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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
open access

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.
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Wind-Tunnel Investigation of an N.A.C.A. 23012 Airfoil with a Slotted Flap and Three Types of Auxiliary Flap

Description: An investigation was made in the N.A.C.A. 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel to determine the aerodynamic section characteristics of an N.A.C.A. 23012 airfoil with a single main slotted flap equipped successively with auxiliary flaps of the plain, split, and slotted types. A test installation was used in which an airfoil of 7-foot span was mounted vertically between the upper and the lower sides of the closed test section so that two-dimensional flow was approximated" (p. 699).
Date: October 31, 1938
Creator: Wenzinger, Carl J. & Gauvain, William E.
open access

Auto-Ignition and Combustion of Diesel Fuel in a Constant-Volume Bomb

Description: Report presents the results of a study of variations in ignition lag and combustion associated with changes in air temperature and density for a diesel fuel in a constant-volume bomb. The test results have been discussed in terms of engine performance wherever comparisons could be drawn. The most important conclusions drawn from this investigation are: the ignition lag was essentially independent of the injected fuel quantity. Extrapolation of the curves for the fuel used shows that the lag cou… more
Date: October 5, 1937
Creator: Selden, Robert F.
open access

Comparative Flight and Full-Scale Wind-Tunnel Measurements of the Maximum Lift of an Airplane

Description: "Determinations of the power-off maximum lift of a Fairchild 22 airplane were made in the NACA full-scale wind tunnel and in flight. The results from the two types of test were in satisfactory agreement. It was found that, when the airplane was rotated positively in pitch through the angle of stall at rates of the order of 0.1 degree per second, the maximum lift coefficient was considerably higher than that obtained in the standard tests, in which the forces are measured with the angles of atta… more
Date: October 26, 1937
Creator: Silverstein, Abe; Katzoff, S. & Hootman, James A.
open access

Drag of Cylinders of Simple Shapes

Description: "In order to determine the effect of shape, compressibility, and Reynolds number on the drag and critical speed for simple forms, the drag forces on models of various simple geometric cross sections were measured in the NACA 11-inch high-speed wind tunnel. The models were circular, semitubular, elliptical, square, and triangular (isosceles) cylinders. They were tested over a speed range from 5 percent of the speed of sound to a value in excess of the critical speed, corresponding, for each mode… more
Date: October 27, 1937
Creator: Lindsey, W. F.
open access

The Transition Phase in the Take-Off of an Airplane

Description: Report presents the results of an investigation to determine the character and importance of the transition phase between the ground run and steady climb in the take-off of an airplane and the effects of various factors on this phase and on the air-borne part of the take-off as a whole. The information was obtained from a series of step-by-step integrations, which defined the motion of the airplane during the transition and which were based on data derived from actual take-off tests of a Vervil… more
Date: October 26, 1937
Creator: Wetmore, J. W.
open access

A Flight Comparison of Conventional Ailerons on a Rectangular Wing and of Conventional and Floating Wing-Tip Ailerons on a Tapered Wing

Description: Report presents the results of flight tests comparing the relative effectiveness of conventional ailerons of the same size on wings of rectangular and tapered plan forms made with a Fairchild 22 airplane. Information is included comparing conventional and floating wing-tip ailerons on a tapered wing. The results showed that the conventional ailerons were somewhat more effective on the tapered than on the rectangular wing. The difference, however, was so small as to be imperceptible to the pilot… more
Date: October 27, 1937
Creator: Soulé, H. A. & Gracey, W.
open access

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Ordinary and Split Flaps on Airfoils of Different Profile

Description: Report presents the results of wind tunnel tests of the Clark Y, the NACA 23012 and the NACA 23021 airfoils equipped with full-span ordinary flaps and with full-span simple split flaps. The principal object of the tests was to determine the characteristics of the airfoils with ordinary flaps and in addition, to determine the relative merits of the various airfoils when equipped with either ordinary flaps or with simple split flaps. The Clark Y airfoil was tested with 3 widths of ordinary flap, … more
Date: October 25, 1935
Creator: Wenzinger, Carl J.
open access

The physical effects of detonation in a closed cylindrical chamber

Description: Detonation in the internal-combustion engine is studied as a physical process. It is shown that detonation is accompanied by pressure waves within the cylinder charge. Sound theory is applied to the calculation of resonant pressure-wave frequencies. Apparatus is described for direct measurement of pressure-wave frequencies. Frequencies determined from two engines of different cylinder sizes are shown to agree with the values calculated from sound theory. An outline of the theoretically possible… more
Date: October 1933
Creator: Draper, C. S.
open access

Experimental investigation of the Robinson-type cup anemometer

Description: This report presents the results of wind tunnel tests on a Robinson-type anemometer. The investigation covered force measurements on individual cups, as well as static and dynamic torque measurements and calibrations on complete cup wheels. In the tests on individual cups 5 cup forms were used and in the measurements on complete cup wheels 4 cup wheels with 3 arm lengths for each cup wheel were tested. All the results are presented in graphical form.
Date: October 10, 1934
Creator: Brevoort, M. J. & Joyner, U. T.
open access

Full-scale wind-tunnel tests of a PCA-2 autogiro rotor

Description: This report presents the results of force tests on and air-flow surveys near PCA-2 autogiro rotor in the NACA full-scale wind tunnel. The force tests were made at three pitch settings and several rotor speeds; the effect of fairing protuberances on the rotor blade was determined. Induced downwash and yaw angles were determined at low tip-speed ratios in a plane 1 1/2 feet above the path of the blade tips. The results show that the maximum l/d of the rotor cannot be appreciably increased by incr… more
Date: October 12, 1934
Creator: Wheatley, John B. & Hood, Manley J.
open access

The Measurement of the Field of View From Airplane Cockpits

Description: "A method has been devised for the angular measurement and graphic portrayal of the view obtained from the pilot's cockpit of an airplane. The assumption upon which the method is based and a description of the instrument, designated a "visiometer", used in the measurement are given. Account is taken of the fact that the pilot has two eyes and two separate sources of vision. The view is represented on charts using an equal-area polar projection, a description and proof of which are given" (p. 16… more
Date: October 3, 1934
Creator: Gough, Melvin N.
open access

Wing Characteristics as Affected by Protuberances of Short Span

Description: "The drag and interference caused by short-span protuberances from the surface of an airfoil have been investigated in the NACA variable-density wind tunnel at a Reynolds number of approximately 3,100,000, based on the chord length of the airfoil. The effects of variations of protuberance span length, span position, and shape were measured by determining how the wing characteristics were affected by the addition of the various protuberances" (p. 155).
Date: October 24, 1932
Creator: Jacobs, Eastman N. & Sherman, Albert
open access

The Elimination of Fire Hazard Due to Back Fires

Description: "A critical study was made of the operation of a type of back-fire arrester used to reduce the fire hazard of aircraft engines. A flame arrester consisting of a pack or plug of alternate flat and corrugated plates of thin metal was installed in the intake pipe of a gasoline engines; an auxiliary spark plug inserted in the intake manifold permitted the production of artificial back fires at will. It was found possible to design a plug which prevented all back fires from reaching the carburetor" … more
Date: October 13, 1931
Creator: Theodorsen, Theodore & Freeman, Ira M.
open access

The Theory of Wind-Tunnel Wall Interference

Description: This report outlines the development of a general theory for the calculation of the effect of the boundaries of the air stream on the flow past an airfoil. Analytical treatments are given for tunnels with horizontal boundaries only, with vertical boundaries only, and with a bottom boundary only. Formulas are developed for the tunnel wall interference in each case for an airfoil located at the center of the tunnel. The correction is given as a function of the width to height ratio of the tunnel.
Date: October 9, 1931
Creator: Theodorsen, Theodore
open access

Pressure distribution tests on a series of Clark Y biplane cellules with special reference to stability

Description: "The pressure distribution data discussed in this report represents the results of part of an investigation conducted on the factors affecting the aerodynamic safety of airplanes. The present tests were made on semispan, circular-tipped Clark Y airfoil models mounted in the conventional manner on a separation plane. Pressure readings were made simultaneously at all test orifices at each of 20 angles of attack between -8 degrees and +90 degrees. The results of the tests on each wing arrangement … more
Date: October 15, 1931
Creator: Noyes, Richard W.
open access

Present Status of Aircraft Instruments

Description: This report gives a brief description of the present state of development and of the performance characteristics of instruments included in the following group: speed instruments, altitude instruments, navigation instruments, power-plant instruments, oxygen instruments, instruments for aerial photography, fog-flying instruments, general problems, summary of instrument and research problems. The items considered under performance include sensitivity, scale errors, effects of temperature and pres… more
Date: October 9, 1930
Creator: Subcommittee on Instruments
open access

A method of flight measurement of spins

Description: A method is described involving the use of recording turn meters and accelerometers and a sensitive altimeter, by means of which all of the physical quantities necessary for the complete determination of the flight path, motion, attitude, forces, and couples of a fully developed spin can be obtained in flight. Data are given for several spins of two training type airplanes which indicate that the accuracy of the results obtained with the method is satisfactory.
Date: October 7, 1930
Creator: Soulé, Hartley A. & Scudder, Nathan F.
open access

Comparison of full-scale propellers having R.A.F.-6 and Clark Y airfoil sections

Description: In this report the efficiencies of two series of propellers having two types of blade sections are compared. Six full-scale propellers were used, three having R. A. F.-6 and three Clark Y airfoil sections with thickness/chord ratios of 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10. The propellers were tested at five pitch setting, which covered the range ordinarily used in practice. The propellers having the Clark Y sections gave the highest peak efficiency at the low pitch settings. At the high pitch settings, the pro… more
Date: October 8, 1930
Creator: Freeman, Hugh B.
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Static, Drop, and Flight Tests on Musselman Type Airwheels

Description: The purpose of this investigation was to obtain quantitative information on the shock-reducing and energy-dissipating qualities of a set of 30 by 13-6 Musselman type airwheels. The investigation consisted of static, drop, and flight tests. The static tests were made with inflation pressures of approximately 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 pounds per square inch and loadings up to 9,600 pounds.
Date: October 8, 1930
Creator: Peck, William C. & Beard, Albert P.
open access

Elastic Instability of Members Having Sections Common in Aircraft Construction

Description: "Two fundamental problems of elastic stability are discussed in this report. In part one formulas are given for calculating the critical stress at which a thin, outstanding flange of a compression member will either wrinkle into several waves or form into a single half wave and twist the member about its longitudinal axis. In part two the lateral buckling of beams is discussed" (p. 373).
Date: October 15, 1930
Creator: Trayer, George W. & March, H. W.
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