PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - First Aircraft to Use a Symmetrical Airfoil
Old 8th Jan 2011, 10:39
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Brian Abraham
 
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The only allied aircraft to use turbocharging (off the top of the head) during WWII were the the P-38, P-47, B-17 and B-24. The P-51 did not use turbocharging. The P-38 was a flop in the European theatre, the turbocharging being part of the problem. The 8th Air Force, being so dissatisfied with the aircraft, gave Rolls Royce a 38 to be fitted fitted with Merlins as a test to over come the short falls, but a stop was put to the exercise by Washington, presumably for political/industrial reasons ie leaving Allison without work. The 8th in any event got rid of the 38.

The Comet used a NACA 63A116 at the root and a NACA 63A112 at the tip. Hence not symmetrical, I'd be interested in any reference that says otherwise.

barit, re the turbocharging and laminar flow I put up the B-24. The Davis airfoil was adopted by Consolidated because of its advanced properties, but at the time they were not aware that those properties came because of its laminar flow. The P-51 generally takes the prize as the first laminar, but that may be qualified by being the first purpose designed laminar. Bit like Yeager being the first to crack the barrier, not really, George Welch in the F-86 beat him to it by two weeks. The difference was Welch did it in a dive whereas Yeager did it in level flight. Again politics were heavily involved in the claim that Yeager was first.
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