The Minimum Induced Drag of Aerofoils

Equations are derived to demonstrate which distribution of lifting elements result in a minimum amount of aerodynamic drag. The lifting elements were arranged (1) in one line, (2) parallel lying in a transverse plane, and (3) in any direction in a transverse plane. It was shown that the distribution of lift which causes the least drag is reduced to the solution of the problem for systems of airfoils which are situated in a plane perpendicular to the direction of flight

The Aerodynamic Forces on Airship Hulls

The new method for making computations in connection with the study of rigid airships, which was used in the investigation of Navy's ZR-1 by the special subcommittee of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics appointed for this purpose is presented. The general theory of the air forces on airship hulls of the type mentioned is described and an attempt was made to develop the results from the very fundamentals of mechanics

Remarks on the Pressure Distribution over the Surface of an Ellipsoid, Moving Translationally Through a Perfect Fluid

This note, prepared for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, contains a discussion of the pressure distribution over ellipsoids when in translatory motion through a perfect fluid. An easy and convenient way to determine the magnitude of the velocity and of the pressure at each point of the surface of an ellipsoid of rotation is described. The knowledge of such pressure distribution is of great practical value for the airship designer. The pressure distribution over the nose of an airship hull is known to be in such good agreement with the theoretical distribution as to permit basing the computation of the nose stiffening structure on the theoretical distribution of pressure

Model Tests on the Economy and Effectiveness of Helicopter Propellers

The average velocity of helicopter blades relative to the air is greater than that of airplane wings. The helicopter may turn out to be more economical than the airplane wing for extreme velocities of horizontal flight, the airplane then requiring a very great speed range

Notes on aerodynamic forces II : curvilinear motion

The laws of curvilinear motion are established and the transverse forces on elongated airship hulls along a curved path are investigated

Remarks on the Pressure Distribution over the Surface of an Ellipsoid, Moving Translationally Through a Perfect Fluid

The pressure distribution over ellipsoids when in translatory motion through a perfect fluid is calculated. A method to determine the magnitude of the velocity and of the pressure at each point of the surface of an ellipsoid of rotation is described

Note on the air forces on a wing caused by pitching.

The following contains information on the air forces on a wing produced by it's pitching at a finite rate of angular velocity. The condition of smooth flow at the region of the trailing edge is maintained. The wing then experiences the same lift as if moving with the momentary velocity of the rear edge

Notes on aerodynamic forces 1 : rectilinear motion

The study of the motion of perfect fluids is of paramount importance for the understanding of the chief phenomena occurring in the air surrounding an aircraft, and for the numerical determination of their effects. The author recently successfully employed some simple methods for the investigation of the flow of a perfect fluid that have never been mentioned in connection with aeronautical problems. These methods appeal particularly to the engineer who is untrained in performing laborious mathematical computations, as they do away with these and allow one to obtain many interesting results by the mere application of some general and well-known principles of mechanics. Discussed here are the kinetic energy of moving fluids, the momentum of a body in a perfect fluid, two dimensional flow, three dimensional flow, and the distribution of the transverse forces of very elongated surfaces of revolution

The velocity distribution caused by an airplane at the points of a vertical plane containing the span

A formula for the computation of the vertical velocity component on all sides of an airplane is deduced and discussed. The formation is of value for the interpretation of such free flight tests where two airplanes fly alongside each other to facilitate observation