This report describes progress in testing nonaqueous methods for extracting uranium and vanadium from Western ores. Acetone leaches were found to be effective.

From abstract: "This report summarizes the past year of study of fine, molded, multicrystalline graphites with particular reference to the interrelation among certain properties with the composition, fabricating techniques, and thermal treatments found to influence them."

Quarterly report describing progress on a project to develop and evaluate high-temperature tungsten alloys. This report discusses initial experiments to compare different alloy combinations.

Report discussing part of a study that aims to understand plasma stability and confinement in mirror geometries.

"Engineering was continued on the development of sodium cooled, graphite moderated type reactors. General studies were carried out as well as studies specifically devoted to the following: a. full scale poser-only plant, b. thirty-mega watt pilot plant, the SGR, c. sodium reactor experiment, the SRE. This work consisted of theoretical analysis of various aspects of nuclear performance; economic investigations of different fuel element, cooling system and plant arrangements; and experimental investigations related to the properties of certain materials and to the development of components. Preliminary consideration was given to alternative reactor arrangements employing liquid hydrocarbon moderators and high temperature coolants other than sodium. In addition to a summary of the general design features of the SRD, a program was prepared outlining the proposed use of this installation.

Abstract: Solid ferric chloride reacts with solid uranium tetrachloride to form a complex iron-uranium chloride compound at approximately 263°C. The vapor pressure of this compound is nearer to that of uranium tetrachloride than to the vapor pressure of ferric chloride.

Report presenting a description of the Ames 2- by 2-foot transonic wind tunnel, its uses in testing, and a preliminary evaluation of the wall interference in the tunnel.

Memorandum presenting flight tests conducted with an F-86D airplane equipped with a director-type radar fire-control system with scope presentation of the attack display. The effects of two attack-computer parameters and one attack-display parameter on the tracking performance in the manual mode of operation were investigated. Results regarding fixed-sight tracking and tracking with scope presentation are provided.

Memorandum presenting an investigation conducted in the icing research tunnel to determine the icing characteristics, the effects of icing on radar operation, and the protection requirements for two radome configurations. The radomes were for the F-89 airplane and were investigated at airspeeds up to 290 miles per hour, air total temperatures from -15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, water contents up to 1.0 gram per cubic meter, and angles of attack of 0 and 4 degrees.

Memorandum presenting an investigation of a flight version of the NACA heated-wire liquid-water-content instrument, which was constructed and flight tested in natural icing conditions. Data obtained simultaneously with rotting multicylinders indicated that reliable flight measurements of liquid-water content could be made with the heated-wire instrument.

Report presenting wind-tunnel tests of a semispan model of a thin sharp-edged unswept wing of aspect ratio 4 and taper ratio 0.5 equipped with a full-span, constant-chord, leading-edge flap. The effectiveness of the leading-edge flap in improving the lift-drag ratio of the wing was investigated over a range of Mach and Reynolds numbers. Results regarding the lift characteristics, drag characteristics, pitching-moment characteristics, and lift-drag ratio are provided.

Memorandum presenting an investigation conducted to determine the pressure distribution on a conical body of elliptic cross section at a Mach number of 1.89. Experimental data are presented for a range of angles of yaw from -16 to 16 degrees and angles of attack from -10 to 10 degrees. As the angle of flow deflection was increased, the deviation from experiment of the theoretical pressure distribution slightly increased, although agreement was satisfactory over the entire range of calculations.

Report presenting an investigation of the effect of the rate of change of angle of attack on the maximum lift coefficient of a pursuit airplane equipped with a low-drag-type wing in stalls of varying abruptness over a range of Mach and Reynolds numbers. Maximum lift coefficients were found to increase linearly with increasing rate of change of angle of attack per chord length of travel up to the maximum rate attained in the tests.

Report presenting an investigation of an airplane configuration with an unswept tapered wing of aspect ratio 3.0 with NACA 65A004.5 airfoil sections. Static and dynamic longitudinal stability, control effectiveness, and drag characteristics are included. The results of this investigation are compared to similar models with wings of the same plan-form dimensions but with hexagonal airfoil sections.

A determination of the manner in which the lift and pitching-moment characteristics of a 45 degree sweptback wing are influenced by high-lift and stall-control devices by using detailed pressure-distribution measurements. The results indicate that the instability of the basic wing was due to flow separation which originated over the outer 4 percent of the wing semispan. The stability of the wing was improved through the use of upper-surface fences or leading-edge flaps.

Engine tests were made on a transpiration-cooled blade that was fabricated from an internal load-carrying member with an external surface of wire cloth. After operation in the engine, some damage was noted at the tip region of the trailing edge of the blades. On other sections of the blade, the wire cloth did not appear greatly overheated, and it appeared that satisfactory chordwise temperature distribution was provided by orifices in the blade base.

Report presenting an investigation of four axial-flow single-stage compressors with a hub-tip radius ratio of 0.5 with three objectives related to the ideal symmetrical-velocity-diagram design, the comparison of blade-element turning angle and loss data with cascade data, and the validity of the simplified radial-equilibrium equation. Results regarding the overall performance, blade-element performance, and radial equilibrium considerations are provided.

Charts are presented that permit the estimation of F-3 and F-4 knock-limited performance ratings for certain ternary and quaternary fuel blends. Ratings for various ternary and quaternary blends estimated from these charts compare favorably with experimental F-3 and F-4 ratings. Because of the unusual behavior of some of the aromatic blends in the F-3 engine, the charts for aromatic-paraffinic blends are probably less accurate than the charts for purely paraffinic blends.

Report presenting an investigation to determine the effects of fuselage upsweep on the transonic longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics for the horizontal tail-off position of airplanes. Information about lift, static and dynamic stability, trim, drag, and local flow angles at the tail is provided. Sweeping up the rear of the fuselage was found to generally reduce the lift-curve slope, particularly at low positive angles of attack.

Report presenting an investigation to obtain pressure-drop data for flow of air with no heat addition on a 22-segment mock-up of the GE aircraft reactor. Pressure-drop data were obtained over a range of Reynolds numbers, Mach numbers, and inlet-air pressures.

Report presenting an investigation of the performance of four divergent ejector configurations with shroud-exit to primary-nozzle-exit diameter ratios of 1.2 and 1.3 with minimum-shroud to primary-nozzle-exit diameter ratios of 1.1 and 1.2. A comparison of the performance of conical, cylindrical, and divergent ejectors showed that on the basis of similar design variables each configuration has merit. Results regarding the divergent-ejector performance and comparison of ejectors are provided.

The changes in the aerodynamic characteristics of a body of revolution with a fineness ratio of 8 have been determined at Mach numbers of 1.41 and 2.01, a Reynolds number, based on body length, of 4.54 x 10 to the 6th power, and angles of incidence of 0 degrees and plus or minus 3 degrees as the position of the body is varied with respect to a reflection plane. The data are compared with theoretical results.

Memorandum presenting an investigation conducted in the 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel to determine the effects of vertical location of wing and horizontal tail on the aerodynamic characteristics in combined pitch and sideslip of a supersonic airplane configuration at a Mach number of 2.01. The configurations investigated included a high-wing, a midwing, and a low-wing arrangement, each with four horizontal-tail locations.

Report presenting an investigation of the low-speed static longitudinal stability characteristics of a complete model with a series of M- or W-wings. They were obtained through modification of a basic 45 degree swept wing and had several spanwise locations of sweep discontinuity. Results regarding pitching-moment characteristics, drag due to lift, aerodynamic parameters at zero lift, and possible configurations of airplanes with M- and W-wings are provided.