position for maximum lift; polars for arrangements favorable for take-off and climb; and complete lift, drag, and pitching-moment charact… more
Date: February 12, 1938
Creator: Wenzinger, Carl J. & Harris, Thomas A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Calculation of the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Tapered Wings With Partial-Span Flaps

Description: "Factors derived from wing theory are presented. By means of these factors, the angle of zero lift, the lift-curve slope, the pitching moment, the aerodynamic-center position, and the induced drag of tapered wings with partial-span flaps may be calculated. The factors are given for wings of aspect ratios 6 and 10 , of taper ratios from 0.25 to 1.00, and with flaps of various length. An example is presented of the method of application of the factors. Fair agreement with experimental results is … more
Date: January 23, 1939
Creator: Pearson, Henry A. & Anderson, Raymond F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Effective Gust Structure at Low Altitudes as Determined From the Reactions of an Airplane

Description: "Measurements of gust structure and gust intensity were made in the lower levels of the atmosphere (0 to 3,500 ft.). An Aeronca C-2 airplane was used as the measuring instrument, the gust structure being derived from the recorded motions of the airplane. Data were also obtained on wind velocities and temperatures as functions of altitude for use in attempting to correlate the gust-structure data with various meteorological quantities" (p. 263).
Date: October 19, 1939
Creator: Donely, Philip
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mechanical Properties of Flush-Riveted Joints

Description: "The strength of representative types of flush-riveted joints has been determined by testing 865 single-shearing, double-shearing, and tensile specimens representing 7 types of rivet and 18 types of joint. The results, presented in graphic form, show the stress at failure, type of failure, and d/t ratio. In general, dimpled joints were appreciably stronger than countersunk or protruding-head joints, but their strength was greatly influenced by constructional details" (p. 467).
Date: November 1939
Creator: Brueggeman, W. C. & Roop, Frederick C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Column Strength of Two Extruded Aluminum-Alloy H-Sections

Description: "Extruded aluminum-alloy members of various cross sections are used in aircraft as compression members either singly or as stiffeners for aluminum-alloy sheet. In order to design such members, it is necessary to know their column strength or, in the case of stiffeners, the value of the double modulus, which is best obtained for practical purposes from column tests. Column tests made on two extruded h-sections are described, and column formulas and formulas for the ratio of the double modulus to… more
Date: September 30, 1938
Creator: Osgood, William R. & Holt, Marshall
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The influence of directed air flow on combustion in spark-ignition engine

Description: "The air movement within the cylinder of the NACA combustion apparatus was regulated by using shrouded inlet valves and by fairing the inlet passage. Rates of combustion were determined at different inlet-air velocities with the engine speed maintained constant and at different engine speeds with the inlet-air velocity maintained approximately constant. The rate of combustion increased when the engine speed was doubled without changing the inlet-air velocity; the observed increase was about the… more
Date: October 10, 1938
Creator: Rothrock, A. M. & Spencer, R. C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The unsteady lift of a wing of finite aspect ratio

Description: "Unsteady-lift functions for wings of finite aspect ratio have been calculated by correcting the aerodynamic inertia and the angle of attack of the infinite wing. The calculations are based on the operational method. The starting lift of the finite wing is found to be only slightly less than that of the infinite wing; whereas the final lift may be considerably less" (p. 1).
Date: June 15, 1939
Creator: Jones, Robert T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mechanism of flutter: A theoretical and experimental investigation of the flutter problem

Description: From Summary: "The results of the basic flutter theory originally devised in 1934 and published as NACA Technical Report no. 496 are presented in a simpler and more complete form convenient for further studies. The paper attempts to facilitate the judgement of flutter problems by a systematic survey of the theoretical effects of the various parameters. A large number of experiments were conducted on cantilever wings, with and without ailerons, in the NACA high-speed wind tunnel for the purpose … more
Date: September 22, 1938
Creator: Theodorsen, Theodore & Garrick, I. E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Stability of Castering Wheels for Aircraft Landing Gears

Description: "A theoretical study was made of the shimmy of castering wheels. The theory is based on the discovery of a phenomenon called kinematic shimmy. Experimental checks, use being made of a model having low-pressure tires, are reported and the applicability of the results to full scale is discussed. Theoretical methods of estimating the spindle viscous damping and the spindle solid friction necessary to avoid shimmy are given. A new method of avoiding shimmy -- lateral freedom -- is introduced" (p. 1… more
Date: August 11, 1937
Creator: Kantrowitz, Arthur
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Preliminary wind-tunnel investigation of an NACA 23012 airfoil with various arrangements of venetian-blind flaps

Description: Report presents the results of an investigation made in the NACA 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel of a large-chord NACA 23012 airfoil with several arrangements of venetian-blind flaps to determine the aerodynamic section characteristics as affected by the over-all flap chord, the chords of the slats used to form the flap, the slat spacing, the number of slats and the position of the flap with respect to the wing. Complete section data are given in the form of graphs for all the combinations tested.
Date: January 10, 1939
Creator: Wenzinger, Carl J. & Harris, Thomas A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Longitudinal Stability and Control With Special Reference to Slipstream Effects

Description: Report presents the results of a study of data obtained in the NACA full-scale wind tunnel concerning the effects of interference and of propeller operation on longitudinal stability and control. The data include pitching moments for various power conditions for airplanes with tails removed and with tails set at various stabilizer and elevator angles. A number of surveys of the dynamic pressure and the flow direction in the region of the horizontal tail surface are also included.
Date: August 24, 1939
Creator: Katzoff, S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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