Evening star., 1939-03-16
Speakers Emphasize
How Rivets Reduce
Plane Efficiency
Large Dividends Seen
By Elimination
From Wings

The humble rivet was cast in the
role OF villain which is robbing the
modern high-speed airplane of
much of its efficiency by speakers at
the opening session of a National
Aeronautic meeting at the Hotel
Washington today under the spon-
sorship of the Society of Automotive
Engineers.
Knocking the little rivet fiat is
an operation which should pay large
dividends, the Nations leading aero
nautical designers and manufacture
ers were told. Manley j. Hood. as
sistant aeronautical engineer of the
National Advisory Committee for
AeronauticS, said that for a large
airplane as much as 180 horsepower
may be required merely to pull rivet
heads and Tapped joints through the
air.
Even Paint Cuts Speed.
Tests made at Langley Field in
the N. A. c. A. laboratories show
that even paint on wing may re-
suit in loss of speed and efficiency.
1t was indicated that it may even-
tually become profitable, if speeds
increase, to wipe the wings free of
dust after each flight.
Don E. Berlin, chief engineer of
the Curtiss Aeroplane Division,
Curtiss-Wright Corp, also pointed
out that flesh riveting of the entire
outer surface of an airplane is be-
coming of increasing Importance.
Speaking before simultaneous
session on aircraft engines, Francis
Mast of the Naval Aircraft Factory,
Philadelphia, declared that the
problem of propeller vibration can
not be cured by any single means
but must be treated as a separate
and individual problem peculiar to
each combination of engine and
propeller. The elimination of such
vibration is regarded as necessary
to reduce noise. of especial import
'ance in the case of military air.
craft, and to increase airplane
efficiency.
Delegates to Inspect Plant.
Three sessions today and one to-
morrow, devoted to technical papers
and discussions, have been sched-
nled. Tomorrow afternoon the dele
gates will inspect the new River
dale (Mdo plant Of the Engineer
Ing and Research Corp. This plant.
the only local aviation factory, was
established by Henry Berliner. Its
main products are machine tools
for the construction of metal air.
craft, metal, wood and plastic pro-
pellers and airplane parts. Just re-
Gently the plant began production
OF a small, tWo-place metal air.
plane and four cylinder -in-line en-
gine.
This afternoon simultaneous ses-
sions on aircraft and engines are
to be held. William LittleWood will
be chairman at the aircraft meeting.
at which papers will be presented
by Oscar F. Olsen, College of Engi-
neering, New York University, and
R. P. Lansing, Bendix Aviation
Corp.
H. K. Cummings will be chairman
at the engine conference, and papers
will be presented by D. S. Hersey,
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co., and
w. G. Lundquist, Wright Aeronauti-
cal Corp.
Mason Banquet Speaker.
F.. w. Caldwell, winner of the COL
lier trophy for his development of
the. modern airplane propeller, will
preside at combined aircraft and
engine session at 8 pm. today.
Speakers will be Allan w. Davis of
the Civil Aeronautics Authority, who
will discuss studies and tests to de-
crease aircraft fire hazards, and M.
G. Beard and E. w. Fuller of Ameri-
can Airlines, who will present a
Joint paper on the use of feather
ing propellers in airline oneration