Pressure Distribution on a Slotted R.A.F. 31 Airfoil in the Variable Density Wind Tunnel

Measurements were made in the variable density wind tunnel to determine the pressure distribution over one section of a R.A.F. 31 airfoil with a leading edge slot fully open. To provide data for the study of scale effect on this type of airfoil, the tests were conducted with air densities of approximately one and twenty atmospheres

The Drag and Interference of a Nacelle in the Presence of a Wing

A wing interference investigation was conducted to determine why the N.A.C.A. cowling did not yield the expected increase in speed when adapted to the outboard nacelles of trimotored airplanes

Experiments with a Model Water Tunnel

This report describes a model water tunnel built in 1928 by the NACA to investigate the possibility of using water tunnels for aerodynamic investigations at large scales. The model tunnel is similar to an open-throat wind tunnel, but uses water for the working fluid

Tests on Thrust Augmenters for Jet Propulsion

This series of tests was undertaken to determine how much the reaction thrust of a jet could be increased by the use of thrust augmenters and thus to give some indication as to the feasibility of jet propulsion for airplanes. The tests were made during the first part of 1927 at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. A compressed air jet was used in connection with a series of annular guides surrounding the jet to act as thrust augmenters. The results show that, although it is possible to increase the thrust of a jet, the increase is not large enough to affect greatly the status of the problem of the application of jet propulsion to airplanes

Tests of N.A.C.A. airfoils in the variable-density wind tunnel Series 230.

The results of tests of six airfoils having the N.A.C.A. 230 mean line and varying in thickness from 0.06c to 0.21c are presented. These results agree with previous findings in showing that aerodynamically the best section is one of moderate thickness. The data are of value mainly in connection with the design of tapered wings having sections based on the N.A.C.A. 230 mean line

Tests of N.A.C.A. airfoils in the variable-density wind tunnel Series 24

This note is the fifth of a series covering an investigation of a number of related airfoils. It presents the results obtained from tests of a group of six low-cambered airfoils in the variable-density wind tunnel. The mean camber lines are identical for the six airfoils and are of such a form that the maximum mean camber is 2 per cent of the chord and is at a position 0.4 of the chord behind the loading edge. The airfoils differ in thickness only, the maximum-thickness/chord ratios being 0.06, 0.09, 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, and 0.21. The results have been presented in the form of both infinite and finite aspect-ratio characteristics. The values of C(sub L) max/C(sub d) degrees min for this group of airfoils are among the highest thus far obtained, the minimum profile drags being approximately equal to those for the symmetrical series of corresponding thickness, while the maximum lift coefficients are considerably higher

Correction of Profile-Drag Results from Variable-Density Tunnel and the Effect on the Choice of Wing-Section Thickness

Profile-drag coefficients published from tests in the N.A.C.A. variable-density tunnel (Technical Reports Nos. 460, 537, 586, and 610, references 1 to 4) have tended to appear high as compared with results from the N.A.C.A. full-scale tunnel (Technical Report No. 530, reference 5) and from foreign sources (references 6 to 8). Such discrepancies were considered in Technical Report No. 586, and corrections for turbulence and tip effects were derived that tended to reduce the profile-drag coefficients, particularly for the thicker airfoils. The corrected profile-drag coefficients, designated by the lower-case symbol cdo as contrasted with the older CDO, have been employed in the airfoil reports published since Technical Report No. 460, but even these corrected results continued to appear high, particularly for the thicker sections. The important practical result is that a smaller increase of drag with airfoil thickness is indicated, which may be of primary importance to the airplane designer in choosing the optimum airfoil sections for actual wings. Further investigations of this subject were, of course, undertaken, one of the most important being an investigation of three symmetrical sections N.A.C A. 0009, 0012, and 0018 under conditions of low turbulence in the full-scale tunnel. Preliminary results from this investigation also indicate a smaller increase in drag with airfoil thickness than the results from the variable-density tunnel. Furthermore, comparative tests made in the two tunnels by applying strings to the surface of the N.A.C.A. 0012 airfoil to move the transition point to a predetermined position indicated that the effective reynolds Number concept would account approximately for the drag as affected by the position of transition from laminar to turbulent flow in the boundary layer

Preliminary Report on Laminar-Flow Airfoils and New Methods Adopted for Airfoil and Boundary-Layer Investigations

Recent developments in airfoil-testing methods and fundamental air-flow investigations, as applied to airfoils, are discussed. Preliminary test results, obtained under conditions relatively free from stream turbulence and other disturbances, are presented. Suitable airfoils and airfoil-design principles were developed to take advantage of the unusually extensive laminar boundary layers that may be maintained under the improved testing conditions. The results are of interest mainly in range of below 6,000,000

Characteristics of two sharp-nosed airfoils having reduced spinning tendencies

According to Mr. L.D. Bell, of the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, certain undesirable spinning characteristics of a commercial airplane were eliminated by the addition of a filler to the forward part of the wing to give it a sharp leading edge. To ascertain what aerodynamic effects result from such a change of section, two airfoils having sharp leading edges were tested in the variable-density wind tunnel. Both sections were derived by modifying the Gott. 398. The tests, which were made at a large value of the Reynolds Number, were carried to very large angles of attack to provide data for application to flight at angles of attack well beyond the stall. The characteristics of the sharp-nosed airfoils are compared with those of the normal Gott. 398 airfoil. Both of the sharp-nosed airfoils, which differ in the angle between the upper and lower surfaces at the leading edge, have about the same characteristics. As compared with the normal airfoil, the maximum lift is reduced by approximately 26 per cent, but the objectionable rapidly decreasing lift with angle of attack beyond the stall is eliminated; the profile drag of the section is slightly reduced in the range of the lift coefficient between 0.2 and 0.85, but at higher and lower lift coefficients the drag is increased

Sphere drag tests in the variable density wind tunnel

The air forces on a twenty-centimeter sphere were measured after it had been rebuilt as an open throat type. The results from tests made at widely different densities and airspeeds and also on a smaller sphere are given