Light Aircraft Association

I'm after a couple of Bob Whittier's articles:
Airfoil selection March 1962 Sport Aviation
Some NACA airfoil tests April 1962 Sport Aviation

I am no longer an EAA member so I cannot access the EAA archive myself.

It would be much appreciated if a current member (or anyone still in possession of the 1962 Sport Aviation magazine issues!) could send me copies of Bob's articles - either paper or preferably as a PDF.

Its a long shot I know

Airfoil selection is by Ray Borst, Though Bob did write that month it was about something else. He did also write the NACA tests. You have a PM

Hi Ian,

thanks so much! The Bob Whittier article on effects on drag of fabric sag, rib stitching, joints in overlapping plates, protruding rivets etc is really useful and informative.

Truth is I'm after an article that I can just about recall, by Bob Whittier, who discusses how the low turbulence NACA wind Tunnel led to the realisation that test results in the earlier tunnels, especially the variable density tunnel, had been made at Reynolds numbers higher that quoted in the test reports; the effective Reynolds numbers being a multiple greater than twice as much as that stated in the text (from memory). He went on to list some of the more reliable reports for GA design.

Could I put your sleuthing skills to a further test?

Best regards

I'll have a look this evening.

Bob seems to have written a lot. I assume that the year can be outside the 1962 publications?

Hi Ian,

thanks for your help.
Yep 1962 was only a guess; I had tried a google search and came up with the above issues of Sport Aviation as likely to have the article I need - but got it wrong!

Bob's articles were always well informed and well written. They spanned many areas as I recall, from aerodynamics to converting VW engines for use in aircraft.

Best regards

Hi Richard. I could find nothing by Bob that fitted your description. As you can imagine there are many articles on airfoils and Reynold numbers. The closest I could find was
Improved Airfoils For Low Reynolds Number Applications by Harry C. Riblett (Great name for an aircraft builder/aerodynamicist. Was his father called Rib?) 08-05-1988

I have put that is the same place as the others

Hi Ian,

once again my thanks for this.

I had a bit of a clear out a year or so ago and must have thrown away the article I am looking for - so its all my fault! However, I have now found the information I was after in 4-8 of Hoerner's Fluid dynamic lift.I was chasing up the article on behalf of a friend who is cross-checking his flight performance against initial expectations.

Regards Richard

PS The MITE wing and tail feathers should be leaving the spray shop in a few days time looking nice and shiny since the primer is on and has been rubbed down. But there is still some way to go before the fuselage is ready for spraying.

Great new Richard. Never throw anything like that away. I have taken to scanning anything that I may use one day, then throw it out. Hard disk space is cheap and it unclutters the house. Done right it is also easier to find again... sometimes

It will be good to see the Mite Finished.
All the best
Ian