Tests were made in the NACA two-dimensional low turbulence pressure tunnel of a highly cambered low-drag airfoil (NACA 65,3-618) with a plain flap designed for lift control. The results indicate that such a combination offers attractive possibilities for obtaining low profile-drag coefficients over a wide range of lift coefficients without large reductions of critical speed.

Report discusses the results of an experimental investigation of two low-drag wing-nacelle units suitable for use with pusher propellers. The benefits of adding a nacelle to the wing are detailed.

The development of the laminar boundary layer in a compressible fluid is considered. Formulas are given for determining the boundary-layer thickness and the ratio of the boundary-layer Reynolds number to the body Reynolds number for airfoils and bodies of revolution. It is shown that the effect of compressibility will profoundly alter the Reynolds number corresponding to the upper limit of the range of the low-drag coefficients.

At the request of the Materiel Division of the Army Air Corps, seven tapered wings having sections based on the N.A,C.A. 230 mean line were tested in the variable-density wind tunnel, The characteristics of the wings are given.

"Various transparent organic plastics, including both commercially available and experimental materials, have been examined to determine their suitability for use as flexible windshields on aircraft, The properties which have been studied include light transmission, haziness, distortion, resistance to weathering, scratch and indentation hardness, impact strength, dimensional stability, resistance to water and various cleaning fluids, bursting strength at normal and low temperatures, and flammability" (p. 1).

This supplement to a NACA study issued in May 1937 entitled "A Study of Transparent Plastics for Use on Aircraft", contains two tables. These tables contain data on bursting strengths of plastics, particularly at low temperatures. Table 1 contains the values reported in a table of the original memorandum, and additional values obtained at approximately 25 C, for three samples of Acrylate resin. The second table contains data obtained for the bursting strength when one surface of the plastic was cooled to approximately -35 C.

Determinations of boundary-layer transition on the NACA 0012 and 2301 airfoils were made in the 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel over a range of Reynolds Numbers from 1,600,000 to 16,800,000. The results are of particular significance as compared with flight tests and tests in wind tunnels of appreciable turbulence because of the extremely low turbulence in the high-speed tunnel. A comparison of the results obtained on NACA 0012 airfoils of 2-foot and 5-foot chord at the same Reynolds Number permitted an evaluation of the effect of compressibility on transition.

"Force tests were made of a 1/8-scale model of a twin-engine low-wing transport airplane in the NACA 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel to investigate compressibility and interference effects at speeds up to 450 miles per hour. In addition to tests of the standard arrangement of the model tests were made with several modifications designed to reduce the drag and to increase the critical speed. The results show serious increases in drag at critical speeds below 450 miles per hour due to the occurrence of compressibility burbles on the standard radial-engine cowlings, on sections of the wing as a result of wing-nacelle interference, and on the semi-retracted main landing wheels" (p. 1).

Report discusses the design of a cooling system developed for a Pratt & Whitney H-2800 engine equipped with a two-stage supercharger. The wing-duct system was newly developed and was determined to be a valuable method for cooling engine auxiliaries by combining simplicity with low drag and excellent cooling capabilities.

"The relative efficiencies of various engine-propeller combinations were the subject of a study that covered the important flight conditions, particularly the take-off. Design charts that graphically correlate the various propeller parameters were prepared to facilitate the solution of problems and also to clarify the conception of the relationships of the various engine-propeller design factors. It is shown that, among the many methods for improving the take-off thrust, the use of high-pitch, large-diameter controllable propellers turning at low rotational speeds is probably the most generally promising" (p. 1).

"Test of 10-foot diameter, 4- and 6-blade single- and dual-rotating propellers were conducted in the 20-foot propeller-research tunnel. The propellers were mounted at the front end of a streamline body incorporating spinners to house the hub portions. The effect of a symmetrical wing mounted in the slipstream was investigated. The blade angles investigated ranged from 20 degrees to 65 degrees; the latter setting corresponds to airplane speeds of over 500 miles per hour" (p. 1).

"A preliminary investigation of a number of duct entrances of rectangular shape installed in the leading edge of a wing was conducted in the NACA 20-foot tunnel to determine the external drag, the available pressure, the critical Mach numbers, and the effect on the maximum lift. The results showed that the most satisfactory entrances, which had practically no effect on the wing characteristics, had their lips approximately in the vertical plane of the leading edge of the wing" (p. 1).

"Wind-tunnel tests were conducted on a model wing-nacelle combination to determine the practicability of cooling radial engines by forcing the cooling air into wing-duct entrances located in the propeller slipstream, passing the air through the engine baffles from rear to front, and ejecting the air through an annular slot near the front of the nacelle. The drag of the cowlings tested was definitely less than for the conventional N.A.C.A. cowling, and the pressure available at low air speed corresponding to operation on the ground and at low flying speeds was apparently sufficient for cooling most present-day radial engines" (p. 1).

"This paper is one of several dealing with methods intended to reduce the drag of present-day radial engine installations and improve the cooling at zero and low air speeds. The present paper describes model wind-tunnel tests of blowers of three designs tested in conjunction with a wing-nacelle combination. The principle of operation involved consists of drawing cooling air into ducts located in the wing root at the point of maximum slipstream velocity, passing the air through the engine baffles from rear to front, and exhausting the air through an annular slot located between the propeller and the engine with the aid of a blower mounted on the spinner" (p. 1).

"Two cowling systems intended to reduce the drag and improve the low-speed cooling characteristics of conventional radial engine cowlings were tested in model form to determine the practicability of the methods. One cowling included a blower mounted on the rear face of a large propeller spinner which drew cooling air in through side entrance ducts located behind the equivalent engine orifice plate. The air was passed through the equivalent engine orifice plate from rear to front and out through a slot between the spinner and the engine plate" (p. 1).

"Wind-tunnel tests of several propeller, cuff, and spinner combinations were conducted in the 20 foot propeller-research tunnel. Three propellers, which ranged in diameter from 8.4 to 11.25 feet, were tested at the front end of a streamline body incorporating spinners of two diameters. The tests covered a blade angle range from 20 deg to 65 deg. The effect of spinner diameter and propeller cuffs on the characteristics of one propeller was determined" (p. 1).

"The fundamental principles of fluid flow, pressure losses, and heat transfer have been presented and analyzed for the case of a smooth tube with fully developed turbulent flow. These equations apply to tubes with large length-diameter ratios where the flow is at a high Reynolds Number. The error introduced by using these equations increases as the magnitude of the tube length and the air-flow Reynolds Number approaches the values encountered in modern radiator designs" (p. 1).

"When an airplane is operating at high altitude, it is necessary to use a supercharger to maintain ground pressure at the carburetor inlet. This maintenance and high intake-manifold pressure tends to keep the power output of the engine at ground-level value. The air, being compressed by the supercharger, however, is heated by adiabatic compression and friction to a temperature that seriously affect the performance of the engine. It is thus necessary to use an intercooler to reduce the temperature of the air between the supercharger outlet and the carburetor inlet" (p. 1).

Report discusses the important principles involved in the operation of a baffle for an engine cylinder and how using a correctly designed baffle can improve cooling. The baffle-exit radius and width and exit-duct length were found to be the most important parts of the baffle and a baffle that gave a relatively uniform temperature distribution was designed.

Report discusses the strength of several types of flush-riveted joints, including single-shearing, double-shearing, and tensile specimens. The stress at failure, type of failure, and d/t ratio are provided. Dimpled joints were found to be the strongest, but their strength was heavily influenced by the details of their construction.

"This paper presents a series of tables for the simple and more common types of girders, similar to the tables given in handbooks under the heading "Strength of Materials," for determining the moments, deflections, etc., of simple beams. Instead of the uniform cross section there assumed, the formulas given here apply only to girders of "uniform strength," i.e., it is assumed that a girder is so dimensioned that a given load subjects it to a uniform stress throughout its whole length. This principle is particularly applicable to very strong structures" (p. 1).

"The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics is testing the effectiveness of a method to prevent the formation of ice on airplanes. The system makes use of a leather cover that is attached to the leading edge of the wing. A small tube, attached to the inner surface of the leather, distributes to the leading edge a solution that permeates throughout the leather and inhibits the formation of ice on the surface. About 25 pounds of the liquid per hour would be sufficient to prevent ice from forming on a wing of 50-foot span" (p. 1).

"At the request of the Bureau of Aeronautics, an investigation was conducted in the full-scale wind tunnel of wing installations of .50-caliber machine guns and 20-millimeter cannons. The tests were made to determine the effect of various gun installations on the maximum lift and the high-speed drag of the airplane" (p. 1).

"The pressure distribution on the fuselage of a midwing airplane model was measured in the NACA 8-foot high speed wind tunnel at speeds from 140 to 440 miles per hour for lift coefficients ranging from -0.2 to 1.0. The primary purpose of the tests was to provide data showing the air pressures on various parts of the fuselage for use in structural design. The data may also be used for the design of scoops and vents. The results show that the highest negative pressures occurred near the wing and were more dependent on the wing than on the fuselage" (p. 1).