Strength Tests on Thin-walled Duralumin Cylinders in Torsion

This report is the first of a series presenting the results of strength tests on thin-walled cylinders and truncated cones of circular and elliptical section; it comprises the results obtained to date from torsion (pure shear) tests on 65 thin-walled duralumin cylinders of circular section with ends clamped to rigid bulkheads. The effect of variations in the length/radius and radius/thickness ratios on the type of failure is indicated, and a semi-empirical equation for the shearing stress at maximum load is given

The compressive strength of duralumin columns of equal angle section

This report presents a chart giving the compressive strength of duralumin columns of equal angle section. The data used in the construction of the chart were obtained from various published sources and were correlated with theory in the range where secondary failure occurred. Appendices are included giving excerpts from Army and Navy specifications for duralumin and approximate formulas for the properties of the equal angle section

Comparison of Three Methods for Calculating the Compressive Strength of Flat and Slightly Curved Sheet and Stiffener Combinations

This report gives a comparison of the accuracy of the three methods for calculating the compressive strength of flat sheet and stiffener combinations such as occur in stressed-skin or monocoque structures for aircraft. Of the three methods based upon various assumptions with regard to the interaction of sheet and stiffener, the method based upon mutual action of the stiffener and an effective width as a column gave the best agreement with the results of the tests. An investigation of the effect of small curvature resulted in the conclusion that the compressive strength of the curved panels is, for all practical purposes, equal to the strength of flat panels except for thick sheet where non-uniform curvature throughout the length may cause the strength of the curved panel to be 10 to 15 percent less than that of a corresponding flat panel

Use of altimetry data in a sampling-function approach to the geoid

Problems associated with using an altimetry sampling function approach to the geoid are examined. They include: (1) conventent mathematical representation of short-wavelength (eventually approximately 1 deg) features of the geoid or geopotential, (2) utilization of detailed data from only part of the globe (i.e., the oceans) (3) application of appropriate formalism to relate the sea-level equipotential below the atmospheric mass to the external potential above the atmosphere, (4) mathematical applicability of an adopted geopotential representation on the surface of the physical geoid

The pressure distribution over a semicircular wing tip on an airplane in flight

This note presents the results of flight pressure distribution tests on the right upper wing panel of a Douglas M-3 airplane equipped with a semicircular wing tip. The results are given in tables and curves in such form that the load distribution for any force coefficient within the usual range encountered in flight may easily be determined

Strength Tests on Paper Cylinder in Compression, Bending and Shear

Static tests on paper cylinders were conducted at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory at Langley Field, Virginia, to obtain qualitative information in connection with a study of the strength of stressed-skin fuselages. The effects of radius-thickness ratio and bulkhead spacing were investigated with the cylinders in compression, bending, combined bending and shear, and torsion

The pressure distribution over a modified elliptical wing tip on a biplane in flight

This note presents the results of flight pressure-distribution tests on the right upper wing panel of a Douglas M-3 airplane equipped with a modified elliptical tip having a slight amount of washout. The results are given in tables and curves in such form that the load distribution for any normal force coefficient within the usual range encountered in flight may be determined

Strength Tests of Thin-walled Duralumin Cylinders of Elliptic Section

This report is the fifth of a series presenting the results of strength tests of thin-walled cylinders and truncated cones of circular and elliptic section; it includes the results obtained from torsion tests on 30 cylinders, pure bending tests on 30 cylinders, and combined transverse shear and bending tests on 60 cylinders. All the cylinders tested were elliptic section with the ends clamped to rigid bulkheads. In the pure bending and combined transverse shear and bending tests the loads were applied in the plane of the major axis. The results of the tests on elliptic cylinders are correlated with the results of corresponding tests on circular cylinders and are presented in charts suitable for use in design

The pressure distribution over a square wing tip on a biplane in flight

This note presents the results obtained in pressure distribution tests on the right upper panel of a Douglas M-3 airplane in flight. These tests are a part of an extensive investigation on the effect of changes in tip shape on the load distribution

Preliminary Study of Applied Load Factors in Bumpy Air

Theoretical relations involved in the study are reviewed to furnish a basis upon which experimental data can be properly analyzed. The structure of the atmosphere in relation to the load-factor problem is briefly discussed, and the acceleration data obtained on a number of flights with various airplanes are presented and analyzed to the extent that the results are applicable to n=any airplane