Report presenting an investigation of the handling qualities of a fighter airplane that is controlled by a pilot supplying signals to a rate type of automatic control system. The handling qualities were investigated in pull-ups, aileron rolls, aerobatics, rough-air flying, and precision tasks.

From Summary: "A wind-tunnel investigation has been made in the Langley high-speed 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel by use of the transonic-bump technique to study the effectiveness of spoiler-type controls on 9 unswept untapered wings. Full-span spoilers, projected to 7.5 percent wing chord along the 40-, 60-, 80-, and 100-percent wing chord lines, were tested on wings of aspect ratio 1 to 6 at Mach numbers from 0.6 to 1.10. Most of the data are presented without analysis."

Memorandum presenting an investigation of the location of transition from laminar to turbulent flow in the boundary layer on two bodies of revolution at zero angle of attack in a low-turbulence wind tunnel. One body was a prolate spheroid of fineness ratio 9.0 made out of aluminum and the other was a modified prolate spheroid of fineness ratio 7.5 made out of steel and covered with fiberglass and resin.

From Introduction: "The primary purpose of the wing instrumentation was to obtain data for use in design of NACA research missiles; however, it is believed that the wing is representative of typical supersonic designs and that the data will be of general use and interest. Only the wing data are reported herein."

Experimental values of damping in roll at zero angle of attack of the Douglas D-558-II research airplane and its components have been obtained at five different Mach numbers. Large effects of Reynolds number, boundary layer, and wing-incidence angle on the damping in roll were obtained.

From Introduction: "Presented in this report are the basic data obtained from investigation. The data are presented with limited analysis in order to expedite their availability to those concerned with jet-exit-afterbody design."

Memorandum presenting a high-flow sonic-inlet compressor rotor employing double-circular-arc blade sections that was designed and tested in Freon-12. Results regarding overall performance, radial distribution, and blade-element performance are provided.

From Summary: "An analysis is given of the oscillating motion of a ballistic missile which upon entering the atmosphere is angularly misaligned with respect to the flight path. The history of the motion for some example missiles is discussed from the point of view of the effect of the motion on the aerodynamic heating and loading. The miss distance at the target due to misalignment and to small accidental trim angles is treated. The stability problem is also discussed for the case where the missile is tumbling prior to atmospheric entry."

Report presenting the aerodynamic heat-transfer properties and zero-lift drag of a typical pilot's canopy as determined by a rocket-model flight test through a range of Mach and Reynolds numbers. The canopy had a 63 degree sweptback flat windshield, circular cross section, and an equivalent body fineness ratio of 7.0. Results regarding the canopy temperature distribution, canopy pressure distribution, heat-transfer coefficient, and drag are provided.

Report presenting a free-flight investigation over a range of Mach numbers at a range of lift coefficients to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of an airplane-configuration model with a 52.5 degree delta wing and a low, swept horizontal tail. Results regarding time history, longitudinal trim, lift, drag, longitudinal static stability, side-force characteristics, and theoretical comparisons are provided.

Report presenting a free-flight investigation to determine the lift, drag, static stability, and hinge-moment characteristics of a rocket-powered model of a ballistic-missile configuration. The purpose of this particular investigation was to determine these characteristics with a long run of boundary layer ahead of small 60 degree delta stabilizing fins.

Report presenting an investigation in the transonic tunnel to determine the characteristics of several flap-type spoiler ailerons, lower-surface deflector ailerons, and spoiler-slot-deflector ailerons. Six-component force and moment data were obtained at a range of Mach numbers and angles of attack.

From Summary: "Lateral-stability flight tests were made over the Mach number range from 0.7 to 1.3 of models of three airplane configurations having 45 degree sweptback wings. One model had a high wing; one, a low wing; and one, a high wing with cathedral. The models were otherwise identical. The lateral oscillations of the models resulting from intermittent yawing disturbances were interpreted in terms of full-scale airplane flying qualities and were further analyzed by the time-vector method to obtain values of the lateral stability derivatives."

"This paper presents the results of an investigation of sting-support interference on afterbody drag at transonic speeds. Stings with varying diameter, cone angle, and cylindrical length were tested at the rear of a model with various afterbody shapes. The data were obtained at an angle of attack of 0 deg. and at Mach numbers from 0.80 to 1.10. It was found that, in general, the addition of a sting caused a drag reduction" (p. 1).

Report presenting an investigation to determine the reduction in minimum drag that could be obtained at supersonic speeds by redesigning the fuselage and reducing the wing and tail thickness of a modified delta-wing fighter-type airplane. Results regarding the mass-flow ratio, total-pressure recovery, and drag are provided.

A Mach number measured in the subsonic diffuser was used experimentally as the inlet control parameter of a bypass control system for an axisymmetric supersonic inlet operated in combination with a J34 turbo-jet engine at Mach numbers from 1.6 to 2.0. The control maintained the inlet in either critical or supercritical operation, and, when set for critical diffuser operation, the control recovered from disturbances that placed the inlet in both subcritical buzz and supercritical operation. A slotted-rake orifice gave a more representative value of subsonic diffuser Mach number than the single total-pressure probe used as a control input.

Report presenting wing buffeting data obtained from a flight loads investigation of two jet-propelled swept-wing airplanes to study the effects of Mach number and reduced frequency on the wing buffet loads. Consistent trends were noted between the flight testing and wind-tunnel testing that the results of this particular test were compared with. Results regarding variation with penetration and dynamic pressure, variation with Mach number and reduced frequency, and estimation of wing buffet loads are provided.

Descriptions of the geology of Peru

A report discussing a geologic reconnaissance of a section of the Kaiparowits Plateau region of Utah was conducted to evaluate the uranium potential of the area.

The ORNL Graphite Reactor operated very well during 1955. The downtime was low, only 8.6%. The fuel in the bonded slugs did not perform as well in 1955 as in 1954. Much of the trouble was undoubtedly due to growth of slugs which were not beta-transformed. It is known that some slugs had grown over 1/2 in. The automatic central system installed in 1954 continued to operate satisfactorily. The cooling system gave minor trouble when one of the 900-hp fan meters had to be replaced because of shorts in the rotor. The high radiation in the canal was the largest source of trouble. Approximately 55 tons of slugs discharged from the reactor in 1952 was sent to the Metal Recovery Plant. Enough slugs had raptured, due to their long exposure in the canal and reactor, to badly contaminate of water. Most of the contamination was removed by the end of the year, but the radioactivity which had soaked into the canal wells was enough to give high radiation fields. A solution to this problem was being sought at the end of the year. A study is under way on the possibility of increasing the flux of the ORNL Graphite Reactor …

Progress report of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project providing updates on various projects, experiments, and other work. This report includes summaries of project activities in: aircraft reactor test design, ART physics, ART instruments and controls, component development and testing, procurement and construction, ART, ETU, and in-pile loop operations, phase equilibrium studies, chemical reactions in molten salts, physical properties of molten materials, production of fuels, compatibility of materials at high temperatures, chemistry, analytical chemistry, metallurgy, dynamic corrosion studies, general corrosion studies, fabrication research, welding and brazing investigations, mechanical properties studies, ceramic research, nondestructive testing studies, heat transfer and physical properties, radiation damage, fuel recovery and reprocessing, critical experiments.

None

Monthly newsletter of the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, discussing the field of underground water. Topics include profiles of water conservation research, annual pre-plant soil moisture survey data, annual Winter Water Level measurement data, and information about the latest water conservation tips.

Second part of the annual report of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts documenting financial records related to tax collection and tax rates assessed by the office during fiscal year 1956.