"...the scientific study of the problems of flight..."
March 3, 2015 11:23 AM Subscribe
One hundred years ago today, on March 3, 1915, a Naval Appropriations Bill was passed through Congress and signed by president Woodrow Wilson. A small rider was attached to the bill and went through the process almost completely unnoticed. That rider legislated the formation of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
NACA was formed during World War I to promote wartime coordination of aeronautical research. NACA was instrumental in the development of early aeronautical theory, including the "NACA series" of airfoils (pdf description).
The United States' first aeronautical research facility was founded by NACA in Hampton, Virginia, at Langley Field. The facility included the Committee's first wind tunnel and later housed the (then) world's largest tunnel at 30 by 60 feet in cross section, now owned by Old Dominion University.
In 1957, NACA formed a Special Committee on Space Technology. The recommendations from that special committee transformed NACA into what we know today as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Later in 1958, the special committee recommended standing up a civil space program, and the rest is history.
NACA was formed during World War I to promote wartime coordination of aeronautical research. NACA was instrumental in the development of early aeronautical theory, including the "NACA series" of airfoils (pdf description).
The United States' first aeronautical research facility was founded by NACA in Hampton, Virginia, at Langley Field. The facility included the Committee's first wind tunnel and later housed the (then) world's largest tunnel at 30 by 60 feet in cross section, now owned by Old Dominion University.
In 1957, NACA formed a Special Committee on Space Technology. The recommendations from that special committee transformed NACA into what we know today as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Later in 1958, the special committee recommended standing up a civil space program, and the rest is history.
Also, there is a NACA centenary symposium going on right now, with a video stream available.
posted by exogenous at 12:02 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by exogenous at 12:02 PM on March 3, 2015
Another comment as this prompted me to look something up — my plane's wings have a NACA 63-215 airfoil at the roots, transitioning to a NACA 64-412 at the tips. Laminar flow, baby!
posted by exogenous at 12:36 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by exogenous at 12:36 PM on March 3, 2015
NASA has been tweeting all day today using the hashtag #NACA100. Here's a nice video they just posted.
posted by backseatpilot at 12:43 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by backseatpilot at 12:43 PM on March 3, 2015
Another commonly-seen item is the NACA duct.
posted by kiltedtaco at 1:07 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by kiltedtaco at 1:07 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was just coming here to mention the NACA scoop/duct. Which back in high school was always erroneously referred to by the motorhead crowd as either a NASA or NASCAR scoop, back in the pre-internet 1970s.
posted by TedW at 2:50 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by TedW at 2:50 PM on March 3, 2015
The United States' first aeronautical research facility was founded by NACA in Hampton, Virginia, at Langley Field
" ....in 1920. As the Committee’s role continued to expand, the NACA added two additional facilities: the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory (Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California) in 1939 and the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory or Cleveland Laboratory (Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio) in 1941. A few years later, the Muruc Flight Test Unit (Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California) became the fourth NACA facility."
From a Centerwide email we received yesterday (I work at NASA-Ames). They had free cake to celebrate, at the cafeteria, but it was all gone by the time I got there.
posted by Rash at 4:20 PM on March 3, 2015
" ....in 1920. As the Committee’s role continued to expand, the NACA added two additional facilities: the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory (Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California) in 1939 and the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory or Cleveland Laboratory (Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio) in 1941. A few years later, the Muruc Flight Test Unit (Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California) became the fourth NACA facility."
From a Centerwide email we received yesterday (I work at NASA-Ames). They had free cake to celebrate, at the cafeteria, but it was all gone by the time I got there.
posted by Rash at 4:20 PM on March 3, 2015
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posted by exogenous at 12:00 PM on March 3, 2015