Richard T. Whitcomb, Aeronautical Engineer, Dies at 89
OCTOBER 26, 2009 TAGS:
Before Richard T. Whitcomb’s advancements in Aeronautical design, planes outfitted with rockets were the only kind that could fly faster than the speed of sound. Jet engine-powered planes encountered too much drag when they approached supersonic speed, or about 750 mph. Whitcomb, while working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which became NASA in 1958, developed a solution that brought supersonic flight into practical use.
Richard Whitcomb died on October 13 in Virginia. He was 89.
Turns out, that “drag at high speeds is a function of an airplane's total cross-sectional area (essentially, the thickness of the fuselage). Because projections from the fuselage increase a plane's cross section, narrowing the fuselage where the wings and tail assembly attach reduces drag.”
Whitcomb’s discovery became known as the “area rule” and the solution to the problem of supersonic flight lay in narrowing the fuselage where the wings and fuselage meet, lessening the drag due to a smaller cross section at that point. The resulting planes were nicknamed by aviators as “flying coke bottles” or “Marilyn Monroes,” because of their undulating body.
The immediate military applications led NASA to dub Whitcomb as “the most significant aerodynamic contributor of the second half of the 20th century.”
Known for his knack for fluid dynamics and led more often by intuition than mathematical formulation, Whitcomb spent hours a day designing and observing aerodynamic tests in wind tunnels. And his efforts resulted in a slew of smaller, but equally intriguing developments that have made high speed flying such a routine element of our 21st century lives.
For instance, some commercial liners have vertical tips on their wings: a Whitcomb innovation known as winglets. They reduce wingtip vortices, or violent swirling turbulence at the end of wings, which lessens drag and heightens fuel efficiency.
For his efforts, Whitcomb has received the National Medal of Science and induction into the Inventors Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was awarded the Collier Trophy aviation’s highest honor. Past winners of the Collier include Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong. The award is usually given to teams of engineers or even entire companies, so Whitcomb’s win in 1954 was an extraordinary achievement.
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More on Whitcomb's Area Rule
An appreciation from NASA
Obituary from Whitcomb's Alma Mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Richard Whitcomb died on October 13 in Virginia. He was 89.Turns out, that “drag at high speeds is a function of an airplane's total cross-sectional area (essentially, the thickness of the fuselage). Because projections from the fuselage increase a plane's cross section, narrowing the fuselage where the wings and tail assembly attach reduces drag.”
Whitcomb’s discovery became known as the “area rule” and the solution to the problem of supersonic flight lay in narrowing the fuselage where the wings and fuselage meet, lessening the drag due to a smaller cross section at that point. The resulting planes were nicknamed by aviators as “flying coke bottles” or “Marilyn Monroes,” because of their undulating body.
The immediate military applications led NASA to dub Whitcomb as “the most significant aerodynamic contributor of the second half of the 20th century.”
Known for his knack for fluid dynamics and led more often by intuition than mathematical formulation, Whitcomb spent hours a day designing and observing aerodynamic tests in wind tunnels. And his efforts resulted in a slew of smaller, but equally intriguing developments that have made high speed flying such a routine element of our 21st century lives.
For instance, some commercial liners have vertical tips on their wings: a Whitcomb innovation known as winglets. They reduce wingtip vortices, or violent swirling turbulence at the end of wings, which lessens drag and heightens fuel efficiency.
For his efforts, Whitcomb has received the National Medal of Science and induction into the Inventors Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was awarded the Collier Trophy aviation’s highest honor. Past winners of the Collier include Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong. The award is usually given to teams of engineers or even entire companies, so Whitcomb’s win in 1954 was an extraordinary achievement.--
More on Whitcomb's Area Rule
An appreciation from NASA
Obituary from Whitcomb's Alma Mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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