Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
MULH-W|NG SHIPS
TERMED LOGICAL
Seen by Students as Most
/ Probable Air Liners of
Future.
BY w. E. BERCHTOLD,
Associated Press Aviation Editor.


ANN ARBOR, Mich. CR-Students
of aeronautical engineering, whose no
tons in airplsne design may shape the
future of air transportation, now have
another wind tunnel laboratory IN
which they may test their toylike mod
els without the expense and danger OF
building full-sized planes.
Started in 1922, the University OF
Michigan's wind tunnel has been de-
veloped year by year until now its
builder and master, Prof. Felix w.
Pawlowski, says it Is ready for heavy
research program that will include
studies on types of airplanes radically
different from those now seen In the
air.
The controversy over the relative ef-
ficiency of monoplaneS and multiplanes
Is far from ended, according to Prof.
planes present popularity Is a transi-
tory within of designers. He and an
associate, l.. V. Kerber, plan further
research with multiplaneS in the new
Michigan wind tunnel.
"The monoplane is well adapted to
the present stage of air transporta-
ton" Prof. PawlowSki says, but when
airplane designers are called upon IN
future years to construct transoceanlc
planes big enough to carry hundreds
of people, the multiplane-that Is, the
airplane with three, four. five or more
wing surfaceS-appears to otter greater
possibilities
Kerber already has carried on some
experiments in the Michigan wlno tun-
mel during the last three years with
ouadruplane having four wings SET
back In tiers above each other. Tne
model. developed to perfect scale OF
a full-sized machine, proved TO nave
high lift efficiency and other cnarac-
teristics favorable to operation.
EXPERTS in the industry recognize tnal
the universities must be depended upon
for development Of future aeronauti-
cal engineers. Aerodynamlcs ana otnei
specialized subjects in which the aero
nautical engineer must have tnorougn
training probably can be taugnC VII,
greatest ease and efficiency tnrousn
Competent university instruction: st.
wind tunnels, which are the zap
oratories for research in aerodynamlcs
"A highly technical field, embracing
a study Of airplanes' fight properties
have a romantic appeal TO populat
Imagination. They make it possible 70
study exactly how an airplane VIII
act in winds of velocities up to several
hundred miles an hour, without ever
building a full-siZed alrplane:
Toy-like models, built with great
accuracy and precision, are used. Deli
cate wires suspend the models in the
tunnel air stream, and sensitive IN
struments record the forces acting upon
the model as if it were in flight.
The University of Michigan wind
tunnel. designed by Prof. Pawlowskl
differs from most others at university
military and commercial aeronautcai
laboratories.
It has a dual return for the air blown
through the main throat OF the tunnsi
SO that the air circulateS constantly
instead of being blown out one END
1t also has a unique arrangement which
makes possible an adjustment OF the
tunnels throat to diameters OF nve
six, seven or eight feet. This makes
possible fiexibility in its use for re-
search problems involving airstreams
of various velocities up to ESQ miles an
hour.