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The NACA Looks Beyond Propellers
While propeller-driven airliners were enjoying their "golden age," the NACA was doing research that would help create a new generation of high-speed passenger planes.
As the Cold War took hold after World War II, the United States anxiously stepped up aeronautical research to enhance the nation's security in an uncertain world. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) began to focus on the challenges of transonic and supersonic flight.
Although intended primarily for military purposes, the results of the NACA's research greatly benefited the future development of high-speed airliners. As proof of its pioneering work during this time, the NACA won the coveted Collier Trophy four times. |