Trivia Questions

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

At a recent leaving do for a couple of our American Lockheed reps, the conversation inevitably turned to the subject of 'Two nations, divided by a common language'

Three trivia questions.

1. Fescalised Portion

All riggers know that this is the machined area of a jack/oleo/actuator etc. But the Americans have never heard of the word! And guess what, it ain't in the dictionary either! (and a google will reveal a PPRuNer with this username)

2. Punkah Louvre

This obviously originates from the days of the Raj, anyone got any more on that? Again, the Americans have never heard of the term.

3. NACA Duct

I believe this one's come from the other direction. Many aircraft have NACA ducts. (best description I can think of is Concorde in plan view without the tail) I'm told that this originates from an American University project to remove air for your conditioning, with the least disruption to your airflow. The organisation that provided the winning design, gave its name to it. National....Aeronautical/Academy? ...etc. Any more on this?

cheers in advance

[PaperTiger]

1 No idea - not spelled the way it's pronounced ?

2 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (precursor of NASA) http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/?method=about

3 punkah n. large fan, especially moved by rope. punkah-wallah, n. servant moving this.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

I am impressed!

Thanks PaperTiger & Mike Jenvey.

NACA Duct
The Encyclopedia Link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NACA_duct) gives an external link to NACA archives and the original National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics - Advanced Confidential Report 5120 (http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/reports/1945/naca-acr-5i20/) dated Nov 13th 1945

http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/reports/1945/naca-acr-5i20/index.cgi?pagenaca-acr-5i20-p001.gif

now we're on a roll

Fescalised Portion....

[LowNSlow]

The Fescalised portion of an undercarriage leg (or motorbike front forks) is the machined AND coated part that the oil seals slide on. As it was explained to me the Fescalising is the trade name of the chrome-like coating.

[Cornish Jack]

Low and Slow
Quite right! I can't remember the full name of the firm but certainly the description derived from the company concerned. I have an old engineering magazine, somewhere, which includes one of their adverts.
Just a little addition to the Punkah Louvre/wallah info. The British Consulate at Chiang Mai has (had) the only original Punkah I have ever seen. It operated over the dining table and comprised a large heavy blanket-like curtain suspended from a central swinging beam. It was soaked in water and swung backwards and forwards by the Punkah Wallah who sat in a little alcove to one side with a rope attached via pulleys to the beam. It was usual to attach the operating rope to their foot and thus impart the swing. The resultant air movement was a most effective cooling agent and infinitely preferable to aircon!!:ok:

[Centralize]

Punkah Louvre - Trade name of adjustable air vents made by the Thermotank company. Fitted in most RN and older british merchant ships, most are adorned with a label 'Punkah Louvre' Very retro in appearance...

Spotter, me? - never!

C