ALBERT

Description: Direct measurements have been made of the drag of a special test body and its stabilizing tail surfaces throughout free drops from high altitudes. The data obtained have been used to establish the relation between the drag coefficient and the Mach number for the body and for the tail surfaces over a range of Mach numbers from 0.85 to 1.15. For bodies of the form tested, the drag per square foot of frontal area increased abruptly from about 3 percent of atmospheric pressure at a Mach number of 0.95 to 17 percent of atmospheric pressure at a Mach number of 1.00, then linearly with Mach number to 28 percent of atmospheric pressure at a Mach number of approximately 1.15. Some doubt exists as to the applicability of the tail drag results to the estimation of wing drag at transonic speeds because of the possibility of appreciable interference effects between the vertical and the horizontal surfaces and between the body and the tail surfaces. Insofar as they are applicable, the tail drag results indicated that with symmetrical 6-percent-thick area may be expected to increase abruptly from 4 percent of atmospheric pressure at a Mach number of 0.88 to 36 percent of atmospheric pressure at a Mach number of 1.00, then linearly with Mach number to approximately 50 percent of atmospheric pressure at a Mach number of 1.15.

Description: Four airfoils sections, designed by the Republic Aviation Corporation for the root and tip sections of the XF-12 airplane, were tested in the Langley two-dimensional low-turbulence tunnels to obtain their aerodynamic characteristics. Lift characteristics were obtained at Reynolds numbers of 3,000,000, 6,000,000, 9,000,000, and 14,000,000, whereas drag characteristics were obtained at Reynolds numbers of 3,000,000, 6,000,000, and 9,000,000. Pressure distributions were obtained for one of the root sections for several angles of attack at a Reynolds number of 2,600,000. Comparison of the root section that appeared best from the tests with the corresponding NACA 65-series section shows the Republic section has a higher maximum lift and higher calculated critical speeds, but a higher minimum drag. In addition, with standard roughness applied to the leading edge, the maximum lift of the Republic airfoil is lower than that of the NACA airfoil. Comparison of the Republic tip section with the corresponding NACA 65-series section shows the Republic airfoil has a lower maximum lift and a higher minimum drag than the NACA airfoil. The calculated critical speeds of the Republic section are slightly higher than those of the NACA section.

Description: Wind-tunnel tests of a 1/5-scale semispan model of the Republic XF-12 horizontal tail surface equipped with an internally balanced elevator were conducted in the 6- by 6-foot test section of the Langley stability tunnel. The tests included measurements of the aerodynamic characteristics of the horizontal tail with and without a beveled trailing edge and also included measurements of the tab characteristics. The variation of the aerodynamic characteristics with boundary-layer conditions and leakage in the internal-balance chambers, measurements of the boundary-layer displacement thickness near the elevator hinge axis, and pressure distributions at the mean geometric chord were also obtained. The results showed that the hinge-moment characteristics of the elevator were critical to boundary-layer conditions and internal-balance leakage. Increasing the boundary-layer displacement thickness by use of roughness strips reduced the rate of change of elevator hinge moments with tab deflection by about 20 percent. The present horizontal tail appears to be unsatisfactory for longitudinal stability with power on, however, an increase in horizontal-tail lift effectiveness should correct this difficulty. The maneuvering stick force per unit acceleration will be extremely critical to minor variations of the elevator hinge moments if the elevator is linked directly to the stick.

Description: A 1/6-scale model of the Republic XF-12 vertical tail with stub fuselage and stub horizontal tail was tested in the Langley stability tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of the model, The investigation included a study of the effects of boundarylayer thickness, rudder area, and cover-plate alinement on the aerodynamic characteristics. Tuft studies were made in the vicinity of the junction of the vertical and stub horizontal tails. The results of the investigation indicated that the flow in the vicinity of the junction of the vertical and stub horizontal tails was only slightly improved by the addition of a fillet. An increase in boundary-layer thickness produced a slight decrease in rudder effectiveness. The increase in lift of the combined rudders over that of the upper rudder alone was not proportional at low deflections and was approximately proportional at high deflections to the increase in rudder area. When the balance-chamber cover plates were bowed out, the change in rudder hinge moment with rudder angle was less negative. The variation of the lift coefficient with angle of attack and the variation, at small values of angle of attack, of rudder hinge-noment coefficient with angle of attack was approximately the same for all model configurations tested. The upper rudder used in conjunction with a tab was found to satisfy the Army specifications regarding asymmetric power on a multiengine airplane.

Description: Finite trigonometric series is fitted by harmonic analysis as an approximation function to the psi function of the Theodorsen arbitrary-airfoil potential theory. By harmonic synthesis, the corresponding conjugate trigonometric series is used as an approximation to the epsilon function. A set of coefficients of particularly simple form is obtained algebraically for direct calculation of the epsilon values from the corresponding set of psi values. Complete derivation of this process is presented.

Description: A program of model tests has been completed at Langley tank no. 1 which will furnish a qualitative guide as to the relation of length of afterbody and depth of step. The model used for the tests was a l/12-size unpowered dynamic model of a hypothetical 160,000-pound airplane. The results showed that an increase in length of afterbody requires an accompanying increase in depth of step to maintain adequate landing stability. Changing the length of afterbody and depth of step in such a manner as to maintain a given landing stability will result in only small changes in take-off stability.

Description: Engine temperature data and cooling correlating analyses of the engine and oil cooler are presented in connection with an investigation of the cowling and cooling of the ranger V-770-8 engine installation in the Edo XOSE-1 airplane. Three types of baffles were installed in the course of the tests: the conventional, the turbulent-flow, and the NACA diffuser baffles. Each of the types was of merit in cooling a different region on the cylinder. Incorporation of the best features of the three types into one baffle, a method which appears to be feasible, would provide improvements in cylinder cooling.

Description: Lift characteristics and pressure distribution for a NACA 230 wing were investigated for an angle of attack range of from -10 to +24 degrees and Mach range of from 0.2 to 0.7. Maximum lift coefficient increased up to a Mach number of 0.3, decreased rapidly to a Mach number of 0.55, and then decreased moderately. At high speeds, maximum lift coefficient was reached at from 10 to 12 degrees beyond the stalling angle. In high-speed stalls, resultant load underwent a moderate shift outward.

Description: Sectional characteristics of airfoil having retractable slotted flap with plain, slot-lip, or retractable ailerons are presented for a large range of aileron deflections. The analysis indicated that pitching moments produced by spoilers were less positive than those produced by plain flaps of equal effectiveness, also that pitching moments created by the spoiler increased less with the Mach number than similar moments produced by plain flaps. Positive values of pitching moment decreased as devices were located nearer airfoil leading edge.

Description: Recent airfoil data for both flight and wind-tunnel tests have been collected and correlated insofar as possible. The flight data consist largely of drag measurements made by the wake-survey method. Most of the data on airfoil section characteristics were obtained in the Langley two-dimensional low-turbulence pressure tunnel. Detail data necessary for the application of NACA 6-serles airfoils to wing design are presented in supplementary figures, together with recent data for the NACA 24-, 44-, and 230-series airfoils. The general methods used to derive the basic thickness forms for NACA 6- and 7-series airfoils and their corresponding pressure distributions are presented. Data and methods are given for rapidly obtaining the approximate pressure distributions for NACA four-digit, five-digit, 6-, and 7-series airfoils. The report includes an analysis of the lift, drag, pitching-moment, and critical-speed characteristics of the airfoils, together with a discussion of the effects of surface conditions. Available data on high-lift devices are presented. Problems associated with lateral-control devices, leading-edge air intakes, and interference are briefly discussed. The data indicate that the effects of surface condition on the lift and drag characteristics are at least as large as the effects of the airfoil shape and must be considered in airfoil selection and the prediction of wing characteristics. Airfoils permitting extensive laminar flow, such as the NACA 6-series airfoils, have much lower drag coefficients at high speed and cruising lift coefficients than earlier types-of airfoils if, and only if, the wing surfaces are sufficiently smooth and fair. The NACA 6-series airfoils also have favorable critical-speed characteristics and do not appear to present unusual problems associated with the application of high-lift and lateral-control devices. Much of the data given in the NACA Advance Confidential Report entitled "Preliminary Low-Drag-Airfoil and Flap Data from Tests at Large Reynolds Number and Low Turbulence," by Eastman N. Jacobs, Ira R. Abbott, and Milton Davidson, March 1942 has been corrected and included in the present paper, which supersedes the previously published paper.