Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
The Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was formed in April 1909 at the National Physical Laboratory to study scientific problems related to flight.
The Committee published a significant series of Reports and Memoranda, starting in 1909. It also published annual Technical Reports. In 1919 it was renamed the Aeronautical Research Council.[1]
The Advisory Committee reported to the government, and specifically to Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith; but it may be that, as in the case of the NPL, the Royal Society held legal authority for the body. In any case we see that the group worked closely with the government, particularly with an eye to producing military aircraft. For example, Lord Rayleigh notes in an early report: "A large part of this work has been carried out in response to specific requests from the Government Constructive Departments for experimental data necessary for purposes of design."[2] Specifically, the group cooperated with the Royal Aircraft Factory, whose superintendent Mervyn O'Gorman was also a member.[3]
Much of its early work involved experimental apparatus such as wind tunnels and water channels,[2] as well as the use of models.[3] A central theme seems to be the air resistance, aerodynamics, and friction associated with different shapes and materials. Balloon fabrics were also tested from this point of view, and evaluated for permeability and durability.[4]
Publications by or about Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
- Reports and Memoranda (Simple title: Reports and Memoranda, Journal: Reports and Memoranda)
- Publication 9148, 1909, The new government flight offices and home of the National Physical Laboratory, Bushey House (Simple title: The new government flight offices and home of the National Physical Laboratory, Bushey House, Journal: Flight)
- Advisory Committee, 1910, Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911 (Simple title: Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911)
- Bramwell, 1912, Aeronautical research at the National Physical Laboratory (Simple title: Aeronautical research at the National Physical Laboratory, Journal: Aër. Journ)
- Publication B2p1127e09, 1914, Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Report for the year 1914-15 (Simple title: Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Report for the year 1914-15, Journal: Aircraft)
- Vought, 1914, On the report of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (Simple title: On the report of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Journal: Aero and Hydro)
- Howlett, 2021 (Simple title: The Development of British Naval Aviation, 1914–1918)
- Charru, 2023 (Simple title: Fluid Mechanics in France in the First Half of the Twentieth Century, Journal: Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics)
References
- ↑ w:Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Advisory Committee, 1910, Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911, p. 6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Advisory Committee, 1910, Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911, p. 7.
- ↑ Advisory Committee, 1910, Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911, p. 12–15.
| Organization names | Advisory Committee for Aeronautics |
|---|---|
| Entity type | government |
| Country | GB |
| City | |
| Affiliated with | UK government, Reports and Memoranda |
| Scope | GB |
| Started aero | 1909 |
| Ended aero | 1980 |
| Keywords | theory, aerodynamics, experiment, model, air resistance, photography, propeller, fabric, wind |
| Key people | Richard Burdon Haldane, Lord Rayleigh, John William Strutt, Lord Esher, Admiral Sir John Fisher, Thomas Ernest Stanton, Mervyn O'Gorman, Frederick William Lanchester, Richard Tetley Glazebrook, William Napier Shaw |
| Wikidata id | Q2986499 |
