40 YEARS OP AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH — HUNSAKER 261 



expanding engineering science constitute a scientific challenge to 

 America's present leadership." He explained : 



Up to 1932 the Committee had constructed at its laboratories at Langley 

 Field special equipment such as the variable-density tunnel, the propeller- 

 research tunnel, the full-scale tunnel, and a seaplane towing basin. They 



were at the time of construction the only such pieces of equipment in the world. 

 The possession of such equipment was one of the chief factors in enabling the 

 United States to become the recognized leader in the technical development of 

 aircraft. Since 1932 this research equipment has been reproduced by foreign 



countries and in some cases special research equipment abroad 



is superior to the equipment existing at Langley Field. 



This condition has impressed the Committee with the advisability of providing 

 additional facilities promptly as needed for the study of problems that are neces- 

 sary to be solved, in order that American aircraft development, both military 

 and commercial, will not fall behind. 



EXPANSION OF FACILITIES 



In 1938, the Committee reported that its laboratory employees at 

 Langley Field were "working under high pressure." It warned that 

 "the recent great expansion of research facilities by other nations will 

 bring to an end the period of American leadership in the technical 

 development of aircraft miless the United States also constructs addi- 

 tional research facilities." Dr. Ames, in October 1938, appointed a 

 Special Committee on Future Kesearch Facilities to make recom- 

 mendations. 



But even before the Special Committee met, the NACA was making 

 a strong recommendation for special facilities for research on aircraft 



structures. "With the advance in size and speed of aircraft 



the problems involved require the conduct of laboratory research on 

 structures on an increasing scale," the Committee wrote Congress. 

 "This is the greatest single need for additional research equipment 

 and in the interests of safety and of further progress in aero- 

 nautics, it should be provided at the earliest possible date." 



On December 30, 1938, the Special Committee recommended immedi- 

 ate establislunent of a second Nx\CA research center, in California, 

 to relieve what the late Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover (then Chief of the 

 Army Air Corps and a member of the NACA) called "the congested 

 bottleneck of Langley Field." Although the recommendations had 

 been presented as emergency in character, it was not imtil midsum- 

 mer—August 9, 1939— just before the start of World War II, that the 

 second laboratory was authorized by Congress. Hardly a month later, 

 September 14, ground was broken at Moffett Field, some 40 miles south 

 of San Francisco, for what became the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory. 



Earlier that year an expansion of Langley facilities was authorized 

 by Congress. S. Paul Johnston (now managing head of the Institute 

 of the Aeronautical Sciences) was named Coordinator of Eesearch to 



