Into the wind: A history of the American wind tunnel, 1896--1941.

摘要

Wind tunnels became the primary research and development tool for aerodynamicists and aeronautical engineers during the first half of the twentieth century. What began in late-nineteenth-century Europe as simple devices to perform rudimentary aerodynamic studies grew into massive, powerful machines used for both basic aerodynamic research and aircraft design and development testing during this period. America lagged behind Europe in wind tunnel development until after the First World War, but soon after embraced aeronautical research as an important component of its technological progress. Two decades later, American wind tunnels set the standard for the world. The genesis and evolution of the subsonic wind tunnel, with an emphasis on American practice, is discussed, including the origins of the device, aspects of its design evolution, and its role in shaping the modern aeronautical research community.