NACA closely followed European developments, particularly reports from John J. Ide in Paris, and later Great Britain. It also “pirated” a genius, the difficult and contentious Max Munk, from under Prandtl’s wing at Göttingen to lead the development of the pressurized (variable density) wind tunnel. This was completed in 1922 and was an immediate success, and for eight years, Munk imparted his somewhat rancorous genius to NACA before resigning.
The National Aeronautic Association awarded the Collier Trophy for 1929 to the NACA chairman, Dr. Joseph S. Ames, at the White House on June 3, 1930.
Further foreign aid came when the Guggenheim Fund lured the brilliant young scientist Theodore von Karman to the United States. Von Karman accepted a California Institute of Technology offer in 1929 and occupied his new post the following year. A steady stream of talented personnel began to issue from the school, and the NACA was able to take advantage of that talent when it built the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at Moffett Field in California. Von Karman himself would later become one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The United States now clearly led the world in experimental aeronautics.
A flood of new designs put NACA on a 24/7 schedule as industry engineers clamored for wind tunnel test results and for the data from the hands-on, practical applications of those results. Many hand-built cowlings were fitted, each one attempting to mold the cowling to the test aircraft (a Curtiss AT-5A). The final results were remarkable, achieving a 19 mph increase in speed. The cowling improved engine cooling, reduced drag, and used engine heat to generate thrust.
In 1929, President Herbert Hoover presented the Collier Trophy to Joseph Ames, chairman of the NACA, for the development of low-drag cowling for radial air-cooled aircraft engines. The Collier has been awarded annually since 1911 by the National Aeronautic Association ”for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles.” NASA image
On Feb. 5, 1929, the famous Frank Hawks set a new Los Angeles-to-New York transcontinental record of 18 hours and 13 minutes, in the parasol wing Lockheed Air Express. The NACA received this message:
“Cooling carefully checked and OK. Record impossible without new cowling. All credit due NACA for painstaking and accurate research. [Signed] Gerry Vultee. Lockheed Aircraft Co.”
John P. “Jack” Reeder flying the P-51H from Langley. Reeder flew more than 230 different types of aircraft during his 42-year career as a NACA/NASA test pilot. NASA image
The National Aeronautic Association awarded the Collier Trophy for 1929 to the NACA chairman, Dr. Joseph S. Ames, at the White House on June 3, 1930. Weick, who was director of the Propeller Research Tunnel and in charge of the cowling work, was named to be the recipient of the award.
NACA’s range of experimentation was amazing, and included superchargers, variable incidence wings, high-altitude oxygen equipment, leading-edge slats, retractable landing gear, Fowler flaps, spin recovery mechanisms, anti-icing equipment, and cabin pressurization.
NACA’s range of experimentation was amazing, and included superchargers, variable incidence wings, high-altitude oxygen equipment, leading-edge slats, retractable landing gear, Fowler flaps, spin recovery mechanisms, anti-icing equipment, and cabin pressurization. A variety of rotor craft were tested, and both seaplanes and flying boats had pressure distribution tests to confirm water handling as well as flight characteristics.