NACA Lewis Researcher and Technicians Discuss a Test Setup

Researcher Bill Reiwaldt discusses the preparations for a test in the Altitude Wind Tunnel with technicians Jack Wagner and Dick Golladay at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. Research engineers developed ideas for tests that were often in response to requests from the military or aircraft industry. Arrangements were made to obtain an engine for the study and to transport it to the Cleveland laboratory. The engine was brought into the facility’s shop area, where it was readied for investigation. It was common for several different engines to be worked on simultaneously in the shop.

The researcher would discuss the engine and the test objectives with the Test Installation Division and the facility’s technicians. The operations team would handle the installation of the instrumentation and fitting the test into the facility’s schedule. Upon completion of the previous test, the engine was removed. The next engine was lifted by an overhead crane and transported from the shop to the test section. The engine was connected to the measurement devices and fuel and oil supply lines. Engines were tested over numerous runs under varying conditions and with variations on the configuration. The findings and test procedure were then described in research or technical memorandums and distributed to industry.