Wallace D. Hayes
Encyclopedia
Wallace D. Hayes was a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who made numerous fundamental contributions to the understanding of supersonic
flight and supersonic aircraft design.
In a series of publications beginning in 1947 with his Ph.D. thesis at the California Institute of Technology
. His work provided the first understanding of the behavior of delta wing
aircraft flying just above the speed of sound.
He followed his work in supersonic flow with groundbreaking studies in the late 1940s and early 1950s in hypersonic
flow, which is considered to begin at about five times the speed of sound, or Mach
5. He also developed the Hayes similitude principle
, which enabled designers to take the results of one series of tests or calculations and apply them to the design of an entire family of similar configurations where neither tests nor detailed calculations are available. Many of his developments appeared in his book Hypersonic Flow Theory, co-written with Ronald Probstein and first published in 1959.
He made important contributions to the understanding of sonic boom
s and served on numerous NASA
advisory committees on the subject.
Hayes was born in Beijing
, China
and educated in California
where he received his B.S. in physics in 1941 and his Ph.D. in physics, magna cum laude, in 1947 from the California Institute of Technology
. His work in the aircraft industry
began in 1939 with Consolidated Aircraft
and continued during World War II as an aerodynamicist with North American Aviation
. From 1952 to 1954 he was scientific liaison officer with the Office of Naval Research
in London
. In 1954, he came to Princeton University
, where he taught until 1989. He also taught at the California Institute of Technology, Brown University
, Delft Technical University, and the University of New Mexico
at Holloman Air Force Base
.
He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, the American Physical Society
and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
, which honored him in 1965 with its Research Award.
Hayes was an active member of the Sierra Club
since 1942 and an avid outdoor sports enthusiast enjoying rock-climbing, hiking, water sports, and skiing. He was also a glider
and small airplane flight instructor.
He died on March 2, 2001, in Hightstown, New Jersey
at age 82.
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
flight and supersonic aircraft design.
In a series of publications beginning in 1947 with his Ph.D. thesis at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. His work provided the first understanding of the behavior of delta wing
Delta wing
The delta wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta .-Delta-shaped stabilizers:...
aircraft flying just above the speed of sound.
He followed his work in supersonic flow with groundbreaking studies in the late 1940s and early 1950s in hypersonic
Hypersonic
In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that is highly supersonic. Since the 1970s, the term has generally been assumed to refer to speeds of Mach 5 and above...
flow, which is considered to begin at about five times the speed of sound, or Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
5. He also developed the Hayes similitude principle
Hayes similitude principle
The Hayes similitude principle enabled aerodynamicists to take the results of one series of tests or calculations and apply them to the design of an entire family of similar configurations where neither tests nor detailed calculations are available....
, which enabled designers to take the results of one series of tests or calculations and apply them to the design of an entire family of similar configurations where neither tests nor detailed calculations are available. Many of his developments appeared in his book Hypersonic Flow Theory, co-written with Ronald Probstein and first published in 1959.
He made important contributions to the understanding of sonic boom
Sonic boom
A sonic boom is the sound associated with the shock waves created by an object traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion...
s and served on numerous 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...
advisory committees on the subject.
Hayes was born in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and educated in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he received his B.S. in physics in 1941 and his Ph.D. in physics, magna cum laude, in 1947 from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. His work in the aircraft industry
Aircraft industry
The aircraft industry is the industry supporting aviation by building aircraft and manufacturing aircraft parts for their maintenance. This includes aircraft and parts used for civil aviation and military aviation. Most production is done pursuant to type certificates and Defense Standards issued...
began in 1939 with Consolidated Aircraft
Consolidated Aircraft
The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was being closed by its parent corporation, General Motors. Consolidated became...
and continued during World War II as an aerodynamicist with North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
. From 1952 to 1954 he was scientific liaison officer with the Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1954, he came to Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he taught until 1989. He also taught at the California Institute of Technology, Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Delft Technical University, and the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
at Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
.
He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The 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...
, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
, which honored him in 1965 with its Research Award.
Hayes was an active member of the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
since 1942 and an avid outdoor sports enthusiast enjoying rock-climbing, hiking, water sports, and skiing. He was also a glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
and small airplane flight instructor.
He died on March 2, 2001, in Hightstown, New Jersey
Hightstown, New Jersey
Hightstown is a Borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,494.Hightstown was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1853, within portions of East Windsor Township. The borough became...
at age 82.
Select publications
- Hypersonic flow theory (1966)
- Gasdynamic discontinuities (1960)
- Invicid flows (19670
- Linearized supersonic flows (1947)