The High Speed Frontier: Case Histories of Four NACA Programs, 1920-1950

It is refreshing as well as unusual to find such an account as this of past technical programs that were so important to aeronautical progress. The author deals not only with the research in which he was intimately involved but also with the personalities of the participants and the doubts, false starts, and misconceptions that occurred before the final solutions were achieved.
In my view, the flavor imparted to these case histories by the very personal impressions of the impact of certain of the key players is a necessary ingredient in getting to the bottom line of how and why things worked the way they did in the prime years of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
Each of the four programs described grew from small beginnings in the third and fourth decades of this century to become substantial elements of the NACA contribution to the achievement of high-subsonic and transonic flight. All of the programs had been essentially completed by the time of the termination of NACA in 1958 and the transition to NASA.
Hyperlinked contents for easy navigation. Over 40 illustrations and photographs.
Contents include:
Foreword
CHAPTER I - Introduction
Chapter 2: The High-Speed Airfoil Program
BACKGROUND AND ORIGINS (1745-1927)
COMMENTARY
Chapter 2: The High-Speed Airfoil Program
THE QUEST FOR UNDERSTANDING (1928-1935)
COMMENTARY
INCREASING THE CRITICAL SPEED (1936-1944)
COMMENTARY
SUPERCRITICAL AND TRANSONIC AERODYNAMICS (1945-1956)
COMMENTARY
"SUPERCRITICAL" AIRFOILS (1957-1978)
COMMENTARY
Chapter 3 - Transonic Wind Tunnel Development (1940 -1950)
THE CHOKING PROBLEM
THE REPOWERED 8-FOOT HIGH-SPEED TUNNEL; SMALL MODEL TECHNIQUES
TRANSONIC AIRFOIL FACILITIES
THE ANNULAR TRANSONIC TUNNEL
COMMENTARY
WING-FLOW AND BUMP METHODS
THE BODY-DROP AND ROCKET-MODEL TECHNIQUES
HIGH-SPEED RESEARCH AIRPLANES
COMMENTARY
THE SLOTTED TRANSONIC TUNNEL
COMMENTARY
COMMENT ON MANAGEMENT METHODS
Chapter 4 - The High-Speed Propeller Program
THE EMERGENCY PROPELLER PROGRAM
FULL-SCALE PROPELLERS IN THE 16-FOOT HIGH-SPEED TUNNEL
PROPELLER BLADE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTIONS AT HIGH SPEEDS
ONE-BLADE PROPELLER TESTS
SWEPTBACK PROPELLERS
TRANSONIC AND SUPERSONIC PROPELLERS
HIGH-SPEED FLIGHT TESTS OF PROPELLERS
COMMENTARY
Chapter 5 - High-speed Cowlings, Air Inlets and Outlets, and Internal-Flow Systems
HIGH-SPEED COWLINGS
HIGH-SPEED INLETS AND OUTLETS
COMMENTARY
INTERNAL FLOW SYSTEMS-EFFECTS OF HEAT AND COMPRESSABILITY
THE RAMJET INVESTIGATION
COMMENTARY
Acknowledgments
References
Transonic Aerodynamic Test Facilities (M>0.9), 1923-1950