On a new type of wind tunnel

Abstract

Discussed here is a new type of wind tunnel, its advantages, the difficulties attendant upon its use, and the special methods required for its operation. The main difference between the new type of wind tunnel and the ones now in operation is the use of a different fluid. The idea is to diminish the effect of viscosity If air is compressed, it becomes a fluid with new properties - a fluid that is best suited for reliable and exact tests on models. When air is compressed, its density increases, but its viscosity does not. It is argued that the increase of pressure greatly increases the range and value of wind tunnel tests. Reynolds number, deductions from the Reynolds law, the causes of errors that result in differences between tests on models and actual flights, and the dimensions of a compressed air wind tunnel are covered