Report discussing an investigation of the dynamic stability and control characteristics of a model of the Ryan X-13 jet VTOL airplane in hovering and transition flight. Flight control was smooth and easy without the gyroscopic effects of the engine represented, but adding a simulation of the gyroscopic effects caused the plane to become uncontrollable in hovering flight without artificial stabilization. The transition was found to be easy to perform with and without gyroscopic effects, but the model had a tendency to fly in roll and slideslipped attitudes.

Report presenting an investigation to determine the effects of vertical location of the wing and horizontal tail on the static lateral and directional stability at various combined angles of attack and sideslip for a supersonic airplane configuration at Mach numbers of 1.41 and 2.01. The configurations investigated included a high-wing, midwing, and low-wing arrangement in combination with horizontal-tail positions varying from a location of 0.208 wing semispan below to 0.556 semispan above the body center line.

Report presenting an investigation to determine the roll effectiveness, hinge-moment characteristics, and aileron center-of-load locations on an outboard 40-percent-semispan flap-type aileron on a 30 degree sweptback wing with an aspect ratio of 3.0, a taper ratio of 0.2, and NACA 65A004 airfoil sections. Results regarding general aileron characteristics and other aerodynamic characteristics are also presented.

"An investigation has been made in the Langley 8-foot transonic tunnels on the aerodynamic characteristics of a 0.15-scale model of the North American Aviation 255-inch fin-stabilized external store over a maximum Mach number range of 0.60 to 1.2 and on the effects of mounting lugs, of fin orientation, of fin aspect ratio, and of fixed-transition. The Reynolds number (based on a body length of 37.50 inches) varied from 9.8 x 10(exp 6) to 13.1 x 10(exp 6). The results indicate that the static margin of the finned store at low lift coefficients was only 9 percent of body length at subsonic Mach numbers and was reduced to zero at a Mach number of 1.0" (p. 1).

Report presenting eight thin magnesium fins, seven with the leading edges swept back 17 degrees and one with the leading edge swept back 45 degrees, in the preflight high-temperature jet. The investigation was made to determine the effectiveness of various protective coverings designed to alleviate aerodynamic-heating effects and intended for application on the first stage of rocket-propelled multistage hypersonic models.

"An investigation of tantalum was made in still air and in high-velocity air to determine its resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. Experiments show that, except for a narrow range of temperature, unprotected tantalum is not suitable for airframe parts exposed to air at high stagnation temperatures, because above this temperature range tantalum oxidizes or burns rapidly" (p. 1).

Report presenting a laboratory-scale vapor-deposition coating facility used in the field of high-temperature coatings. The vapor-deposition coatings were produced by the hydrogen reduction of halides and not by vacuum plating methods. The coated model was found to reach equilibrium temperature of about 3100 degrees Fahrenheit and was undamaged after 470 seconds at equilibrium temperature, while an uncoated model was destroyed in less than 6 seconds.

Memorandum presenting testing of several materials including graphite, silicon carbide, and a number of polymer-glass-cloth laminated constructions at temperatures of 3,000 and 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a laboratory-scale ceramic-heated air jet. The tests were made to utilize four possible mechanisms for the alleviation of the aerodynamic-heating problem of hypersonic aircraft, which included radiative heat transfer, pyrolysis, fusion, and mass-transfer cooling by ablation.

Report presenting testing of three uninstrumented tapered magnesium fins with the leading edges swept back 17 degrees in an ethylene-heated high-temperature jet. The testing was carried out to investigate some effects of leading-edge diameter and leading-edge shape on the aerodynamic heating by noting the time for melting to begin on the fins. Results indicated that increasing the diameter of cylindrical leading edge increased the time required for melting to start.

Report presenting an investigation in the free-spinning tunnel on a model of the Republic F-105B airplane to determine the spin and recovery characteristics. Results indicated that even with perfect control technique, full movement of the rudder against the spin and of ailerons with the spin is not adequate to ensure satisfactory recovery; extensions of both canard surfaces should accompany the control technique. Results regarding ideal parachute design are also provided.

A combination sliding-ring and pressure-balancing seal capable of transferring pressurize air from stationary to rotating parts was developed and experimentally investigated at sliding velocities and cooling-air pressures up to 10,000 feet per minute and 38.3 pounds per square inch absolute, respectively. Leakage of cooling air was completely eliminated with an expenditure of balance air less than one-fourth the leakage loss of air from labyrinth seals under the same conditions. Additional cooling of the carbon-base seal rings was required, and the maximum wear rate on the rings was about 0.0005 inch per hour.

"An experimental investigation of combustor total-pressure loss was undertaken to confirm previous theoretical analyses of effects of geometric and flow variables and of heat addition. The results indicate that a reasonable estimate of cold-flow total-pressure-loss coefficient may be obtained from the theoretical analyses. Calculated total-pressure loss due to heat addition agreed with experimental data only when there was no flame ejection from the liner at the upstream air-entry holes" (p. 1).

Report presenting flutter characteristics at transonic speeds of a model of a fighter-type-airplane wing over a range of Mach numbers. The results indicated an abrupt increase in flutter speed ratio near a Mach number of 1.0, with only slight increases noted as it was increased to 1.4. Results regarding the effect of flutter-boundary shape are provided.

Report presenting an investigation of a transonic turbine with a 0.6 hub-tip radius ratio in order to determine the effect of stator and rotor secondary flows on turbine performance. Results regarding the overall performance, stator exit surveys, and rotor exit surveys are provided.

Characteristic velocities of six single-element injectors that separately varied propellant spreading and mixing were measured over a range of oxidant-fuel weight ratios of 2 to 7. Hydrogen inlet temperature was -320 degrees F. Injectors that both mixed and spread the propellants had the highest characteristic-velocity efficiency. Spreading of either propellant produced about the same increment efficiency. The increase in efficiency due to mixing was relatively small. With similar injectors, oxygen-hydrogen required about 0.2 to 0.5 of the combustor volume of oxygen-heptane for the same efficiency.

From Summary: "Results are presented of an analysis of the strain-gage measurements of vertical-tail loads experienced in rudder pulses, gradually increasing sideslips, and rudder-fixed aileron rolls at transonic speeds with the Douglas X-3 research airplane."

"An investigation has been undertaken on two dynamic models simulating 1/20-scale and 1/25-scale models of propeller-driven tail-sitter vertically rising airplanes to determine the altitude required to approach normal-flight conditions after power failure in hovering flight. The results of the investigation indicated that, for the two models investigated, an altitude of 3,600 to 5,400 feet may be required to attain normal gliding flight" (p. 1).

Report presenting wing loads and load distributions obtained by differential-pressure measurements between the upper and lower surfaces of the left wing of the Douglas X-3 to determine the effects of angle of attack and Mach number on the wing characteristics at transonic Mach numbers. The wing had an aspect ratio of 3.09 and a modified 4.5-percent-thick hexagonal section. Data covered a range of lift values and Mach numbers.

Report discussing an investigation to determine the low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a North American FJ-3 airplane with a segmented spoiler-slot-deflector lateral control system installed ahead of convention ailerons and operated as individual units and as combined segments. The longitudinal characteristics of the plane, the spoiler-slot-deflector effectiveness, and spoiler-deflector hinge-moment data are all described.

Memorandum presenting an investigation of the effect of various metallic additives on the molten sodium hydroxide - nickel system. The hydrogen evolved from such systems was measured and the evolution was correlated with the effect of the metal on mass transfer. Results regarding a check with standard tests, purging, presence of two valences for chromium, reaction time of the additive, and pressure within nickel crucibles are provided.

Memorandum presenting static crucible tests with additions of the reducing agents sodium chromite Na(sub 3)CrO(sub 4) and manganese dioxide MnO(sub 2) indicate that salts soluble in sodium hydroxide may be added to inhibit mass transfer in nickel. The metals manganese, vanadium, and molybdenum were also investigated in static crucibles and found to be ineffective.

Report presenting an investigation of the Reynolds number for transition on the outside of a hollow cylinder with heat transfer from the boundary layer to the wall at Mach number 6.9. At a given Mach number, it appears that the Reynolds number based on leading-edge thickness is an important parameter in comparisons of flat-plate transition data from various installations.

Report presenting the gross weight and uranium investment of nuclear-powered, direct-air, shieldless, ram-jet missiles for a range of altitudes and Mach numbers. Results regarding the effect of reactor operating conditions and flight conditions on ramjet performance and effect of assumptions on ramjet performance are provided.

From Summary: "The reactor operating conditions were varied to enable selection of values giving a good compromise between low uranium investment and loss gross weight at each altitude and flight Mach number considered. The corresponding values of reactor and missile operating conditions are presented in the report."