40 YEARS OF AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH — HUNSAKER 265 



of the Whittle jet engines to aid the development program initiated 

 by Dr. Diirand. In this program, the Durand committee was handi- 

 capped by the fact that the coimtry had just been pkmged into a war 

 for which it was ill prepared and the principal airplane-engine firms 

 were overloaded. The decision came "from the summit" that we 

 would fight with the weapons in hand. First priority was given their 

 production in immense quantity. Consequently, tlie Durand com- 

 mittee had to arrange with nonaeronautical firms to undertake the 

 development of turbojet engines for possible later use to power fighter 

 airplanes. 



Over some 20 years, aerodynamic and powerplant improvement, 

 much of it based on application of research results, permitted the 

 top speed of military airplanes and the cruising speed of commercial 

 airplanes to be doubled; the air loads imposed on the faster airplanes 

 were severely increased, especially in rough air and when maneuvering. 



The loads research group at the Langley Laboratory consisted of 

 but 20 men in 1939, but their contribution was considerable, notably 

 the V-G recorder (V for velocity, G for gravity) by R. V. Rhode and 

 H. J. E. Reid. It was devised to measure continuously the loads ex- 

 perienced by an airplane flying in rough air. This was but one of 

 many novel instruments which NACA engineers have devised for 

 precise measurements in flight. 



The research problem directly related to loads deals with structures 

 to carry the loads. Here again the manpower available at Langley 

 prior to World War II was small ; as late as October 1940, only 10 

 men were working on airplane structures. Their work was concerned, 

 principally, with fundamental knowledge about structures from which 

 a trustworthy theory could be developed for design application. Del- 

 icate experiments and mathematical analyses dealing with the behavior 

 of thin-walled cylinders, stifl'ened panels, and other structural units 

 produced useful conclusions that were used on our World War II 

 aircraft. 



On October 7, 1939, Dr. Ames resigned from the Committee be- 

 cause of failing healtli. His responsibilities as chairman of the Com- 

 mittee were given to Dr. Vannevar Bush, who had been serving both 

 as vice chairman and as chairman of the executive committee. 



Note has been made already of the manner in which Dr. Ames had 

 provided leadership of the highest quality to the Committee for nearly 

 a quarter-century. The letter President Roosevelt wrote upon the 

 occasion of his retirement contained this statement : 



Our Republic would not be worthy of the devoted service you have rendered for 

 over 24 years without compensation if it could not on this occasion pause to pay 

 tribute where it is so justly due .... That the people generally have not known 

 of your brilliant and patriotic service is because it has been overshadowed by your 

 passion for acconipli.shment without publicity. But the fact remains, and I am 



