TOP SECRET

THIRTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS

1946

PRESIDENTIAL COPY

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Letter of Submittal

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS

Washington, D.C., January 10, 1947

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: In compliance with the provisions of the Act of Congress approved March 3, 1915 (U. S. C. title 49 sec. 243), I have the honor to submit herewith the Thirty-second Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, covering the fiscal year 1946.

The circumstances of war prevented detailed reports of the NACA’s activities during the war years. It is the aim of this report to present a concise picture of significant activities since 1940. The financial report relating to 1946 is included in this document. Financial reports and summaries relating to the years intervening between the Twenty-eighth Annual Report published in 1942 and the present will follow.

The close of the war marked the end of one whole phase of development of the airplane as conceived by the Wright brothers. The airplane in its present form is no longer a sound basis for future planning for the national defense. The power available in jet propulsion systems brings flight through and above the speed of sound within reach. Yet, the attainment of practical flight at such speeds requires the application of new knowledge which must be obtained by diligent research with new tools and new methods. As with the Wright brothers at the first flight, we stand at a new frontier where research to establish the scientific principles and laws governing high-speed flight will determine our future in the air.

Respectfully submitted,

JEROME C. HUNSAKER

Chairman.

THE PRESIDENT,

The White House, Washington, D.C.

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THE ROCKET ENGINE & SUPERSONIC FLIGHT

As of January, the X-1, as Bell's XS-1 is now designated, is on track for a supersonic test sometime within the next year. Last month, Bell Aircraft Test Pilot Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin, a Navy man, piloted the #2 test aircraft in its first powered flight. The XLR-11 rocket engine performed admirably, though Bell's engineers have reported some concerns about aircraft compressibility. The Committee believes this to be a minor issue that further powered testing will alleviate. Bell's engineers have assured the NACA that the slow pace of testing will soon be alleviated, as the flooding at Muroc AAFB has now subsided, allowing for use of both the California and Florida test sites.

The pressurization of the fuel and oxygen has proven to be a key issue for viability of future supersonic projects. Due to the nature of high-speed flight, the tanks must remain pressurized throughout aircraft operation, lest the forces involved render the engine devoid of fuel. To accomplish this, the design of the X-1 has followed traditional path of nitrogen-pressurization, though this has shaved 1½ minutes off the powered flight time of the aircraft. Bell and Reaction Motors have begun experiments using gas-driven turbopumps to alleviate this issue as well as make the engine lighter. It is the opinion of the NACA that this approach will become standard in upcoming supersonic designs.

GUIDED MISSILES

Since 1941, the NACA has supervised design and testing of guided missiles by the Army and Navy, for applications of both military and civilian natures. We have overseen the development of numerous technologies thought pertinent to the development of a more effective missile system. These are:

Rocket fuels and combustion.

Turbojets, ramjets, and other powerplants with possible applications for guided missile platforms.

Radio control and the tele-metring of research data via radio.

The dynamics of controlled flight, and the means by which to achieve stability in air.

High-speed aerodynamics, and the effectiveness of control surfaces at varying speeds and altitudes.

Recently, this research has been bolstered by the arrival from Germany of a number of high-profile scientists involved in the Hitler government's weapons programs. Their development of the V-2 rocket project, while having led to the loss of a number of Allied lives, stands among the world's greatest engineering accomplishments. Now, at Fort Bliss, Tex., these scientists have been set to work on Project Hermes, with the missile program expanded to include a "sounding" version of the V-2. Several of these German-designed missiles have already been tested at the White Sands Proving Ground in Alamogordo, New Mex., the most recent having reached a reported altitude of 114 miles above sea level on December 17. The NACA continues to work closely with the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency to monitor the work of these scientists.

CRUISE MISSILES

These traditional aircraft and missile hybrid designs have become a focus of the NACA and the research community, following Germany's effective use of this weapon system during the war. Utilizing larger aerodynamic surfaces than missiles and a pre-programmed flight path, this system flies at lower altitudes than missiles under a constant speed. In 1944, a joint project of Republic, Willys, and Ford produced an American version of Germany's V-1 platform under the designation JB-2, though it never saw combat use. Despite this, the NACA believes this missile type to be an immensely promising and effective implementation of the aerodynamic lessons of the Second World War. Former Director Vannevar Bush is a strong proponent of this opinion, and he and the NACA have worked with the Army Air Force to seek out industry prototypes building on the JB-2 design. Numerous aviation corporations have submitted proposals for cruise missiles as an alternative to the ballistic route. North American, Northrop, Curtiss-Wright, Consolidated and Republic have all sent in designs. These could be armed with conventional, chemical, or nuclear payloads, and could have an operational distance of several hundred miles. All have been granted government contracts to build these systems within the coming years.

Should these designs prove effective, they will grant the United States the ability to effectively strike targets across multiple theaters of operations with considerably quicker response times than that of conventional bombers. Additionally, the precision of this system is orders of magnitude higher than traditional bombs, allowing for precise targeting and minimal error. The NACA expects cruise missiles to become a core part of the AAF's arsenal within the next decade.

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CONCLUSION

Aeronautical science stands on the threshold of a new era. New forms of propulsion, even excluding the possibilities of atomic energy, open up new speed concepts for both military and commercial aviation. The recent war saw the full development of aerial warfare using conventional aiycraft operating at sub- sonic speeds, The possibilities of supersonic military aircraft and of guided missiles indicate that present types of military aircraft are becoming obsolete. As we prepare to enter the new era, we see no definite limit to the power that may become available for aircraft propulsion, nor to the speed that may be attainable.

These possibilities confront the NACA with whole new fields of scientific problems requiring the provision of new facilities for supersonic research, And, after fundamental research has disclosed the design data and new shapes for supersonic aircraft, there will be another entirely new field of research to provide stability and control at the low speeds necessary for take-off and landing.

In the meantime, the aircraft industry remains essential for future national security. It is national policy to sustain that industry with orders for the necessary production of service aircraft and for the design and development of new and improved types. This results in an increased burden on the staff and facilities of the NACA to provide as quickly as possible the fundamental data needed by the military services and the industry as a basis for new design. Teamwork between the military service industry, and the NACA was never more essential, nor more effective.

Laboratory facilities of the NACA are being expanded to provide some of the urgently needed research facilities. The basic research activities of the NACA are the foundation of progress in America in improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of both military and civil aircraft.

Respectfully submitted.

JEROME C. HUNSAKER, Chairman,

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics

[Note: Both the intro letter and the conclusion are quoted from the original document]