Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-01
ABORATORY research today
is contributing to virtually
every line of modern indus

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There undoubtedly are some in.
duStrial establishments which
make no use of research anC
which have managed to ScrapC
along somehow, but when you SEE
q really large and Progressive in
duStry in the field today you may
rest assured that 1t has its founda-
ton in a well equipped and ener-
getic laboratory.
The laboratory worker is indis-
penSable to aviation; this has been
true since the beginning of flight
and will continue to be true as
long as there continues to be any
Improvements il the science of fly
ing. The fundamental principles
of aviation are foreign to the in
Stinct of mankind and science has
been forced to take the place of
intuition.
For countless centuries men
have lived and moved upon the
surface of the earth. Every in
Stinct ties us to the ground. Avia-
ton, as applied to the layman, is
the development of the past
decade. A quarter of a century
measures the span of human
flight. Instinct still works to keep
us on the ground and no success
full airplane has been the result of
intuitive design, nor has any man
flown purely by instinct.
LangIey's Findings True.
The aeronautical pioneers toiled
in the laboratory before they flew.
DR.. Samuel Langley'S entire ap-
proach toward aviation was Scien-
tiflc. The wonderfully successful
flights of his rubber and steam
driven model airplaneS were the
elimination Of prolonged research
and he was among the first to OBJ
tain the basic facts of aeronautics
by scientific investigation.
DR.. Langley had no wind-tunnel
to aid him in studying the effects
of air-f1ow on wing surfaces, but
he accomplished much the same
results by the use of a steam
driven "merry-go-round" on the
arms of which he hung plates and
wing sections, upon which air
forces were measured by pressure
recorders. He obtained results
which remain correct in the light
of all research since that time.
The Wright brothers, although
they were not scientists by train
ing, applied the most scientific
methods to their aviation work.
They worked tireleSSly with
gliders, but the proof of their
genius is the fact that they con-
Structed and operated a small
wind-tunnel in which they made
accurate measurements of various
shaped surfaces, presented at all
possible angles to the wind
stream. Without the basis Of this
wind tunnel work they never
would have flown over the wind
piled sands of Kitty Hawk.
Otto Lilienthal, who was killed
in one Of his gliders, perhaps used
less pure science than any Of the
pioneers, his success being due to
natural intelligence and ability.
Octave Chanute, who introduced
gliding in this country and who
proved a source of great inSpira-
ton to the Wright brothers, was
a noted civil engineer and applied
science to his gliding.
EiffeI Built Wind Tunnel.
Alexandra Gustave Eifel, who
built the famous tower which
commentaries his name and
engineering skill, studied the eff
tectS Of air pressure upon plane
surfaces by dropping rectangular
plates from the tower he built.
Dissatisfied with the Intangible re-
suits of these experiments, he
constructed the first wind-tunnel
OF really modern form.
Many other famous aviation
pioneers were noted scientists and
engineers who applied their train
ing to the problems of fight. In
this country, following the work
of the Wrights and Langley, there
was little real aeronautical re-
search work for several years and
there was very little aeronautical
progress until shortly before the
beginning Of the World War.
With the war came the eStab-
1iShment of aeronautical research
work in this country which has
grown until today American aero
nautical laboratories have no Su-
periors in the world. The Gov
eminent has taken a great lead
in aeronautical research through
the creation of the National Ad-
visory Committee for AeronauticS,
the laboratories Of the Army and
Navy air services and the Bureau
Of Standards. A number of col
legeS and universities have eStab-
liShed aeronautical laboratories
in which splendid research work
has been and is being accom-
plished. The Daniel Guggenheim
Fund for the Promotion of Aero
nautics, now nearing the close Of
a notable career, has conducted
much valuable research work and
has stimulated others morally and
financially.
The Bureau of Standards eStab-
lished the first "high altitude
laboratory" in which airplane en-
gineS could be subjected to the
conditions encountered in the up
per air. The National Advisory
Committee for AeronauticS, which
stands today as one of the worlds
greatest aeronautical research
bodies, has led the way into many
new fields Of research.
Fund Developed Tunnel COwling.
At its Langley Field laboratories
the advisory committee created
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