This is the first of a series of monthly reports covering details of the work of the Engineering Group of the Pile Technology Section of the Technical Department. The monthly Slug Inspection Report is being discontinued as a separate document and is being incorporated in this group report. Included is work on corrosion and blistering; graphite expansion; and irradiation studies.

This monthly report details Physics Department 100 Area technical activities for the month of April 1947.

From Summary: "Tests of a 1/7 size model of the Grumman XJR2F-1 amphibian were made in Langley tank no.1 to examine the landing behavior in rough water and to measure the normal and angular accelerations experienced by the model during these landings. All landings were made normal to the direction of wave advance, a condition assumed to produce the greatest accelerations. Wave heights of 4.4 and 8.0 inches (2.5 and 4.7 ft, full size) were used in the tests and the wave lengths were varied between 10 and 50 feet (70 and 350 ft, full size)."

Report discussing testing on a 42 degree swept-back wing to determine its low-speed aerodynamic characteristics in pitch and yaw at high Reynolds numbers. The main effect of increasing the Reynolds number was delayed wing stalling to higher angles of attack. Roughness on the wing leading edge also had a large adverse effect on lift, drag, and pitching-moment characteristics at higher Reynolds numbers.

"A Douglas C-74 airplane, during a test dive at about 0.525 Mach number, experienced uncontrollable longitudinal oscillations sufficient to cause shedding of the outer wing panels and the subsequent crash of the airplane. Tests of a section of the horizontal tail plane from a C-74 airplane were conducted in the Ames 16-foot high-speed wind tunnel to investigate the possibility of the tail as a contributing factor to the accident. The results of the investigations of fabric-covered elevators in various conditions of surface deformation are presented in this report" (p. 1).

Report presenting testing of a standard turbojet engine by water injection at the inlet of the axial-flow compressor in the altitude wind tunnel. Engine performance at 7600 rpm was obtained over a wide range of water-air-pressure ratios and ram-pressure ratios. Results regarding the engine-component performance are also provided.

Report presenting a summary of the hydrodynamic qualities of interest in the normal operation of a seaplane, established over a period of years by model testing and by some knowledge of full-size operation. Results regarding longitudinal stability and control, landing stability, seaworthiness, performances, and lateral stability and control are provided.

Included herein is a historical record of the AAF sponsored NEPA Project during the period of October 1945, to the present time, and covers in narrative form the nature of planning leading to the implementation of the project, the establishment of the operating group and its relationship to the Manhattan District (later to become the Atomic Energy Commission) and the approach to applicable technological problems bearing on both nuclear science and aeronautical propulsion engineering aspects.

Note presenting a method for the calculation of bending stresses due to torsion in a tapered box beam. A special taper was assumed in which all flanges, if extended, would meet at a point. The results obtained by this method were compared with experimental data obtained from tests performed on a tapered box beam.

Report presenting a determination of the tunnel-induced velocities for yawed and swept-back airfoils in a closed circular wind tunnel. Calculations were performed for elemental horseshoe vortices with one tip of the bound vortex on the tunnel axis for a range of yaw angles and bound-vortex lengths.

Report presenting calculations of the supersonic wave drag at zero lift for a series of wings with thin symmetrical biconvex sections with untapered plan forms and various angles of sweepback and aspect ratios.

Report presenting charts with coefficients for the stress analysis of a reinforced circular cylinder. They allow for the rapid determination of sheer flows and direct stresses in the sheet of a cylinder as well as the shear forces, axial forces, and bending moments in the rings. Separate charts are also given for three basic ring loadings.

Report presenting the aerodynamic characteristics of 19 isolated tail surfaces, which have been determined by wind tunnel tests. Testing was also made of rectangular airfoils of various aspect ratios with and without double end plates of various shapes. The analysis indicated that the slope of the lift curve could be predicted within 10 percent for all models by use of lifting-surface-theory equations.

Report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Mines on magnetic surveys conducted on Worcester County, Maryland. The results of observations obtained on the ground and from the air are presented. This report includes tables, graphs, and maps.

"A compilation of free-spinning-airplane model data on the spin and recovery characteristics of 111 airplanes is presented. These data were previously published in separate memorandum reports and were obtained from free-spinning tests in the Langley 15-foot and the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnels. The model test data presented include the steady-spin and recovery characteristics of each model for various combinations of aileron and elevator deflections and for various loadings and dimensional configurations" (p. 1).

From Summary: "An investigation was conducted to determine the coolant-flow distribution, the cylinder temperatures, and the heat rejections of the V-1650-7 engine . The tests were run a t several power levels varying from minimum fuel consumption to war emergency power and at each power level the coolant flows corresponded to the extremes of those likely to be encountered in typical airplane installations, A mixture of 30-percent ethylene glycol and 70-percent water was used as the coolant. The temperature of each cylinder was measured between the exhaust valves, between the intake valves, in the center of the head, on the exhaust-valve guide, at the top of the barrel on the exhaust side, and on each exhaust spark-plug gasket."

"A theoretical analysis of the cross-sectional temperature distribution of a water-cooled turbine blade was made using the relaxation method to solve the differential equation derived from the analysis. The analysis was applied to specific turbine blade and the studies icluded investigations of the accuracy of simple methods to determine the temperature distribution along the mean line of the rear part of the blade, of the possible effect of varying the perimetric distribution of the hot gas-to -metal heat transfer coefficient, and of the effect of changing the thermal conductivity of the blade metal for a constant cross sectional area blade with two quarter inch diameter coolant passages" (p. 1).

Note presenting the rolling moments of one tapered wing and two geometrically similar wings in rolling flow with the wing stationary and in straight flow with forced rotation of the wing to obtain a correlation between the two methods of testing and to determine the rolling characteristics of the wings. The results showed that for unswept wings the rolling characteristics obtained by rotation of the air agreed with those obtained by forced rotation of the wing.

"A solution based upon small-deflection theory is presented for the critical shear stress of curved rectangular panels with simply supported edges. Computed curves which cover a wide range of panel dimensions are presented; these curves are found to be in good agreement with test results. Estimated curves are also given for panels with clamped edges" (p. 1).

Report presenting a method for the calculation of elastic stresses in symmetrical disks typical of those of a high-temperature gas turbine. Illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate how to treat solid disks, disks with central holes, and disks constructed of a single material or two or more welded materials.

Report presenting an analytical treatment of the problem of determining the distribution of reaction forces among multiple plain bearings supporting a shaft subjected to rotating loads. An investigation conducted on a straight shaft operating in a seven-bearing crankcase of an aircraft engine is presented to show the importance of the hydrodynamic effect of the oil film.

Report discussing an investigation on the effect of engine skew on the directional and lateral control characteristics of a single-engine airplane with a single-rotating propeller. The estimated and test results showed an advantage to skewing the propeller, as it assists with overcoming inadequate rudder control in power-on flight and aileron control, especially with flaps deflected.

Report presenting an investigation of the effects of several spoiler arrangements on the spanwise variation of section twisting moments of a wing of NACA 230-series airfoil sections. Both plain and perforated spoilers were tested at a designated Mach and Reynolds number and force and moment measurements as well as chordwise pressure-distribution measurements at six spanwise stations were obtained.

"An analysis has been made of the lift control effectiveness of a 20-percent-chord plain trailing-edge flap on the NACA 65-210 airfoil section from section lift-coefficient data obtained at Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.875. In addition, the effectiveness of the plain flap as a lift-control device has been compared with the corresponding effectiveness of both a spoiler and a dive-recovery flap on the NACA 65-210 airfoil section. The analysis indicates that the plain trailing-edge flap employed on the 10-percent-thick airfoil at Mach numbers as high as 0.875 retains at least 50-percent of its low-speed lift-control effectiveness, and is sufficiently effective in lateral control application, assuming a rigid wing, to provide adequate airplane rolling characteristics" (p. 1).