Richard Whitcomb
Encyclopedia
Richard T. Whitcomb was an American
aeronautical engineer noted for his significant contributions to the science of aerodynamics
.
Whitcomb was born in Evanston, Illinois
but grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts
and earned his bachelors degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
. He spent most of his career at the Langley Research Center
operated by National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
(NACA) and its successor, NASA
.
'. The Area Rule states that two bodies having the same cross-sectional area distribution will have the same wave drag, as measured in the far field. As the axi-symmetric body with the minimum wave drag in transonic flow was shown to be the Sears-Haack body
, this provided an optimal distribution to compare designs with. The impact of this concept on aircraft design was immediate. The prototype Convair YF-102
was found to not be capable of exceeding the speed of sound in level flight. By sculpting the fuselage, to reduce the fuselage cross-sectional area in the region of the wing, the aircraft's area distribution was made closer to optimum. The resulting aircraft was found to be capable of exceeding the speed of sound
in level flight. For this discovery, Whitcomb won the Collier Trophy
in 1954.
In the 1960s, Whitcomb developed the supercritical airfoil
, and in the 1970s, Whitcomb developed winglets, devices used at the wingtips, normal to the wingspar, extending both upward and downward, which reduce wingtip vortices and the induced drag such vortices create, improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing and seen frequently in modern airliners, in which they reduce fuel consumption, and in sailplanes in which they improve glide ratio.
Whitcomb died in Newport News, Virginia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aeronautical engineer noted for his significant contributions to the science of aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
.
Whitcomb was born in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
but grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and earned his bachelors degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
. He spent most of his career at the Langley Research Center
Langley Research Center
Langley Research Center is the oldest of NASA's field centers, located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It directly borders Poquoson, Virginia and Langley Air Force Base...
operated by National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was a U.S. federal agency founded on March 3, 1915 to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958 the agency was dissolved, and its assets and personnel transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and...
(NACA) and its successor, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
.
Career
In the 1950s, Whitcomb proposed the 'Area RuleArea rule
The Whitcomb area rule, also called the transonic area rule, is a design technique used to reduce an aircraft's drag at transonic and supersonic speeds, particularly between Mach 0.75 and 1.2....
'. The Area Rule states that two bodies having the same cross-sectional area distribution will have the same wave drag, as measured in the far field. As the axi-symmetric body with the minimum wave drag in transonic flow was shown to be the Sears-Haack body
Sears-Haack body
The Sears–Haack body is the aerodynamic body shape with the lowest theoretical wave drag. Aircraft designed to operate at high subsonic or supersonic speeds have their cross-sectional areas designed to match as closely as possible the proportions of Sears-Haack body.By Whitcomb's area rule, the...
, this provided an optimal distribution to compare designs with. The impact of this concept on aircraft design was immediate. The prototype Convair YF-102
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
was found to not be capable of exceeding the speed of sound in level flight. By sculpting the fuselage, to reduce the fuselage cross-sectional area in the region of the wing, the aircraft's area distribution was made closer to optimum. The resulting aircraft was found to be capable of exceeding the speed of sound
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
in level flight. For this discovery, Whitcomb won the Collier Trophy
Collier Trophy
The Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the U.S. National Aeronautics Association , presented to those who have made "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space...
in 1954.
In the 1960s, Whitcomb developed the supercritical airfoil
Supercritical airfoil
A supercritical airfoil is an airfoil designed, primarily, to delay the onset of wave drag in the transonic speed range. Supercritical airfoils are characterized by their flattened upper surface, highly cambered aft section, and greater leading edge radius compared with traditional airfoil shapes...
, and in the 1970s, Whitcomb developed winglets, devices used at the wingtips, normal to the wingspar, extending both upward and downward, which reduce wingtip vortices and the induced drag such vortices create, improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing and seen frequently in modern airliners, in which they reduce fuel consumption, and in sailplanes in which they improve glide ratio.
Whitcomb died in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
Awards and honors
- USAF Exceptional Service Medal (1955)
- NACA Distinguished Service Medal (1956)
- ASA Exceptional Scientific Service Medal (1959)
- National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
in engineering. (1973) - Wright Brothers Memorial TrophyWright Brothers Memorial TrophyWinners of the National Aeronautic Association's Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy:*2009 - Steven Udvar-Hazy*2008 - Norman R. Augustine*2007 - Eugene Cernan*2006 - Norman Mineta*2005 - Edward C. Aldridge Jr.*2004 - Robert Crandall*2003 - John Glenn...
of the National Aeronautic AssociationNational Aeronautic AssociationThe National Aeronautic Association of the United States is a non-profit 501 organization and a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale , the international standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics. NAA is the official record-keeper for United States...
. (1974) - member National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
(1976) - Howard N. Potts Medal (1979)
- NAS Award in Aeronautical EngineeringNAS Award in Aeronautical EngineeringThe NAS Award in Aeronautical Engineering is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "for excellence in the field of aeronautical engineering." Established by Jerome C. Hunsaker and his wife, it was first awarded in 1968....
from the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
. (2000) - National Inventors Hall of FameNational Inventors Hall of FameThe National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
(2003)