Warbird Information Exchange

Someone gots some explaining to do me thinks..

What the heck is this?

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/m ... a+cool+dio.

Wind tunnel model of a Mustang .. i have never seen such a thing before.

Guess NAA must of built a few aircraft this size for trials?

Ive only ever seen models or scales not 1-1 trials...

Nothing strange with wind tunnel testing- for this purpose are built wooden model as well real airplanes used [depend of size of tunnel].

Cheers

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Usually they were hung upside down and suspended from sprung tethers to record 'lift' @ speed' by measuring how much downforce was applied to the model by the windtunnel using analog dial load gages working against calibrated springs, there's a widely circulated photo of a DC3 wooden model in the Cal Tech wind tunnel all strung 'up' with wires, the photo is flipped over when it's used as the author or editor, doesn't want to use the time and space to explain whats really going on to the great unwashed who wouldn't understand anyway.

I would guess this model as shown was to check airflow patterns around the nose and wing to body areas of the Packard installation for air intake and disrupted or turbulent air @ the wing/body interface and maybe the new radiator design too as it's got wings that STREGA would kill to be able to use, fast? OH YEAH! but very very goosey on approach and landing!!!!

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

The aircraft in the photo is one of two Allison P-51's (no letter designation) modified into Merlin XP-51B form. It is being tested in one of the wind tunnels at Ames Research Center, Sunyvale California. Several sources have said that the wings were clipped, but I'm not convinced that they are not just extending past the tunnel sides. The point of the tests is to determine the cause of a severe rumble/vibration within the radiator duct. Fears were expressed that the rumble could cause catistrophic failure. The cure for propblem ultimately resulted in the now familiar boundry layer gap and the elegant canted radiator lip.

Other interesting items regarding these two aircraft is the "added on"
feature of the chin intake below the spinner. Note the duct was faired onto the original , no chin intake cowl. And the exhaust fairings would not become production standard until the P-51H.

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Charles Neely