National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) - 4,160 Matching Results
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- Flight Tests of Modifications to Improve the Aileron Control Characteristics of a North American XP-51 Airplane (AC No. 41-38)
- Investigations were undertaken to improve the ailerons of a P-51 fighter so as to obtain greater effectiveness without increasing the stick forces. Modifications consisted of increasing the deflection range of the aileron to 70 percent and changing the original concave section to a thick section with beveled trailing edge. Results of the modified ailerons showed an increase in effectiveness over the original aileron of 70 percent at low speed and 55 percent at high speeds.
- Ultraviolet spectrochemical analysis for aromatics in aircraft fuels
- Report presenting tests to verify and extend ultraviolet spectroscopic techniques for applications to the analysis of aviation fuels for their aromatic constituents. Results regarding photographic absorption spectra, spectrophotometric absorption spectra, and spectrophotometric analyses are provided.
- On the plane potential flow past a symmetrical lattice of arbitrary airfoils
- Report presenting a theoretical investigation of the two-dimensional, incompressible potential flow past a symmetrical lattice of airfoils of arbitrary shape. Expressions are given for evaluation of the velocity and pressure distribution at the airfoil boundary.
- Visual Studies of Cylinder Lubrication [Part] 1: The Lubrication of the Piston Skirt
- Report describes the lubrication characteristics of an aircraft-type piston as visually studied in a V-type engine with a glass cylinder. Information about the movement of the piston, the piston rings, and the oil-control rings and their effect on lubrication is included.
- Tests of a Thermal Ice-Prevention System for a Wing Leading-Edge Landing-Light Installation
- Report discussing the creation of a thermal ice-prevention system of a bomber-type airplane to provide protection against ice and fog formations on the transparent fairing over the landing light in the wing leading edge. A comparison between the design performance and actual performance showed that the outer-surface heat-transfer coefficient was correctly predicted, but the inner-surface heat-transfer coefficient was four times as large, leading to failure of the plastic fairing.
- Critical combinations of shear and transverse direct stress for an infinitely long flat plate with edges elastically restrained against rotation
- Report presenting an exact solution and a closely concurring approximate energy solution for the buckling of an infinitely long flat plate under combined shear and transverse direct stress with edges elastically restrained against rotation. An appreciable fraction of the critical stress in pure shear may be applied to the plate without any reduction in the transverse compressive stress necessary to produce buckling.
- NACA Mach number indicator for use in high-speed tunnels
- Report presenting a description of a device for indicating stream Mach number in a high-speed tunnel. It consists of a mechanism for determining the pressure ratio that Mach number is a function of. The instrument is in service in the 8-foot high-speed tunnel and its accuracy has been found adequate for wind-tunnel requirements.
- Profile-Drag Coefficients of Conventional and Low-Drag Airfoils as Obtained in Flight
- "The results of flight investigations of the profile drag of several carefully finished conventional and low-drag airfoils are presented. The results indicated that in all cases lower profile-drag coefficients were obtained with the low-drag than with the conventional airfoils over the range of lift coefficient tested and that, for comparable conditions of lift coefficient and Reynolds number, the low-drag airfoils may have profile-drag coefficients which are at least 27 percent lower than the profile-drag coefficients of the conventional airfoils" (p.1).
- On a New Method for Calculating the Potential Flow Past a Body of Revolution
- Report presenting a new method for obtaining the velocity potential of the flow about a solid of revolution moving uniformly in the direction of its axis of symmetry in a fluid otherwise at rest. The method is based essentially on the fact that the form of the differential equation for the velocity potential is invariant with regard to conformal transformations in a meridian plane. The general results are applied to a body of revolution obtained by revolving a symmetrical Joukowski profile about its axis of symmetry.
- Ditching Tests With 1/10-Size Model of the Army a-20a Airplane 1: Calm-Water Tests in NACA Tank No.2
- Report presenting tests to determine the behavior of landplanes when they are forced to land on the water. The report is incomplete.
- The development and application of high-critical-speed nose inlets
- From Summary: "An analysis of the nose-inlet shapes developed in previous investigations to represent the optimum from the standpoint of critical speed has shown that marked similarity exists between the nondimensional profiles of inlets which have widely different proportions and critical speeds. With the nondimensional similarity of such profiles established, the large differences in the critical speeds of these nose inlets must be a function of their proportions. An investigation was undertaken in the Langley 8-foot high-speed tunnel to establish the effects of nose-inlet proportions on critical Mach number and to develop a rational method for the design of high-critical-speed nose inlets to meet desired requirements."
- An Experimental Investigation of Rectangular Exhaust-Gas Ejectors Applicable for Engine Cooling
- Report presenting an experimental investigation of rectangular exhaust-gas ejector pump to provide data that would serve as a guide to the design of ejector applications for aircraft engines with marginal cooling. With a decrease in the quantity of air pumped and an increase in the length of an ejector, the ejector pressure rise increases to optimum values. Results regarding straight ejectors, diffuser ejectors, curved ejectors, ejector aspect ratio, divided ejectors, multistage ejectors, and nozzle-exit effects are provided.
- Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the Effects of Spoilers on the Characteristics of a Low-Drag Airfoil Equipped With a 0.25-Chord Slotted Flap
- Report discussing the effects of circular-arc spoilers on the section characteristics of an NACA 66,2-216 airfoil with a 0.25-chord slotted flap. Spoilers were tested on the upper surface of the airfoil, on the lower surface, and on both simultaneously. Only the simultaneous placement of spoilers was found to provide satisfactory results as a lateral control device.
- An Investigation of a Thermal Ice-Prevention System for a C-46 Cargo Airplane 5: Effect of Thermal System on Airplane Cruise Performance
- Report presenting flight tests conducted to evaluate the effect of a thermal ice prevention system on the aerodynamic performance of a C-46 cargo airplane. The installation of the thermal ice-prevention system was found to reduce the indicated airspeed by about 6 miles per hour. Results regarding the overall performance change resulting from the installation of the thermal system, reduction of power attributed to heat-exchanger exhaust-gas back pressure, reduction of power attributed to the internal and external drag of the thermal system, and the additional airplane gross weight attributed to the thermal system are provided.
- On the Flow of a Compressible Fluid by the Hodography Method 1: Unification and Extension of Present-Day Results
- Report presenting elementary basic solutions of the equations of motion of a compressible fluid in the hodograph variables are developed and used to provide a basis for comparison in the form of velocity correction formulas, of corresponding compressible and incompressible flows.
- A Concise Theoretical Method for Profile-Drag Calculation; Advance Report
- In this report a method is presented for the calculation of the profile drag of airfoil sections. The method requlres only a knowledge of the theoretical velocity distribution and can be applied readily once this dlstribution is ascertained. Comparison of calculated and experimental drag characteristics for several airfoils shows a satisfactory agreement. Sample calculatlons are included.
- An Investigation of a Thermal Ice-Prevention System for a C-46 Cargo Airplane 3: Description of Thermal Ice-Prevention Equipment for Wings, Empennage, and Windshield
- Report presenting an investigation of a thermal ice-prevention system for a Curtiss-Wright C-46 airplane, including the equipment for the wings, empennage, and windshield. The report is the third in a series and focuses on the revisions to the components for thermal ice prevention, the temperature- and pressure-measurement equipment installed in the airplane to determine the performance of the system, and the results of static-load structural tests of a specimen of the wing outer-panel leading edge.
- The Lagrangian Multiplier Method of Finding Upper and Lower Limits to Critical Stresses of Clamped Plates
- "The theory of Lagrangian multipliers is applied to the problem of finding both upper and lower limits to the true compressive buckling stress of a clamped rectangular plate. The upper and lower limits thus bracket the truss, which cannot be exactly found by the differential-equation approach. The procedure for obtaining the upper limit, which is believed to be new, presents certain advantages over the classical Raleigh-Rite method of finding upper limits" (p. 1).
- Flight Measurements of the Effect of Various Amounts of Aileron Droop on the Low-Speed Lateral-Control Characteristics of an Observation Airplane
- Report presenting tests of the low-speed lateral-control characteristics of an observation airplane with ailerons and spoilers in combination and with the spoilers disconnected and the ailerons used alone with various amounts of droop. The results indicated that in unstalled flight at low speeds and with flaps deflected, little or no aerodynamic benefit was derived by changing the lateral-control system from the aileron and spoiler combination to a normal aileron installation either with or without aileron droop.
- An Investigation of a Thermal Ice-Prevention System for a C-46 Cargo Airplane 4: Results of Flight Tests in Dry-Air and Natural-Icing Conditions
- Report presenting an investigation of a thermal ice-prevention system for a C-46 cargo airplane, which involved flight tests in dry-air and natural-icing conditions at two different laboratories. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the effectiveness of the C-46 airplane ice-prevention system and to continue the develop of thermal ice-prevention equipment. Results regarding the wing outer panel, wing tips, wing center panel, horizontal stabilizers, vertical fin, windshields, ice-removal tests, unprotected surfaces, and heat exchangers are provided.
- Determination of General Relations for the Behavior of Turbulent Boundary Layers
- Report presenting an analysis of data for turbulent boundary layers along wings and bodies of various shapes in order to determine the fundamental variables that control the development of turbulent boundary layers. Results indicate that the type of velocity distribution in the boundary layer could be expressed in terms of a single parameter.
- Analysis of Heat and Compressibility Effects in Internal Flow Systems and High-Speed Tests of a Ram-Jet System
- Report presenting an analysis of the effects of heat and compressibility in the flow through the internal systems of aircraft. Equations and charts are developed whereby the flow characteristics at key stations in a typical internal system may be readily obtained.
- Flight Studies of the Horizontal-Tail Loads Experienced by a Fighter Airplane in Abrupt Maneuvers
- Report presenting flight measurements made on a modern pursuit airplane to determine the approximate magnitude of the horizontal tail loads in accelerated flight. Pressures at a few points were used as an index of the tail loads by correlating these pressures with complete pressure-distribution data obtained in the NACA full-scale tunnel.
- The Use of Geared Spring Tabs for Elevator Control
- Report discussing the use of two types of geared spring tabs for elevator control: ordinary (or ungeared) spring tabs and geared spring tabs. Their use in airplanes of various sizes and in comparison to conventional control systems is described.
- A general representation for axial-flow fans and turbines
- From Summary: "A general representation of fan and turbine arrangements on a single classification chart is presented which is made possible by a particular definition of the stage of an axial-flow fan or turbine. Several unconventional fan and turbine arrangements are indicated and the applications of these arrangements are discussed."
- An Investigation of a Thermal Ice-Prevention System for a C-46 Cargo Airplane 6: Dry-Air Performance of Thermal System at Several Twin- and Single-Engine Operating Conditions at Various Altitudes
- Report presenting flight tests to establish the dry-air-performance characteristics of a thermal ice-prevention system at various operating conditions and altitudes. Results regarding twin-engine tests and single-engine tests of characteristics such as skin temperatures and location of heating are provided.
- An Investigation of Aircraft Heaters 9: Measured and Predicted Performance of Two Exhaust Gas-Air Heat Exchangers and an Apparatus for Evaluating Exhaust Gas-Air Heat Exchangers
- Report presenting laboratory testing to determine the thermal output and pressure drop characteristics of the Airesearch and Solar fluted-type exhaust gas-air heat exchangers. The apparatus used in these tests consisted of a natural gas furnace of 3,000,000 Btu per hour thermal capacity, a centrifugal blower, and a system of ducting and various measuring devices. Results regarding the method of analysis, the Airesearch heat exchanger tests, the solar heat exchanger tests, and a comparison of the two heat exchangers are provided.
- Performance of an exhaust-gas "blowdown" turbine on a nine-cylinder radial engine
- Report presenting tests on an exhaust-gas turbine with four separate nozzle boxes each covering a 90 degree arc of the nozzle diaphragm and each connected to a pair of adjacent cylinders in a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-12 nine-cylinder radial engine. Results regarding the power output of the engine and turbine, effect of the turbine on engine power, turbine power output and speed characteristics, mean turbine efficiency, effect of the blowdown turbine on exhaust-gas temperature, and condition of the blowdown turbine after tests are provided.
- Thermodynamic Design of Double-Panel, Air-Heated Windshields for Ice Prevention
- Report details the development of design equations for double-panel, air-heated windshields with ice prevention properties. The application of the equations and suggestions for experimental flight testing are described.
- The Flow of a Compressible Fluid Past a Circular Arc Profile
- Report presenting the use of the Ackeret iteration process to obtain higher approximations than that of Prandtl and Glauert for the flow of a compressible fluid past a circular arc profile. The procedure is to expand the velocity potential in a power series of the camber coefficient.
- Compressible potential flow with circulation about a circular cylinder
- Report presenting the potential function for flow, with circulation, of a compressible fluid about a circular cylinder, which is obtained in series form including terms of the order of M(exp 4) where M is the Mach number of the free stream. The equations are used to obtain pressure coefficient as a function of Mach number at a point on the surface of the cylinder for different values of circulation.
- An Investigation of a Thermal Ice-Prevention System for a C-46 Cargo Airplane 2: The Design, Construction, and Preliminary Tests of the Exhaust-Air Heat Exchanger
- Report presenting an investigation of an exhaust-air heat exchanger, which has been designed, constructed, and flight-tested for a C-46 cargo airplane. The primary purpose of the investigation was to provide the C-46 airplane with a satisfactory source of heated air and to continue the development of the heat exchanger as a part of thermal ice-prevention equipment. Results indicated that the required thermal output and desired air-temperature rise have been achieved and that the exchanger is suitable for use in the C-46 airplane.
- The Propeller and Cooling-Air-Flow Characteristics of a Twin-Engine Airplane Model Equipped With NACA D(Sub S)-Type Cowlings and With Propellers of NACA 16-Series Airfoil Sections
- Report presenting an investigation in the 19-foot pressure tunnel to determine the nacelle drag, the cowling-air flow, and the propeller characteristics of a model of a high-performance military airplane. The model is fitted with NACA D(sub S)-type engine cowlings and with propellers embodying NACA 16-series airfoil sections. Results regarding the propeller characteristics, drag and cowling-air flow with the propeller removed, the effect of propeller on flow through cowling, and the influence of cooling requirements on airplane performance are provided.
- Application of Spring Tabs to Elevator Controls
- Report presenting equations for calculating the stick-force characteristics obtained with a spring-tab type of elevator control. The main problems encountered in the design of the satisfactory elevator spring tab are to provide stick forces in the desired range, to maintain the force per g sufficiently constant throughout the speed range, to avoid undesirable "feel" of the control in ground handling, and to prevent flutter.
- On the Flow of a Compressible Fluid by the Hodography Method 2: Fundamental Set of Particular Flow Solutions of the Chaplygin Differential Equation
- Report presenting the utilization of the differential equation of Chaplygin's jet problem to give a systematic development of particular solutions of the hodograph flow equations, which extends the treatment of Chaplygin into the supersonic range and completes the set of particular solutions. The solutions serve to place on a reasonable basis the use of velocity correction formulas for the comparison of incompressible and compressible flows.
- NACA Investigation of a Jet-Propulsion System Applicable to Flight
- "Following a brief history of the NACA investigation of jet-propulsion, a discussion is given of the general investigation and analyses leading to the construction of the jet-propulsion ground-test mock-up. The results of burning experiments and of test measurements designed to allow quantitative flight-performance predictions of the system are presented and correlated with calculations. These calculations are then used to determine the performance of the system on the ground and in the air at various speeds and altitudes under various burning conditions. The application of the system to an experimental airplane is described and some performance predictions for this airplane are made" (p. 1).
- A Method of Estimating the Knock Rating of Hydrocarbon Fuel Blend
- "The usefulness of the knock ratings of pure hydrocarbon compounds would be increased if some reliable method of calculating the knock ratings of fuel blends was known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of developing a method of predicting the knock ratings of fuel blends" (p. 1).
- The effect of altitude on cooling
- Report presenting variables that control the cooling of liquid-cooled and air-cooled engines and then to show by illustrations how either engine may be cooled at any desired altitude. Cooling was found to not be the limiting factor in the design of high-altitude airplanes and was also not found to be a valid reason for selecting either liquid- or air-cooled engines for high-altitude operation.
- The effect of exhaust-stack shape on the design and performance of the individual cylinder exhaust-gas jet-propulsion system
- Report presenting tests on a single-cylinder, air-cooled engine to determine the effect of several different exhaust-stack shapes on the design and performance of the individual cylinder exhaust-gas jet-propulsion systems. Results regarding the effect of nozzle area and stack shape on exhaust-gas jet thrust, effect of nozzle area and stack shape on overall performance for the S-shape, the 90 degree bend, and the 180 degree bend, the effect on the shape on engine power and volumetric efficiency, and the effect of a branched stack on engine power are provided.
- The problem of longitudinal stability and control at high speeds
- Report discussing the difficulty in pulling of high-speed dives, which is primarily due to the effect of compressibility on the lift of the wing. Some of the means described for providing increased longitudinal control include auxiliary flaps and a controllable stabilizer.
- Wind-Tunnel Procedure for Determination of Critical Stability and Control Characteristics of Airplanes
- "This report outlines the flight conditions that are usually critical in determining the design of components of an airplane which affect its stability and control characteristics. The wind-tunnel tests necessary to determine the pertinent data for these conditions are indicated, and the methods of computation used to translate these data into characteristics which define the flying qualities of the airplane are illustrated" (p. 1).
- A method for calculating heat transfer in the laminar flow region of bodies
- Report presenting a practical method for determining the chordwise distribution of the rate of heat transfer from the surface of a wing or body of revolution to air. The method is limited to use to the determination of heat transfer fro the forward section of such bodies when the flow is laminar.
- Calculations of Economy of 18-Cylinder Radial Aircraft Engine With Exhaust-Gas Turbine Geared to the Crankshaft at Cruising Speed
- Report presenting calculations based on dynamometer test-stand data on an 18-cylinder radial engine made to determine the improvement in fuel consumption that can be obtained by gearing an exhaust-gas turbine to the engine crankshaft in order to increase the engine shaft work.
- Nitrided-steel piston rings for engines of high specific power
- Report presenting testing of several designs of nitrided-steel piston rings under variable conditions of output. Testing indicated the importance of good surface finish and conformity of the ring to the bore. Results regarding temperature tests, single-cylinder-engine tests, and multicylinder-engine tests are provided.
- Comparison of Vee-Type and Conventional Tail Surfaces in Combination with Fuselage and Wing in the Variable-Density Tunnel
- "The pitching and the yawing moments of a vee-type and a conventional type of tail surface were measured. The tests were made in the presence of a fuselage and a wing-fuselage combination in such a way as to determine the moments contributed by the tail surfaces" (p. 1).
- Wall interference in a two-dimensional-flow wind tunnel with consideration of the effect of compressibility
- Report presenting tunnel-wall corrections for an airfoil of finite thickness and camber in a two-dimensional-flow wind tunnel. The theory takes account of the effects of the wake of the airfoil and of the compressibility of the fluid and is based on the assumption that the chord of the airfoil is small in comparison with the height of the tunnel. The theoretical results are compared with the small amount of low-speed experimental data available and agreement is seen to be satisfactory, even for relatively large values of the chord-height ratio.
- Notes on the Effect of Surface Distortions on the Drag and Critical Mach Number of Airfoils
- "The effect of two-dimensional bumps and surface waviness on the pressure distribution over airfoils is considered. It is shown that the results of the analysis may be useful in evaluating the effects of accidental or intended surface distortions on the drag and critical Mach number of airfoils" (p. 1).
- The Calculation of Span Load Distributions of Swept-Back Wings
- "Span load distributions of swept-back wings have been calculated. The method used was to replace the wing with a bound vortex at the quarter-chord line and to calculate the downwash due to the system of bound and trailing vortices to conform at the three-quarter-chord line to the slope of the flat-plate wing surface. Results are given for constant-chord and 5:1 tapered plan forms, for sweep-back angles of 0 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees, and for aspect ratios of 3, 6, and 9" (p. 1).
- Derivation of charts for determining the horizontal tail load variation with any elevator motion
- Report presenting equations relating the wing and tail loads are derived for a unit elevator displacement. The equations are converted into a nondimensoinal form and charts are given that can be used to predict wing- and tail-load-increment variation for any type of elevator motion and for degrees of airplane stability.
- Methods of Analyzing Wind-Tunnel Data for Dynamic Flight Conditions
- "The effects of power on the stability and the control characteristics of an airplane are discussed and methods of analysis are given for evaluating certain dynamic characteristics of the airplane that are not directly discernible from wind-tunnel tests alone. Data are presented to show how the characteristics of a model tested in a wind tunnel are affected by power. The response of an airplane to a rolling and a yawing disturbance is discussed, particularly in regard to changes in wing dihedral and fin area" (p. 1).