Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06

/ bureau VI SLaIludIUS, WIlClA
were begun during the World
| 4 War to aid in the development
! CT military aviation, today
! are concerned largely with the adj
| vancement of commercial aeronautics,
! according to a recent report or the De-
| partment Of Commerce.
The Bureau of Standards began its
aeronautical research work in 1917,
| when the first of three wind tunnels
was constructed for experimental re-
| search work on the aerodynamicS OF
| model aiIplanes, aeroStats and bombs
| During that year the first Of the bu-
reau's altitude laboratories was COM
! pleted for the testing Of airp!ane en-
gines under fight conditions.
| Many of the radio Investigations con-
Quoted by bureau engineers during the
war also had a bearing on aeronauucS
and from them have grown many I'M
portant developments Of today. The
| testing of structural materials also in
cluded researches into the materials
! adapted to the building of airplanes
and dirigibles.
Since the war commercial aeronautics
have come to the fore and the bureau
is hard at work on this phase of aerial
progress. The necessity for flying over
long distances on definite time sched-
ules, one of the prime requisites for
successful air mail and passenger
service, has required the development
of many aids to air navigation. and in
this field the bureau has played an i'm
portant part.
Beacon System Worked Out.
The radio section has spent a large
portion of its time recently on the de-
velopment of an airplane beacon Sys-
tenn, including the airplane receiving
set and antenna, as well as the beacon
wave broadcasting plant. This work
has resulted in development of a SyS-
TEN which bids fair to be one Of the
most important aids to air navigation.
BY means of a croSS-cou beacon send
ing out alternate signals and a special
receiving set and visual indicator on
the plane it is possible for a pilot to
tell by glance at his instrument
board whether he is on the correct
course, or if he is not on the course
the amount and direction by which he
is in error Two beacons of this type
now are in use-one erected by the
bureau for experimental purposes at
College Park. Nd, on the New York
Atlanta airway, and the other at Belle
font, Pa, on the transcontinental air.
way. In addition to this development
OF successful radio beacon, investiga-
tons are in progress covering visual
beacons of various types, such as the
neon lamp. A long series OF observa-
tons has been made upon one Of these
signals erected on the coast Of Maine
last Summer.
All airplane engines designed for use
In commercial airplanes in the United
States first must be licensed by the
Department of Commerce before they
can be sold tor use in aircraft intended
for regular commercial flights. The
testing of motors by law devolves upon
the Bureau of Standards.
Engines are subjected to rigorous
endurance test by the Bureau of Stand
ards, either at the laboratory in this
city or at a special laboratory at Col
lege Park, Md. Work has been started
on a new plant at Arlington Farms.
Va, where three engines can be tested
at one time. This plant probably will
be ready for use in February or March.
The motors will be mounted on torque
stands and will drive special propellors
which viii absorb the power and blow
9o-nile stream of air past the en-
CINE cylinders, Stimulating true flight
conditions. This part of the bureaus
work, it is expected, will grow into one
of its most important classes of test
ing, not only because the field is new
and there is urgent need for close OBJ
servation Of engine performance to
suggest necessary improvements but also
because lives and property. depend upon
motor reliability.
New Designs Developed.
The aeronautical instrument section
of the bureau also is playing an in
creaSingly important part in the devel-
opment of aerial navigation. Thou
sands of instruments have been tested
for the Army, Navy and National Adj
viSory Committee for Aeronautics, as
well as for those engaged in commercial
aeronautics. Many new designs have
been developed and important improve
used by an American aviator in an at
tempt to break world record is sub
mitted to this section of the bureau to
be put through flight history test. !"
because in the case of Paragraphs and
similar instruments the hrst reading
does not give the true result. Correc-
tons must be determined In the labora-
tory and applied before the altitude
reached can be stated with certainty.
In this section special chamber has
been constructed in which the condi-
tons existing at any altitude can be
duplicated.
Materials Important.
The character of the materials used
In the construction of aircraft is Of
primary Importance. Great strength
and extreme lightness are necessary,
and the factor of safety, of course,
must be smaller than that possible in
buildings, bridges and machinery for
ground use because of this reason.
Thorough knowledge of materials used
in aircraft construction Is necessary to
avoid failure due to structural weak
ness.
For several years the bureau has
devoted its attention to the character
istics Of duralunin. the light alloy now
almost universally used in aircraft con-
struction. One of the battling problems
in connection with the use of this alloy
has been its tendency to become brittle
and unsafe. The bureau has found
that by modifying the heat treatment
of the duralumin during manufacture